If you love chocolate covered caramels, but not the complicated methods usually required to make them, then this recipe is for you! These EASY vegan sea salt caramels come together with just 6 ingredients and there’s NO candy thermometer in sight.
The secret? Tahini! It adds a decadent flavor to these bite-sized delights for the ultimate salty-sweet treat. Perfect for keeping in the freezer or gifting over the holidays…though we’re not sure how many of these tasty treats will make it to the gift box 😉. Let’s make caramels!
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
These vegan caramels begin somewhat like a classic caramel — with a butter-sugar mixture — but this version is made with just a touch of vegan butter and is naturally sweetened thanks to maple syrup. It’s subtly flavored with vanilla extract and has salt because sea salt + caramel = LOVE!
The mixture is heated to a boil and cooks for a couple minutes to create a rich and caramelized result. Then we add tahini, which not only gives these caramels a unique and decadent flavor but packs in some mineral-rich goodness, too!
PSA: If tahini in sweets sounds odd, then you haven’t tried these magical tahini blondies.
Next, we pour the mixture into a parchment-lined pan and set in the freezer to chill.
Once in the freezer, the mixture will begin to harden. You’ll know you’ve reached caramel territory when it’s holding its structure and is sliceable. The texture of these caramels is not a hard candy but instead is soft and tender. It’s a bit like fudge, but even more buttery and decadent!
The final step: chocolate! Though these caramels don’t need it (they’re incredible on their own), drizzling or dunking in chocolate takes them over the top. And a sprinkle of sea salt and sesame seeds? Highly recommend!
We can’t wait for you to try these vegan caramels! They’re:
Salty-sweet
Decadent
Chocolate-coated
Easy to make
Perfect for sharing
& SO delicious!
We love to make a batch and keep them in the freezer for on-demand snacking, but if you can manage to part with these babies, they also make an amazing holiday gift! Just be sure to keep them in the refrigerator or freezer until it’s time to enjoy, because they will melt at room temperature.
More Bite-Sized Treats
- 2-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Truffles
- DIY Ferrero Rocher Chocolates (Vegan + GF)
- 5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffles
- Tahini-Stuffed Dates (AKA Tahini Bombs!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Chocolate Tahini Caramels (No Candy Thermometer!)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter would also work if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup tahini (creamy, drippy // find our tahini review here)
- 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped (use less if drizzling vs. dunking // they’re delicious without chocolate, too! // chocolate chips also work, ensure dairy-free as needed)
FOR SERVING optional
- Flaky sea salt
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan (or another small-ish rectangular container) with parchment paper. We used an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt (don’t add the tahini yet!). Whisking almost constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking for about 2 minutes (it will be very foamy — that’s normal and good). Remove from heat, add the tahini, and whisk until well combined and thickened.
- Pour tahini mixture into the prepared pan and shake the pan to spread evenly. Place in the freezer for ~1-2 hours until solidified. The caramels will be a little tender, but if too difficult to handle, place back in the freezer for ~30 minutes.
- CHOCOLATE: Once the caramels are almost done chilling, melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate into a small microwavable bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning, until smooth and melted. You can also melt on the stovetop by adding chocolate to a small glass or metal bowl and carefully placing it over ~1 inch of simmering water in a small saucepan, then stirring until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Line a large plate (or something similar that will fit in your freezer) with parchment or wax paper and set nearby. Once the caramels have solidified, cut into ~1 inch pieces. You can enjoy them plain, but we like dunking/drizzling in the chocolate (working quickly so they don’t get too soft), and adding flaky sea salt and sesame seeds. So cute!
- After cutting and coating in chocolate, place the caramels back in the freezer to chill for 30-45 minutes (for more firm caramels) or in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours (for soft caramels).
- These caramels will melt at room temperature, so they need to be kept in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to enjoy! Transfer to a sealed container where they will keep for 1 month (or longer) in the freezer or up to ~2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Lac says
OMG!!!! This caramel recipe is amazing!! I’ve made it twice now. The second time I made the chocolate layer first, chilled the chocolate layer then pour the caramel layer on top it, worked better for me because the caramel layer stayed intact. I will make it again but use 3/4 cup chocolate. The vegan chocolate I use is very strong and it overpowers the caramel layer.
YAY! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the caramels, Lac. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your great trick! xo
Rachel says
This was way too salty for us and I ended up having to throw it out.
Oh no! We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy the caramels, Rachel. These are salted, but it definitely shouldn’t be in an unpleasant way. Is it possible you were using a salted tahini?
Alyson says
Would it work if I substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Hey Alyson! That should work, they might come out more chewy!
Vanessa says
I made these this weekend and they were so easy and so delicious!
I started with 1/2c melted chocolate chips to just dip half of each piece and still had some leftover, so you can work with less chocolate if needed. The maple and vanilla are sweet enough that you could go as dark as you like with the chocolate and it’s still so rich and tasty!
I’m vegan but my friends (omnivores) loved them too! I think they could also be great paired with a vanilla ice cream of choice.
Thank you again for another great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them Vanessa! Thanks so much for the lovely review. We can confirm they are delicious with vanilla ice cream :)
Julia says
Easy to make & delicious. Softer than I would have liked even straight out of the freezer. I am totally lacking on the presentation skills and my attempt at drizzling chocolate over them was laughable but flavourful combo was the bomb. My son didn’t appreciate them because of the “weird” taste which was the tahini .. you can’t please everyone!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! If you cook them a little bit more next time they will probably be a bit firmer. Thanks so much for sharing, Julia. xo
Debbie says
These are yummy! I doubled the recipe and they came out great! Thank you for a gluten free and dairy free option for caramels! I will definitely make these again!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe and will be making the caramels again. Thank you for the lovely review, Debbie! xo
Becky says
HELP! Trying to make these and followed directions to a T, BUT, when I poor in my runny tahini in my frothy/ foamy maple mixture – off the heat, everything separates and goes “crumbly”… Why?! I don’t have access to MIYOKO’s so I used Earth Balance but that’s my only “sub”… I’m now left with a pan full of tahini stretchy goop and a separate tiny bowl of what seems to be all the oil that separated… Any inputs?
Oh no! We’re so sorry it’s giving you trouble, Becky. It sounds like it’s maybe seizing up? That can happen if the temperature difference is extreme. Is it possible you store your tahini in the refrigerator? If it’s seizing up, something that can fix that is to return it to the stovetop and slowly add a very small amount of boiling water, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes back together. Keep us posted!
Jolly says
These are delicious! Very easy and super quick prep time. I’m not vegan, so I used regular unsalted butter. At two hours in the freezer, mine were set up enough to cut. The texture reminded me more of fudge than caramel, but perhaps that was due to the tahini brand I used, which was Trader Joe’s. It may be grainier than others. Nevertheless, they are REALLY GOOD. I will make them again, I have to try them with the chocolate!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jolly! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Fran says
The recipe seemed so easy that I made my mind then and there to make it this last working day of the week, and indeed it took me a few minutes to prepare the caramel and freeze it, and finish an hour later dipping the caramels in the chocolate. When the sweet-tooth strikes, you want something quick to make, even better if it can stay in the freezer for future cravings!! I’m not into salted caramel, but the salty flavour is mild enough I suppose because it’s covered in chocolate! I love that the consistency is like mou, which I hadn’t had in ages since I’m milk intolerant. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Fran! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Debi says
The recipes from this website are great and I do have one of the cookbooks, but now this website has such invasive ads on it. You can’t even read the recipe most of the time. I will not be using any of your recipes going forward until you fix this problem. The biggest and most egregious ad is the Toyota ad.
Hi Debi, Thank you for this feedback and sorry for any inconvenience! Ads should not be blocking the ability to read the recipe, so we’re going to see if we can figure out what’s going on with that. Do you happen to have any more details about the ad (placement, for example)? That will help us track it down and get it removed. We always try to optimize for user experience while also having ads to keep the content free and high quality!
Rachel says
Use an ad blocking browser like Brave. Life changing.
Joan Dirstine says
These look delicious. Can you make them with coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Hi Joan, we haven’t tested with that modification and don’t think the caramels will taste as buttery, but it might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Megan O says
These were so good and so easy to make 10/10 will definitely be adding this recipe to the rotation
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy the caramels and will be making them again. Thank you for sharing, Megan! xo
Rae says
Oooo feeling excited to make this. I love tahini anything. Curious if the butter should be salted or unsalted or if it doesn’t really matter?
Hi Rae, we used salted, but it shouldn’t make a huge difference since it’s a pretty small amount!
Suzanne says
Will coconut oil work in place of the butter?
These sound so good!!!
Thanks so much!
Hi Suzanne, we haven’t tested this one with coconut oil and don’t think it would taste as buttery, but it might work!
The Vegan Goddess says
OMG, I just drooled a little. That seems to be a hazard on this site.
The only “issue” is that I haven’t found a vegan butter that is devoid of chemicals in it.
Is that an essential ingredient that my usual swap of solid coconut oil could not replace?
Hi! Thank you for your sweet words :) Are you comfortable using Miyoko’s? That’s our preferred brand for having better ingredients! You could try coconut oil in this one, but it probably won’t be quite as buttery in flavor. Another idea would be to bump up the tahini slightly instead! Let us know if you try it out!
The Vegan Goddess says
I just looked up the ingredients and question the following items:
sunflower oil
sunflower lecithin
cultured cashew milk (cultured?)
Cultured probably means they added something like vinegar to it.
Everyone’s comfortability will be different! FWIW, sunflower lecithin is used as a supplement for various health benefits and cultured cashew milk could also just mean fermented (like yogurt or kefir is).
Maddie says
This looks so good I want to make it before I do the next grocery shop! I’m out of maple syrup. Do you think honey would work? 🙂
Hi Maddie, honey might work, but we really love the flavor of maple syrup and tahini together!
drea says
This is absolutely delicious!!!!!! Easy to make and so tasty! Thank you!!
Yay! You’re fast! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Drea. Thank you for the lovely review! xo