Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches

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Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches are decadent, delightful, fluffy, and fudgy, and your tastebuds won’t believe they are dairy-free and gluten-free, too! But they are. The cookie sandwich is lightly sweet while the quick-caramel is sugar and oak. Combined they make the perfect pair! {Paleo}

I have a confession. This recipe was born out of a weekend of movies that were all about…chocolate. More specifically, Like Water for Chocolate, Chocolat, and Me Late Chocolate. And that’s when I decided we needed our own decadent chocolate dessert, too. Spiriteds, let me tell you, over the years, these Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches have lived through one iteration after another.

But I dug in, did additional research, and found a combination of ingredients that oozes decadence without breaking a sweat in the kitchen. Grateful shoutouts to Jessica over on Real Food with Jessica for her Paleo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies inspiration. The second born and I continued to work on our recipe and finally got it to work. And it was unanimous love in our house.

These Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches are perfect not only for special occasions but also just because moments and anything and everything in between. They store well in the fridge and are easy to assemble in minutes. Take your sandwiches up a notch and add another dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the finished sandwich cookies. Or even a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

The options are endless. You’ll have to make more than one batch just to explore all the possibilities. And, Spiriteds, your tastebuds will thank you!

If you are ready to make your own Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches, then let’s dive in! Our foursome can’t wait for you to try these!

Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches are

• Paleo (if you hadn’t already guessed)
• Decadent, chocolatey, and lightly sweet
• Fudgey, chewy, and cakey

Of note, the chocolate sandwiches aren’t actually that sweet. It’s when combined with the caramel that the magic happens. In fact, I thought the girls might not like these sandwich cookies for that very reason. But I was wrong. They love these cookies. I think they tasted, too, how the result is a delicate balance of sweet and bitter for a delightful bite in every cookie sandwich.

Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches ingredients

For the filling

• Almond butter or other nut/seed butter. If you end up with a thick almond butter, mash it as well as you can. The thinner it is, the easier the filling will form.
• Coconut cream. Chill a can of coconut cream overnight and then scoop it into the caramel filling ingredients.
• 100% pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. A dynamic duo in paleo sweeteners, these two are what make this caramel filling come alive.
• Medjool dates, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt. These ingredients balance the sweet and salty nature and add bulk to prevent the filling from being runny.

For the sandwiches

• Almond butter. Roasted and unsweetened is best. Another roasted nut or seed butter will also work.
• Maple syrup. 100% pure maple syrup is the perfect sweetener in this recipe.
• Egg. One small egg will suffice.
• Vanilla. Adjust according to the sweetness level you desire.
• Cocoa powder or cacao powder. Measure out for the cookies and then keep some on hand for dusting the cookies.
• Paleo flours: Almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. Each one offers its own magic that without, the cookies wouldn’t be the same.
• Baking soda. Add this when you add the flours.

How to make Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches

To make these Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches, begin with the filling. It can chill while you go to work on the sandwich cookies.

1. To the small work bowl of a food process, add the almond butter, coconut cream, 100% pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, Medjool dates, vanilla, and sea salt. Pulse several times to combine ingredients. Scrape the sides of the work bowl and then process on LOW until the filling starts to form. If some of the dates refuse to process, then stop the machine, scrape the sides, and process on HIGH. This should help break down the remaining date pieces. Scoop the mixture into a glass jar and refrigerate until the sandwich cookies are ready.
2. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. To a mixing bowl, combine the almond butter and maple syrup. Cream until well combined. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the flours and baking soda and blend until combined.
3. Roll dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls and place 1-2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheeting. Lightly dust with cocoa powder and gently press the cookies with the flat side of a drinking glass.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Transfer to a cooling rack and once cooled and set, the use a teaspoon to spread the caramel filling on one side of a sandwich cookie. Then grab another cookie of a similar size and press them together. Repeat this for the remaining cookies.
5. Refrigerate in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.

Recipe tips and tricks

• To keep this paleo, work with 100% pure vanilla, a paleo-friendly coconut cream, and 100% pure maple syrup. Choose a nut or seed butter that is roasted (you’ll get a deeper, more oaky flavor) and isn’t sweetened (we’ll add our own).
• You will find variations in cookie consistency depending on the consistency of the nut/seed butter. Thicker, chunkier nut/seed butters will yield a dense, traditional-style cookie. Runnier, thinner nut/seed butter will more likely yield the fluffy, airy cookie pictured here. 

More decadent delights!

If you’re upping your chocolate game with Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches, then peep your eyes on these!

• Chocolate-Frosted Paleo Pumpkin Brownies
• Fudgy Paleo Brownies
• Paleo Zucchini Brownies

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can and always remember I’m glad you’re here! ❤️

Paleo Chocolate Caramel Sandwiches

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• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 9 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the filling:

• 5 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 4 Medjool dates, softened and finely chopped into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt

For the sandwiches:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon tapioca flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

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Instructions

1. To the small work bowl of a food process, add the almond butter, coconut cream, 100% pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, Medjool dates, vanilla, and sea salt. Pulse several times to combine ingredients. Scrape the sides of the work bowl and then process on LOW until the filling starts to form. If some of the dates refuse to process, then stop the machine, scrape the sides, and process on HIGH. This should help break down the remaining date pieces. Scoop the mixture into a glass jar and refrigerate until the sandwich cookies are ready.
2. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. To a mixing bowl, combine the almond butter and maple syrup. Cream until well combined. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the flours and baking soda and blend until combined.
3. Roll dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls and place 1-2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheeting. Lightly dust with cocoa powder and gently press the cookies with the flat side of a drinking glass.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Transfer to a cooling rack and once cooled and set, the use a teaspoon to spread the caramel filling on one side of a sandwich cookie. Then grab another cookie of a similar size and press them together. Repeat this for the remaining cookies.
5. Refrigerate in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.

Notes

• This recipe yields about 18 small cookies, which are then paired to make 9 sandwich cookies.
• You may need to chill the batter if it is soft or runny and doesn’t easily form into a ball. This is often the result of the consistency of the almond butter. Runnier almond butters will likely require chilling and thicker, chunkier almond butters may not. If you need to chill the cookie dough, then refrigerate your caramel sauce until the cookies are done.
• To keep this paleo, work with 100% pure vanilla, a paleo-friendly coconut cream, and 100% pure maple syrup. Choose a nut or seed butter that is roasted (you’ll get a deeper, more oaky flavor) and isn’t sweetened (we’ll add our own).
• You will find variations in cookie consistency depending on the consistency of the nut/seed butter. Thicker, chunkier nut/seed butters will yield a dense, traditional-style cookie. Runnier, thinner nut/seed butter will more likely yield the fluffy, airy cookie pictured here.