Oaty almond butter caramel slice

November is the time when we all start to feel a little more social. Barbecues and drinks with friends on a long, warm night. There is nothing better than the chill vibes of summer, are we right? We are huge sweet-tooths and always need to end the night (or afternoon) on a sweet note. This is our go-to nibbly treat because it is so easy, quick, cheap to make and can easily be made in big batches so you can stock up for summer entertaining or just for yourself. It uses minimal equipment and fancy things so you can literally make it no matter how remote your summer vacation spot may be. The best thing about this slice is dates don’t freeze, so you can eat it straight out of the freezer — perfect when you have unexpected guests over. In terms of a "blender", use whatever you have, a Vitamix, NutriBullet, stick blender or even a fork to handblend the dates and mix the filling together would do the trick. We are all about substituting so if you don’t have almond butter — peanut or cashew butter would be just as delicious.

Base

1 ¾ cups	Rolled oats (Main)
½ cup	All-purpose flour
⅓ cup	Coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp	Maple syrup, up to 4 Tbsp
1 tsp	Vanilla bean extract
1 pinch	Sea salt

Almond butter caramel

½ cup	Dates, soaked in boiling water for 5-10 mins (Main)
½ cup	Almond butter, or peanut butter (Main)
3 Tbsp	Coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp	Water
½ tsp	Salt

Top

50 g	Dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
1 pinch	Sea salt

Directions

1. In a mediumsized bowl add all of the base ingredients and mix until well combined. NOTE the mixture will seem quite crumbly but don't worry, it will stick together when the coconut oil solidifies in the freezer.
2. Line a loaf tin or small baking tray with baking paper. Pour the base mixture into the lined tin and evenly press into the tin using the back of a spoon. Set aside.
3. For the almond butter caramel, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you have a thick, smooth caramel.
4. Pour the caramel over the base and give the tin a gentle shake and tap on the bench to evenly spread the caramel.
5. Top with chocolate chunks and sea salt. Place in the freezer to set for 1-2 hours.
6. Once set cut into bars and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.