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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vegan Carmelitas
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
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.
hello, can I substitute the vegan butter for coconut oil ?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I don’t often like how coconut oil is in desserts. It can make everything really greasy and burn easily. Plus they will be lacking flavor. You can try it, but it’s not my first choice.