Salted Cashew Cardamom Caramels

I’ve got your sweet tooth cravings covered! A while back I tried some date caramels from a small bakery in Portland and instantly fell in love with the flavor and texture. I’m thrilled that I finally took a stab at trying my own. These salted caramels are held together with soft Medjool dates, creamy cashew butter and a touch of coconut oil. The addition of cardamom, vanilla and sea salt takes these puppies next level. I made a batch of these for Taylor and our buddy Ben because the boys took down all three of our greenhouses yesterday (we’re moving them to another section of the farm) and worked all day at it. When I went out with a plate of these caramels and a few cold beers I’m pretty sure I became the most popular person on the farm! In fact these were so good (and they ate the whole plate) I came back into the house and made another batch which we ate after dinner. I’m thinking these will be a great treat to have around the house over the holidays because they’re simple to prepare and pretty guilt free (unless you eat as many as we’ve managed too…..yikes!)

Anyhow, a few notes before I get to the recipe. It’s important to purchase juicy and plump Medjool dates (not the dried limp ones) if they seem too dry you can try soaking them in boiling water to soften them up. The idea is that the soft and plump dates will result in the best caramel-like consistency. The coconut oil should be at room temperature and not melted. And, well…..that’s it! These only take 5 minutes to make and you only have your food processor to clean (see I told you I’d come back with a simple recipe after my last post!)

Cheers to easy homemade caramels!