Comments on: seawheeze sea salt caramel bars – yum!

By: peaceweaver

peaceweaver — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:33:52 +0000

I am vegan and gluten free. I eat a fair amount of raw. It’s great to see a bar that is all plant based. I have a bunch of soaked cashews, can I use them? I do prefer to use my dehydrator. You mentioned using a dehydrator at 118 degrees. How long do you suggest heating them?
Thanks

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:21:03 +0000

Thanks to Nicole! (the post above mine) I was the one who made those bars for the said 45 mile 100 degree bike ride and they were gone very quickly. Even in the heat, they were a great recovery food. I’m on my 4th batch, people just seem to devour these, and they are soooo yummy. Thank you for a new healthy staple for my friends and me!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:59:25 +0000

Had these after a 45 mile bike ride in the 100 degree Chicago heat on the 4th. AMAZING! Making them myself now. Thanks for the recipe – it’s a keeper.

By: Claire

Claire — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:42:07 +0000

I love this idea! I made them today for a road trip. I made 15 bars, but I think they were still a little big, so we will have to see. I think I’ll add some various butters, coconut shreads( unsweetened) even some cocoa nibs next batch. Another modification is to mix the dates and half the cashews into the paste, then add the rest of the cashews chopped up to add some crunch. Brown rice puffs are a possibility too!! I’m happy to see natural foods for training!

By: desi

desi — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:29:54 +0000

dessert, rather. oy

By: desi

desi — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:27:56 +0000

making these for “desert” tonite!

By: emmalemon

emmalemon — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 08:46:21 +0000

Oh, WOW. These are phenomenal. Thank you for crafting and passing on this gem of a recipe, Kate! They really do taste like gorgeous caramel. I’ve just made them with almonds and have a new favourite. All the very best for your training and thank you for helping me with mine! X

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 02:35:05 +0000

I am Paleo so I left out the Chia seeds and they came out great! Shared these with all my Paleo friends too as we are always looking for yummy treats since we are a little limited especially when it comes to bars. Thank you!

By: Derick

Derick — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 04:32:30 +0000

Great idea. Can’t wait to try it.

For those into “raw” foods, lower the temperature to 118 or below and increase the time (best done with a dehydrator). Preserves more nutrition (enzymes, etc).

The taste would be different, but bananas could be substituted for dates. More drying time would be needed, or add ground flax seeds.

Ground flax seeds could be substituted for cashews, but the sunflower seeds suggested above combined with ground flax seeds would be better. A bit of coconut oil could also be used to make up some of the creaminess that comes from cashews.

Flax seeds can be ground in coffee grinder or mini food processor.

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:41:03 +0000

Hi Everyone!
Thanks for the great feedback!
For a nut allergy, try substituting a seed for the cashews. Raw sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds work great!
For those who don’t have a nut allergy and looking for a cashew substitution, almonds or pinenuts would work.
For another fruit, try dried apricots.
You could subsitute any dried fruit, like cranberries (as mentioned in the question above), but be aware that the flavor of the bars will take on the flavor of the fruit. Dates have a more mild flavor, so you will lose that caramel like flavor if you use another fruit. You will not be losing the nutritional benefits by substituting another fruit. Each fruit will differ slightly with different quantities of vitamins and minerals, but you will be fueling your body well with whatever fruit you chose.
I encourage you to experiment in your kitchen and let us know how it goes!
-Kate

By: erin @WELLinLA

erin @WELLinLA — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:27:30 +0000

I’ve always loved caramel, but since I can’t do dairy as an adult, it’s been out of my diet for years. Excited to try these with a variety of nuts, as the base for it seems perfect for changing/adding various ingredients.

By: erin @WELLinLA

erin @WELLinLA — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:26:01 +0000

Love this! The cream in the caramel is a no-no for me and I love the taste. Cannot wait to try this recipe and vary the kinds of nuts used to create it.

By: dee

dee — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:00:10 +0000

Substitute nuts with cereals, granola or whole grains to help stick it all together. Soy nuts can be used to add crunch. (: The great thing about bars is it’s up to you to add what you want to make the taste and texture!

By: Jacky

Jacky — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:33:43 +0000

I do not like dates can another fruit be used

By: Renate

Renate — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:03:43 +0000

I haven’t made these yet so I have a 2 part question: would soaking cranberries in place of the dates still work? Also, how would this affect the nutrition benefits ie. glycogen stores, potassium & iron?

I’m not a big fan of dates so really I would be looking for a substitute…