What's ooey, gooey, sticky, sweet and delightful?
Flourless peanut butter + caramel bars, of course.
The bean trend has been sweeping the dessert scene for quite some time now, and I openly admit to eating bowls of the famed chickpea chocolate chip cookie dough. And it's surprisingly delicious.
In honor of the aforementioned bean-y trend, I give you peanut butter + caramel bars made with, yep, you guessed it: garbanzo beans!
If you haven't jumped on the bean bandwagon yet, do not freak out {deep breaths}. Substituting beans in the place of flour actually makes for a richer, denser and gooey-er dessert because of the added moisture.
These peanut butter + caramel bars are no exception as they take the cake bean for being every abovementioned adjective and then some. They're dense and peanut buttery with just the right amount of caramel to appease a sweet tooth.
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract (you can substitute a second teaspoon of vanilla extract if you don't have butter extract on-hand)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup thick caramel sauce (I recommend Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add garbanzo beans, peanut butter, extracts, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a food processor and process until super smooth and creamy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Lightly grease a 8x8 or 5x10 inch pan (baking times will vary depending on which you choose).
- Pour batter into the pan and evenly spread throughout.
- You have two options here: You can 1) pour lines of caramel sauce over the top of the batter before baking and use a toothpick to swirl the caramel sauce across the top of the bars or 2) you can drizzle the caramel sauce on the bars after they are baked.
- Bake for 35 minutes (5x10 pan) or 30 minutes (8x8 pan) or until edges are just starting to turn a light golden color (the bars will look undercooked but that's how you want them to look).
- After the pan has cooled completely, cut into 10-12 bars and enjoy.
- I store mine in the fridge to keep them dense and chewy.
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Celeste Jackson says
Wow! I sure hope I get to try these.
Kathryn says
Thank you! These are just what I was looking for!!
I've added chocolate chips to the recipe...I just love peanut butter and chocolate!
The Vegan 8 says
I have not liked any bean desserts so far, all I taste is beans :( But these do look incredibly delicious and fudgy, so I may have to strike up the courage again to try them!! And I love anything pretty much with peanut butter.
Ashley says
Oh man, the pressure is on! I know what you mean about the beany taste -- I think pb does a better job of masking that flavor than most other nut butters. I hope you enjoy these if you give them a try. I'd love to hear your feedback (either way) if you make them!