Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Cups (Refined Sugar-free)

By Katie Mae Stanley, Contributing Writer

Bittersweet chocolate surrounds delicious gooey caramel with a touch of salt in this homemade candy recipe. This is a healthier treat without the use of refined sugars, and the use of dark, antioxidant rich chocolate! It is a perfect treat this time of year. Plus, if you don’t eat it all yourself, it can be easily boxed up for a lovely sweet gift this Christmas. Why not pair it with this Easy Mint Chocolate Fudge recipe for gift giving!

It’s no secret that I love chocolate and that I have a fondness for chocolate when paired with salted caramel. Last year I shared a Salted Caramel Mocha Fauxccino here at The Nourishing Gourmet. Recently I have enjoyed a few cups of steaming Salted Caramel Mocha.

These salted dark chocolate caramel cups are not nearly as hard to make as it would seem. All you need is some high quality dark chocolate, a batch of caramel sauce (or try this one from Kimi) that can be pre-made and a 1/2 teaspoon of course unrefined salt such a Real Salt or Celtic Salt. I prefer using baker’s chocolate because it pairs beautifully with the caramel, balancing out the intense sweetness. It can be made with the chocolate of your choice if you prefer a sweeter chocolate.

I have made candy cups with coconut oil, cocoa powder, and honey before, but when giving gifts I prefer to use pre-made chocolate to make this treat shelf-stable. This makes it more suitable for serving at a holiday party or to give as a gift. You can wrap them in parchment paper and place them in a cute box. Or you might even want to pair them with other homemade candies!

Other homemade chocolates to give as gifts:

• Mint Chocolate Fudge
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
• Silky Maple Chocolate Fudge
• Almond Roca (topped with chocolate)
• Chile Spiked Dark Chocolate Bark with Pepitas and mangos (another favorite of mine)

Ingredient and tool list:

(Affiliate links.) 

• Allergy Friendly Dark Chocolate ( Perfect for those who need allergy friendly chocolate)
• Mini Cup Liners
• Kosher Real Salt
• (Kimi Notes: I’ve also found these silicone chocolate molds helpful for recipes such as this one! They make beautiful chocolates, and you don’t even need cup liners. 🙂 )

Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Cups

 

Author:

Katie Mae Stanley@ The Nourishing Gourmet

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Ingredients

• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate (90% or baker's chocolate)
• ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce (or this caramel sauce)
• 12 mini cupcake liners

Instructions

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces. Place in a double boiler.You can also use a sauce pot with a larger heat safe bowl placed on top of the pot. (The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the bottom of the sauce pot, or the simmering water.)
2. Bring the water to a simmer. Allow ½ of the chocolate to melt.
3. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the all the chocolate melts.
4. Place the mini cupcake liners inside a mini cupcake pan.
5. Fill each liner with ½ of a teaspoon of melted chocolate.
6. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to firm up. Once firm, place back on your working space.
7. Add ½ teaspoon of caramel sauce in the middle of each cake liner. Flatten so that the caramel almost goes to the sides of the cup.
8. Gently pour 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate over the candies, completely covering the caramel.
9. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes, allowing it to firm slightly.
10. Sprinkle each cup with a bit of coarse unrefined sea salt.
11. Return the pan to the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the candies are completely firm.
12. The can be stored on the counter for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for two months.

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Katie Mae

Katie Mae Stanley is the writer at Nourishing Simplicity, where the focus is on nourishing foods, herbal remedies, simple living, and faith. Ethnic and Midwest foods are always a favorite in her kitchen and on her blog. She is also the author of the book Steeped: Simple Nourishing Teas and Treats. Katie Mae spent 10 years as a missionary dorm "mama" for over 30 amazing deaf girls at a school for the deaf in Baja California, Mexico. Now she finds herself state side ready to embrace God's next adventure. A cup of tea or coffee and a bit of dark chocolate make an appearance at some point in any given day.

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