Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars (Gluten-Free, No Refined Sugar)

These Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars are the ultimate layered dessert—soft almond-flour shortbread, a gooey almond-butter caramel center, and a smooth white chocolate topping finished with sprinkles. They taste like a classic sugar cookie meets caramel candy bar, but with simple, gluten-free ingredients and naturally sweetened layers.

Perfect for holidays, cookie boxes, potlucks, or anytime you want a crowd-pleasing treat that stores beautifully in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy,

SiLLibake

**Healthy Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars**

These Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars are rich, buttery, and indulgent—yet made with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugar.

Why You’ll Love These Healthy Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars:

Gluten-free & grain-free (made with almond flour)
Naturally sweetened with maple syrup
No candy thermometer required
Easy layered dessert with simple steps
Great make-ahead treat for entertaining
Soft, chewy, creamy, and crunchy in every bite
Tips & Variations:

Nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter
Dairy-free: Use dairy-free white chocolate chips
Holiday twist: Swap sprinkles for crushed candy canes or toasted coconut
Storage Tips:

Fridge: Store covered up to 7 days
Freezer: Store up to 1 month (slice before freezing for easy grab-and-go treats)

RECIPE: Healthy Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars

PREP TIME: 15 MIN

COOK TIME: 15 MIN

REFRIGERATE: 1 HRS

SERVING: 16 Bars

Healthy Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars

These Sugar Cookie Caramel Bars are an irresistible gluten-free layered dessert featuring a tender almond-flour shortbread base, a rich and gooey almond butter caramel layer, and a silky white chocolate topping finished with festive sprinkles. Tasting like a classic sugar cookie crossed with a caramel candy bar, these bars are made with simple, naturally sweetened ingredients for an easy yet indulgent homemade treat.

Ingredients:

For the shortbread base:

1 ½ cups packed fine blanched almond flour
3 tbsp melted and cooled coconut oil (or butter)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

For the Almond Butter layer:

⅔ cup drippy natural almond butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

For the White Chocolate layer:

3/4 cup white chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
1 tbsp coconut oil
Sprinkles, approx 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper. It’s important to use an 8x8 inch, a 9x9 inch pan may be too big.
In a medium bowl add the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Mix together until it forms a nice thick crumb texture. Add to pan and use your fingers or spatula to evenly press down into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes before adding caramel.
Next make the almond butter caramel layer: Add the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, almond extract and sea salt to a medium pot and place over medium-low heat for approximately 2 minutes until caramel starts to slightly bubble, stirring frequently. Pour over slightly cooled crust.
Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes-1 hour to completely harden the almond butter or just place in freezer for 15-20 minutes, this should speed up the process.
After 30 minutes or so, make the chocolate layer: Add white chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted. If you prefer, you can also melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler
Pour the chocolate over the caramel layer and tilt pan side-to-side to evenly distribute the melted chocolate. Scatter your sprinkles over the chocolate, covering the surface. Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes until chocolate is completely hardened and bars are cooled.
Remove bars from pan and cut into 16 bars. To do this, cut entire pan of bars in half, and then cut each half into 8 (1-inch) bars (not squares!), so you’ll end up with 16 bars. Enjoy! Bars should be kept covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
Keep in fridge up to a week or freezer up to 1 month.
Nutrition (Approximate): 1 Bar

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