Bars – FoodWatcher

No Bake Almond Joy Bars

I love an easy no bake treat! A few favorites include: No Bake Cookies, No Bake Monster Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Protein Balls, and No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. These No Bake Almond Joy Bars are a delicious treat combining chocolate, coconut, and almo…

No Bake Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

S’mores are a MUST when there is a campfire, but I also love making s’mores treats in my kitchen. A few favorites include s’mores cookies, s’mores clusters, and s’mores rice krispie treats. I also love my peanut butter s’mores bars because we all know s’mores are better when peanut butter is involved. My classic peanut…

Vegan Carmelitas

a stack of 3 Vegan Carmelitas on a wire rack. These ooey gooey Vegan Carmelitas bring caramel and chocolate together in a chewy oatmeal bar. One of the best desserts you’ll ever make and a total crowd pleaser! Want more vegan dessert bars? Check out my Seven Layer Bars, Vegan Pecan Bars, and Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars as well! Listen up, caramel lovers: These…

These ooey gooey Vegan Carmelitas bring caramel and chocolate together in a chewy oatmeal bar. One of the best desserts you’ll ever make and a total crowd pleaser!

Want more vegan dessert bars? Check out my Seven Layer Bars, Vegan Pecan Bars, and Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars as well!

Listen up, caramel lovers: These vegan carmelitas are for you!

There’s so much to love about these vegan dessert bars, from the ooey gooey and delightfully chewy bites to the melted chocolate and vegan caramel in the middle. It doesn’t hurt that they’re easy to put together in under an hour, too!

To make these easy caramel bars, vegan chocolate chips and caramel sauce are layered on top of a sweet and crumbly oat, flour, and sugar mixture that doubles as the crust and topping. Set them aside to cool and firm up after baking, then slice and enjoy the caramel goodness.

Why these are the best vegan carmelitas

For caramel lovers! My two-ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce is the star of these chewy bars. It’s rich, sweet, easy to make, and oozes out of the bars with every bite. Yum!
Layers of caramel, chocolate, and nuts – Vegan chocolate chips, caramel sauce, and the optional pecans come together in the middle of these oat bars.
An easy sweet treat – Like my Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars and Vegan Smores Cookie Bars, these caramel bars are easy to make in one bowl and come together in under 1 hour.

close up on a stack of 3 Vegan Carmelitas with a bite missing from one.

Frequently asked questions

Are carmelitas gluten-free?

No, these bars are not inherently gluten-free since they’re made with all-purpose flour and oats (which aren’t always naturally gluten-free). I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this recipe but I’m sure it would work with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and certified gluten-free quick oats instead.

Can I substitute the quick oats for old-fashioned rolled oats?

Yes, old-fashioned oats should work here. Just know that they may not soften as quickly in the oven as quick oats, which may give the bars a crispier texture.

How do you store the leftovers?

Once they’re cool, the caramel bars can be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge. Wrap them individually or store them in an airtight container to keep the crust chewy and tender.

Can you freeze carmelita bars?

Yes! These bars freeze well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge and place them on the kitchen counter for about 10 minutes before serving so the caramel can soften slightly.

Can I use a vegan caramel without coconut?

Yes. My easy Vegan Caramel is coconut cream based, so if you aren’t a fan of anything remotely coconut tasting, make my Vegan Salted Caramel (omit the salt) instead.

close up on a womans hand holding a Vegan Carmelita.

Vegan Carmelitas

These ooey gooey Vegan Carmelitas bring caramel and chocolate together in a chewy oatmeal bar. One of the best desserts you'll ever make and a total crowd pleaser!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings bars

Calories 314kcal

Author Nora Taylor

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup melted vegan butter
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
optional 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup Vegan Caramel Sauce

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

First, go make the 2-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce. You can even make this the day before if desired.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper (or simply grease the pan well). You can use an 8-inch pan for thicker bars.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt together. Pour in the melted vegan butter and stir to form moist crumbs.
Press half of the crumbs on the bottom of the prepared pan, evenly and firmly. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips (and pecans, if using) over the warm crust, evenly.
For the caramel – If you have made this ahead of time and it's very thick, warm it for 30 seconds or so in the microwave until it's pourable. Pour the caramel over the chocolate chips.
Sprinkle the rest of the flour-butter crumb mixture on top of the caramel, and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown and bubbling along the edges.
Cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours, if possible. They are still good before then, but they will fall apart easily and be very gooey. For firmer bars, chill for at least 4 hours.
Lift out using the parchment paper, slice into squares with a heavy knife, and serve.

Notes

For gluten free – Use a gluten free flour mix and gluten free certified quick oats.
If you really dislike coconut based caramel, you can use my Vegan Salted Caramel recipe instead, just omit the salt.

Nutrition

Zucchini Bars with Cake Mix

Make zucchini bars with cake mix to use up your abundance of garden zucchini. The spice cake mix matches perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. I love summertime gardens. Granted, I’m not the best at it, but thankfully my mom and dad are and t…

The post Zucchini Bars with Cake Mix appeared first on Tastes of Lizzy T.

Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

close up on a pile of Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars. Craving strawberry cheesecake AND strawberry crumble? These Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars have the best of both worlds! Rich, creamy, and sweet, they’re a wonderful dessert for any celebration. Have the best strawberry season ever with these cheesecake bars, as well as my Easy Vegan Strawberry Shortcake, Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes, and Strawberry Rolls recipes! These…

Craving strawberry cheesecake AND strawberry crumble? These Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars have the best of both worlds! Rich, creamy, and sweet, they’re a wonderful dessert for any celebration.

Have the best strawberry season ever with these cheesecake bars, as well as my Easy Vegan Strawberry Shortcake, Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes, and Strawberry Rolls recipes!

These Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars are like a strawberry cheesecake and strawberry crumble mash-up. The goodness of both crowd-pleasing summer baked goods goes into these bars, making each one delightfully sweet, creamy, rich, and fruity.

To make them, a creamy yet light and airy vegan cheesecake filling is poured over a graham cracker crust before it’s topped with strawberries and a sweet crumble topping. The bars are baked until lightly golden, then placed in the fridge to set. Slice ‘em up after a few hours and enjoy!

These bars are especially perfect when you don’t want to make an entire cheesecake. The recipe makes approximately 12 bars, so there’s enough for everyone at the get-together or summer celebration! Or, store them for later and enjoy one whenever a craving hits.

Why you’ll love these strawberry cheesecake bars

Two great desserts come together – The creamy richness of vegan cheesecake is combined with sweet, fruity, and lightly crisp strawberry crumble in these delicious cheesecake crumble bars.
Celebrate strawberry season – With fresh strawberries in every bite, they’re a must-make during summertime, AKA strawberry season!
Perfect for a crowd – Pass these handheld cheesecake bars around at the pool party, baby shower, July 4th celebration, or any occasion.

an unbaked batch of Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars in a square baking tin.

How to make vegan strawberry cheesecake crumble bars

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Stir the graham cracker crumbs, melted vegan butter, and sugar together in a medium bowl until it resembles moist crumbs. Press them into the bottom of a square baking pan.

Next, beat the vegan cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in the coconut cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon juice until creamy and smooth. Pour the filling over the crust in the pan, then top it with the diced strawberries.

Stir the flour, brown sugar, and melted vegan butter together in a small bowl to make the crumble. Sprinkle it over the strawberries.

Bake the crumble cheesecake bars until the cheesecake filling is set but still slightly jiggly. Set the bars aside to cool, then place them in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

an baked batch of Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars in a square baking tin.

Once they’re cool and fully set, slice them into squares and enjoy!

To make these bars completely irresistible, drizzle the homemade strawberry sauce from my Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake recipe or add a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top right before serving.

sliced Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars on a piece of parchment paper.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use strawberries?

Nope! Feel free to make these bars with fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or pitted and sliced stone fruit, like cherries, plums, or peaches, instead.

What kind of vegan cream cheese should I use?

I found that Tofutti and Miyoko’s vegan cream cheese worked best in this recipe. Just like in my Vegan Cheesecake recipe, Violife and Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese do not work here and will likely make the filling very soupy.

Can they be made gluten-free?

Sure. Make the crust with the almond crust from my Cashew Cheesecake recipe or replace the graham cracker crust with gluten-free graham crackers or gluten-free ginger cookies. For the crumble, use gluten-free flour instead of regular all-purpose flour.

How do you store cheesecake crumble bars?

For the best results, serve the bars after the filling has set or else the crumble will start to lose its crisp texture and become soggy. If you end up with leftover cheesecake bars, you can wrap them individually in plastic and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

a Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bar with a bite removed.

Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 6

Servings bars

Calories 294kcal

Author Nora Taylor