IQS-STYLE CARAMEL SLICE (an egg/nut/gluten/sugar-free treat, just in time for Halloween!)

This delectable Caramel Slice is an IQS-inspired treat, closely based on the fabulous recipe by Steph from I Quit Sugar, posted a while back on iquitsugar.com (click here to view the original recipe). It is not one of the recipes featured in the I Quit Sugar 8 Week-Program, however I admit I did have a piece (or two)… because I am not a saint. 😉
And yes, it is absolutely delicious, just so you know; like a super-yummy, much healthier version of a Twix bar or, I imagine, Millionaire’s Shortbread (which seems to be the US equivalent of Caramel Slice).
So, 3 things happened that led to the creation of this treat:

1. I was asked to bring something typical of my “heritage” to my kids’ nursery school for a shared afternoon tea with parents and teachers, in celebration of UN Day (being raised in Aus, caramel slice did spring to mind!)
2. The lovely folks at Pureharvest sent me a care package of rice malt syrup all the way from Australia!
3. Halloween is around the corner and this is something that can be made in advance and kept in the freezer, so it’s perfect for an impromptu healthier sweet treat if we have visitors

 
I changed the recipe to accommodate what I had on hand at home as well as allergy policies within the school (nuts are totally banned, for example, and eggs are an issue in my daughter’s class). So this recipe is an amalgamation of Steph’s recipe for I Quit Sugar and this recipe by the Johnston Family (found at taste.com.au).
For rice malt syrup-curious folks, I didn’t know all of this info before, but Pureharvest RMS is fructose-free, organic, GMO-free, gluten-free and suitable for vegans (a great alternative to honey in sweetness, consistency and natural colour) and contains no preservatives, colourings, flavourings or artificial nasties. For the record, I have been relying on the only shop here that seems to stock RMS, located in an outer suburb of Stockholm, so I am extra thankful to Pureharvest for replenishing my dwindling stockpile.
 

 
IQS*-STYLE CARAMEL SLICE
Makes: 36 servings
INGREDIENTS
BASE 
250 ml sifted gluten-free flour
125 ml finely shredded coconut
115 g butter (or non-dairy alternative if vegan)
3 tbsp rice malt syrup
CARAMEL SAUCE
125 ml cup rice malt syrup
100 ml full-fat coconut cream
100 g butter**, cut into cubes
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
125 g 85% dark chocolate
80 ml coconut cream (I could have used more, but didn’t have it on hand)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 3cm deep, 28 x 18cm (base) pan with baking paper.
BASE

1. Combine all base ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Press into prepared tin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden.
3. Remove from oven. Cool completely.

 
CARAMEL SAUCE

1. Heat rice malt syrup in a pan on medium heat until bubbling.
2. Cook for 10 minutes until syrup has reduced down, keeping an eye on it at all times and stirring intermittently (I was afraid of it “catching”, so stirred quite a bit!). The mixture should be thick and coat the back of a spoon lightly when ready.
3. Add butter and stir to combine.
4. Remove from heat and slowly add coconut cream, stirring until combined.
5. Pour caramel into a bowl and sit in the freezer for two hours until thick.
6. Pour caramel on top of the biscuit base and refrigerate for at least two more hours or until set.

 
CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Heat the coconut cream in a saucepan until simmering.
2. Turn off heat and pour cream into separate bowl Add chocolate pieces, stirring gently until melted and silky.
3. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes until mixture thickens but is still pourable.
4. Remove the set base from the refrigerator and pour ganache over the top. Smooth ganache with a rubber spatula.
5. Return to the freezer and set for at least two hours before serving, keeping leftover servings in the freezer until ready to eat.

 
*This recipe is closely based upon the amazing one by Steph, posted on iquitsugar.com (please visit for that one and many more fabulous sugar-free recipes!) and this top-rated by the Johnston Family, found at taste.com.au
**Vegan friends: I plan to try an experiment with a non-dairy substitute, although you might want to take a chance and do it before I do.
***Note that this recipe contains minimal fructose (the IQS definition of “sugar”) of around .42 g (yep, less than half a gram!) per serve, so is not technically 100% sugar-free. It is, however, in small portions, a suitable, delicious and very low-fructose alternative to other sweet treats, and will not rock your sugar-free boat once you have “recalibrated”. It is IQS-friendly but not part of the IQS 8-Week Program, which aims to cut all sweeteners (even the “safe ones”) back to a minimum. I should not fail to mention that Pureharvest did not sponsor this post, ask me to make anything, nor tell me to share anything about their products or RMS in general. I chose to do so willingly and freely (I think I may have even surprised them when I posted a picture on Instagram!)… and no doubt would have made this recipe at some point regardless, as I have been coveting it since I Quit Sugar first posted the original version!