While I was making Healthier No-Bake Cookies, I wondered what would happened if I left out the cocoa powder and turned them to a caramel version. And… here we are with Chocolate Chunk Salted Caramel No-Bake Cookies which, (dare I say it?) are better than the originals because chocolate + caramel = better than just chocolate!
A little sprinkling of sea salt over the the top is the perfect addition because it brings out the caramel flavor. For the chocolate chunks, I used an 80% bar that I brought back from Choklat in Calgary. To keep this recipe 100% dairy free and vegan, be sure to use a dairy free chocolate.
I like to use both big flake and fine shredded coconut in these cookies for textural interest. In the recipe there is an optional 1/2 cup of almond or cashew butter which is a really nice addition to these cookies, but be sure to try it both ways because each has it’s own merits.
Coarsely chop your chocolate being sure to leave some larger chunks. Too many small pieces will melt into your cookies and you will definitely want to bite into some chocolate chunks!
The base is made the same way as the traditional no-bakes, it’s boiled on the stove for a couple of minutes until the caramel mixture thickens. Once you remove if from the heat, add the coconut flakes and the nut butter if you’re using it. After everything is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chunks and stir as little as possible to keep the chunks intact.
Portion the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
This version of no-bakes takes a full 3-4 hours to set up. Not to worry though, you don’t have to wait – they’re so good warm and gooey!
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Chocolate Chunk Salted Caramel No-Bake Cookies
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Prep Time: 5 mins -
Cook Time: 5 mins
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Total Time: 10 mins
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Yield: 15 cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, (from the can)
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups finely shredded coconut
- 1 cup big flake coconut
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chunks or Enjoy Life chocolate chips (I used 80% dark chocolate)
- Optional: 1/2 cup almond or cashew butter
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the coconut sugar, coconut oil, and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for 2-3 minutes until the caramel thickens, stirring constantly to keep the caramel from sticking.
- Remove the caramel from the heat and add the vanilla, sea salt, and coconut. Stir to combine. If you’re using the almond or cashew butter, mix it in thoroughly. Finally, add the chocolate chunks and combine, stirring as little as possible to keep the chunks intact.
- Portion the cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool. This version of no-bakes takes a full 3-4 hours to fully set up, but you don’t have to wait that long because they’re really good warm and gooey.
Notes
To keep this recipe 100% dairy free and vegan, be sure to use a chocolate that is dairy free.
56 Comments on “Chocolate Chunk Salted Caramel No-Bake Cookies”
Hi there Kari~First off, big huge kudos AND thanks for the delicious recipe! I’ve made a version with oats and coconut, but never all coconut and with the coconut milk and oil. My question is if you used natural, unsweetened coconut? it looks like it in the photos of the two bags of coconut, but cannot quite read the label….it almost looks like I can see where it says”ingredients” and there seems to be just one word, which I assume is “coconut”? Thanks, in advance~ Samantha in AZ
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I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, and yes it’s unsweetened coconut milk. It never occurred to me to list that in the recipe because they don’t sell anything other than unsweetened coconut milk here!
Are these gluten free ??
Yes these are gluten free, as long as each of your ingredients is gluten free/processed in a gluten free facility. Definitely look out for the chocolate, I make mine with the Enjoy Life brand which is gluten free. Just be sure the brands you use are actually gluten free, all these ingredients should be gluten free, but if you have a severe gluten allergy/celiacs you need to make sure of each of your ingredients. I hope this helps, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!
These look amazing but am I missing something? Where’s the caramel in the ingredients? Is it a mixture of the coconut sugar, oil, and milk?
1½ cups coconut sugar
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup coconut milk, (from the can)
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ Teaspoon sea salt
2½ cups finely shredded coconut
1 cup big flake coconut
⅔ cup dark chocolate chunks or Enjoy Life chocolate chips (I used 80% dark chocolate)
Optional: ½ cup almond or cashew butter
You’re definitely not missing anything, the caramel flavor comes from boiling together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, and milk – coconut sugar has a distinct caramel taste to it. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions! 🙂
Thanks Kari, sounds great will definitely try it soon. I’m always looking for no bake recipesand this one has both my favs chocolate and coconut 🙂
Hi, do you think if I replace the Coconut milk with coconut cream and ditch the nut butter it would work?
Thanks,
I think it would work with canned coconut cream instead, but I might reduce the coconut oil by 1-2 Tablespoons because of the increased fat content of the coconut cream. The nut butter is totally optional as just a variation so you will definitely be fine without it. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!
I’ve made these about three times now, and they are amazing!
I made two batches for an Easter party I’m attending, and I hope everyone feels the same way. Thanks for this awesome recipe! (:
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them, I hope they’re a hit at your Easter party too, they’ve always been a hit when I take them to any get together so I think you’ll be fine! 🙂
I’m not completely inept in the kitchen, but for some reason when I combined all the ingredients at the end, it was very dry. I hesitated adding all of the coconut, in fact. I’ve gone ahead and tried to make compressed cookies, but I fear even after they have set they will crumble. Did I cook the caramel sauce too long? I did stir until it reached a medium color (5 min) because up until then, it looked too thin. Thanks for any advice you can give b/c I really, really want these to work for me! : ))
I think you might have cooked the caramel sauce for too long because I’ve never had these come out dry before, in fact they’re the softest no-bakes I make taking up to 4 hours to set up. I would try simmering the caramel for just 2-3 minutes, (I put a timer on to keep from forgetting it) and I’m sure they will turn out. I don’t know if you still have the dry batch, but you could try melting a bit of coconut milk in a pan and stirring in the dry cookies to rehydrate. I don’t know if it would totally fix the dry texture, but at least they’d be moist (nothing worse than dry cookies). I hope this helps and that you give these another try because they are unbelievable! Be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions.
Hi Kari,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m planning to make these caramel delights for a Christmas party. However, I’m having trouble finding coconut sugar in Canada…when I search for it online, all I get is ‘coconut palm sugar’ – is that the same thing or different?
Thanks for your help! 🙂
Coconut sugar and palm sugar are technically 2 different kinds of sugar, but there’s often a lot of mislabeling on packages. My coconut sugar says coconut palm sugar on the package, so I’m guessing that whatever you’ve found is probably the same thing, but I’ll leave you a link with the exact brand that I use just in case there’s some kind of difference. I hope you enjoy these, and be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions! 🙂
http://www.iherb.com/Big-Tree-Farms-Organic-Coconut-Palm-Sugar-Blonde-16-oz-454-g/34435?gclid=CMqvobvms8kCFdKGfgodbfQM1Q
these look amazing, quick question, do you know if coconut sugar is better than regular sugar for diabetics,
thanks
I’m sorry but I don’t know which types of sugar are better for diabetics. I hope you get to enjoy the recipe, and hopefully if you have anymore questions I’ll be able to answer them!
Can i substitute whote sugar for the coconut sugar? I boughtallthe i grediants but missed that it was coconut sugar. Making them with some kids tomorrow at a bible camp. Thx
You can substitute regular sugar for the coconut sugar but it won’t have the deep caramel flavor. You could try making my Healthier No Bake Cookies which are similar but rely on cocoa powder more for flavor, that way you wouldn’t miss the caramel flavor from the coconut sugar. I’ll include a link, and be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions! 🙂
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/healthier-no-bake-cookies/
Hi Karl
I want to make these for company. Can I find the coconut sugar at Walmart, local grocery store, or must I go to a health food store? The recipe sounds great! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for posting it.
I don’t know if you can find coconut sugar at Walmart, but I know Super 1 Foods carries it and so does Natural Grocers. I’m not sure if you have either of these grocery stores in your area, but most health food stores do carry it these days if your grocery store doesn’t. Let me know how you like the cookies! 🙂
Question – I don’t see the caramel in the recipe list….how much should I use?
There’s no caramel in the ingredient list. I use coconut sugar which creates a caramel flavored base for the cookies. When you bring the coconut sugar, coconut oil, and coconut milk to a boil is creates a caramel sauce, and then the rest of the ingredients are added in to create cookies! Hope this helps to clarify, but be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions! 🙂
I made these not only because of the obvious, but for the amazing reviews! And they were a hit….SO much, in fact, that it was hard to keep a two year old’s fast fingers out of them! So for a ‘quick-off-the-counter’ cooling option I put them in a 9×13 pan (double batch) and turned them into bars. Not as beautiful as your pics but the same greatness 🙂 Thanks Kari.
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I’m definitely trying your bars idea next time, Tyler’s been wanting these for awhile now so I think I’d better make some soon! So glad you enjoyed them, and if you try the original version (Healthier No-Bake Cookies) try the variation with the added almond butter (or peanut butter) because I think they’d be right up your alley! 🙂
These are amazing!!! Made for the first time to perfection!!!! Your recipe easy to follow with your great directions!I added lightly toasted chopped pecans and my husband and friends devoured them all within minutes! Love your recipe!!
★★★★★
I’m going to have to make these again soon to try your pecan addition – sounds amazing! I have the same problem with these cookies disappearing the moment I make them! 🙂
My husband and I are new to the Paleo lifestyle and the hardest part for me hasn’t been keeping the carbs in check, its been trying to subdue my sweet tooth-these little treats are just the amount of sweet to keep me from a full on chocolate fest and the recipe was so easy to follow! Thanks for sharing these yummy delights!
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This is probably my sweetest treat, but I find it really curbs my cravings too! 🙂 Sometimes a piece or two of really good chocolate keeps me from getting in too much trouble as well!
Wow Kari, I tried these last night….and my husband kept sneaking back for more. My son really liked them too, as did I. This is a WINNER recipe. I can’t wait for my daughter to try them today (she was away at Choir Retreat). It makes me so excited to try your other recipes. Originally I found your blog while looking for a coconut ice cream recipe, but uncovered these gems and went with that…..I’ll have to pace myself or everyone in the family is going to get much fatter!
I’m so glad you family enjoyed the cookies, they’re a favorite of ours and my husband sneaks back for more too! 🙂
I Do Not leave recipe reviews very often, but these are Simply THE BEST cookies I’ve ever had, let alone made. The fact that they are super easy to make no-bake is just icing on the cake! I’ve made these for all my family and friends and plan on making them for upcoming holidays. 5-Stars all the way.
One important note about storing these cookies: you must keep them in refrigerator even after the initial set in fridge. Because unless you live in an Arctic climate they will met and likely mush together on top of each other. Take them out if the fridge 3-5 mins before serving for best results.
I’m so glad you left me this note! We do live in a chillier area and my cookies are always set up on the counter – it never occurred to me they might be mush in warmer climates. 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe, it’s a favorite with all our friends and family too!
I just made these, they are…. amazing. and addicting. and so quick and easy! I wish i waited for it to cool a couple more minutes before adding the chocolate but really, i don’t care. they are so good!
I’ve done the same thing and it creates chocolate swirls in the cookies! I prefer to add the chocolate when it’s cooled a bit too, but either way they’re addicting! 🙂
These sound great! Can’t wait to make them. I am thinking of bringing them to a picnic. Do you think I can make them ahead of time and what would be the best way to store these? Would you refrigerate or keep at room temperature?
Also, have you experimented with less sugar or a substitute for sweetness (like dates or bananas), and if so, did it work? I can use the sugar you specified, but I do like to try to limit sugar when possible. Thanks!
★★★★★
These cookies keep really well for 2 days at room temperature (I’ve never had them around for any longer)! You could always refrigerate them if you wanted to make sure they last for a bit, just be sure to bring them back to room temperature before eating. I haven’t experimented with less sugar, but I’d be interested in the results if you decide to rework the recipe! I like to keep my sugar intake as low as possible too, but no-bake cookies are an extra treat! 🙂
Just a quick question. Is it canned coconut milk or carton. Thanks!
It’s coconut milk from the can. Thanks for asking, (it’s kind of an important difference between the 2) because I’ve changed the recipe now to specify canned coconut milk! 🙂
I appreciate the reply!!!! Can’t wait to make these!!!
Let me know how it goes! 🙂
DELICIOUS!!!! Making our second batch now!
★★★★★
So glad to hear that you like them! They’re pretty rich, but they’re one of our favorite desserts too! 🙂
Hi.
I’m just a beginner in this field. I wish you would post the costs of ingredients. Some of the stuff looks more expensive than its weight in money!
You’re right, some natural ingredients are definitely more expensive. I think you’ll find this recipe is affordable though. It helps to buy healthier ingredients in bulk because they’re much cheaper. Where we live shredded coconut is really cheap, and you can buy coconut oil from Costco which always helps keep the cost down. If you’re wondering about prices, you can always look them up on Amazon. Hope you enjoy the cookies! 🙂
Made this today, very delicious melt in your mouth, could be addictive, as my husband aptly put it!!. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Glad you liked them! We’ve been making them for company because everyone loves them. 🙂
Oh, so yummy! Thank you! Though my son said they looked yucky, they certainly tasted marvelous! Now I have to try the originals, too!
I used 2 cups of the large flake and 1 1/2 cups of the small, and used crunchy almond butter. It made me wonder if I might add some toasted finely chopped pecans, too…
That’s funny, brown isn’t everyone’s favorite color but I like it because it means caramelized. 🙂 We’ve added nuts to the originals, but we both prefer them with just almond butter (to each their own).
Mmmmmmmm. Since the ingredients are so pure…it’s ok to eat them when I’m detoxing, right? 🙂
A must make. Tonight maybe? My 3 favorite ingredients all in one, just made to order for me!
Let me know if you like them better than the originals 🙂
nooo way! you just took no bakes to a whole ‘nother level… that’s awesome.
I love this caramel version more than the original – they’re completely addicting!
Absolutely the bomb! Best paleo treat thus far! Just can’t stop eating them and they haven’t even set up. Thank you!
I can’t stay out of them when they’re warm either!