CARAMEL LAYER COOKIE BARS
No such thing as too many cookies…so here ya’ go.
These were created to use with Cinnamon Bliss…one of my favorite things on earth. You can find it in this link at Amazon.com and a little goes a long way, so the jug will last awhile. If you can’t find it or don’t want to have that much hanging around, my Gold Caramel Sauce or a good-quality store-bought sugar-free sauce would be wonderful in these.
(Using the commercial stuff, these are fairly full of sugar alcohols – which I’m not fond of. Whey Low doesn’t contain any, so using that and the recipe for Caramel Sauce would be best if you are sensitive to SA’s.)
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Crust:
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup Whey Low granular, Maltitol crystals, or Splenda Granular
1 tablespoon sugar-free maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preaheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.
Stir together almond flour, flour, oatmeal, Nature Sweet crystals or Splenda, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup for the topping. Pat remainder into the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until starting to become golden on the edges.
Filling:
2/3 cup Cinnamon Bliss OR Gold Caramel Sauce – recipe link above (or store-bought SF)
2/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
Bring sauce and nuts to boil and, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes. Pour over baked crust. (If using Gold Caramel Sauce, just heat through…don’t boil or it will be TOO chewy!)
Topping:
4 ounces sugar free Dark or Milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup reserved crumbs
Sprinkle chopped chocolate over caramel layer. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over chocolate. Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly on edges and top crumbs are slightly golden. Cool in pan and cut into 16 pieces. Makes 16 servings.
Per servings: Calories 207; Protein 4 g; Fat 15 g; Carbs 15 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 83 mg
Oh, Linda, this sounds DELISH! Could I subsitute something else for the nuts in the topping? Maybe oats? My mom cannot have nuts and this would be a great dessert to make for her….except for da nuts! Thanks, Kelly
I did email a response…hope you got it!
Oats would turn into ‘cooked mush’ I’m afraid. Leaving out the nuts and just boiling the CB or using the Gold Caramel Sauce would be fine on their own.
I hope she loves them!
Next… you need to figure out how to add a FaceBook “Share” button….
Oh, doll…you’re giving me way too much credit for knowing what I’m doing!!!
(But I’ll look into it!)
Oh dear god drooling! I will make this for Easter Brunch for sure!
Girl, you almost put me into a binge last night! These are amazing! But I had to slice them up quickly to freeze them, or I would have been in trouble. I think I’ll make them for a family or church function next time so they’ll be eaten quickly. I am amazed that Cinnamon Bliss turns so caramelly when cooked – there’s not even much of a cinnamon flavor in these!
Kelly – just leave out the nuts (will still be great), but if you use Cinnamon Bliss, the boiling is important to give it a caramel quality. If you use the Gold Caramel Sauce, you might even have better results without the nuts.
Tammy…! Anything I can do to help. You can always count on me for another binge-inducing recipe…darn it anyway. (I feel ya, there…I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to dessert. If I could get away with it – that would be ALL I’d eat!)
Linda – don’t stop posting them on my account! As you can see, I’m still making them – and enjoying them! My family is also grateful. My Mom and stepdad can’t believe what I cook for them when they visit – healthy and sugar free!
Linda-
What would happen if I used 1/2&1/2 instead of heavy whipping cream for my caramel sauce? I have made it ( with WC) and it is GREAT but I don’t want to go to town to buy whipping cream today…LOL.
It should work okay…might need to cook it longer to get the desired thickness. But it should be alright!
(If it doesn’t get thick enough, it will make a FABULOUS topping for yogurt or drizzle on pro shakes!
It should work okay…might need to cook it longer to get the desired thickness. But it should be alright! (If it doesn’t get thick enough, it will make a FABULOUS topping for yogurt or drizzle on pro shakes!
I’ve been on such a cupcake kick lately I haven’t made any cookies or bars–these look great though!