These decadent Walnut Fudge Caramel Bars with melt-in-your-mouth texture are an absolute need. The soft, thick fudge with bits of walnut studded throughout make these three layer bars absolutely addictive. I can’t get enough of them and after one bite, neither will you!
With the holiday season fast approaching, this easy chocolate fudge recipe is perfect for making ahead or in big batches. Not to mention, what holiday or celebration is complete without some chocolate fudge involved?
And if you’re looking for more chocolate and caramel dishes, try these Caramel S’mores Bars or these Fudgy Vegan Turtle Brownies that are both equally delicious with layers of flavor and textures!
Ingredients
Raw Walnuts – Used for both the crust and fudge of this recipe, walnuts make a great base layer and add crunch to the chocolate fudge!
Gluten Free Flour – For this crust I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Flour and loved the texture of it. Much easier than tinkering with a bunch of different flours!
Vegan Butter – Adds structure and enhanced flavor to the crust. You can sub for coconut oil if needed.
Maple Syrup & Coconut Sugar – Both are refined-sugar free sweeteners that add a great sweetness to these bars.
Coconut Cream – Helps to thicken both the caramel and chocolate fudge layer. My favorite brand to use is Trader Joe’s but feel free to use whatever you can find!
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – The key to great chocolate fudge and keeps these Walnut Caramel Fudge Bars from being overly sweet.
Coconut Milk – For the chocolate fudge we need the full fat part from a can of coconut milk since it has such a thick and creamy texture.
How to Make Chocolate Walnut Fudge
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare your crust – add all ingredients to a food processor and process for ~30 seconds, or until you have reached a crumbly, sand-like consistency. Pour into the parchment lined loaf pan. Use a spatula or your hands to press firmly down to compact the crust in a single even layer. Move to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the edges have just started to brown. Set aside.
- Caramel – Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low / medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, whisking frequently to ensure caramel doesn’t burn. After 15 minutes, the vegan caramel should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour on top of warm crust and move to the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
- Start on your Chocolate Walnut Fudge. To another small saucepan, add the coconut sugar, coconut oil and water. Bring to a boil then turn to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add on top of the caramel layer and move to the fridge to the harden for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Remove bars from the pan and cut into slices. Store in the fridge and serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Vegan Caramel Recipe
There’s this crazy notion that homemade caramel is tricky to make but it’s actually not! Even though most of us have only ever seen caramel as this thick and delicious sauce in stores and at restaurants, it’s actually something you can make right at home and with healthier ingredients. Now that’s a win!
For this vegan caramel recipe, all you need is coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and a pot on the stove for 15 minutes until the golden caramel thickens. If you’re not using the caramel right away or for these bars, let it cool for a few minutes then pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
And besides using homemade vegan caramel for these bars, you can also make it to drizzle over ice cream, add to brownies or cakes, or even make a seasonal treat like my Caramel Apple Pie Bars!
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Walnut Fudge
It would be very hard to mess up the pure delicious flavor of this fudge but here are some tips to help along the way.
- Let these bars harden in the fridge for *at least* 4 hours before slicing, but ideally overnight! Otherwise they won’t hold their shape and will fall apart.
- If you want a quicker vegan caramel, you can use the one from my Caramel S’mores Bars and it will taste equally as delicious.
- Make sure you store these fudge bars in the fridge and serve cold, otherwise they can start to melt!
Storing and Freezing Fudge
As simple as it may seem to ‘freeze’ fudge there is one step for optimal freezer storage. Slice your fudge into serving sized squares and then individually wrap each piece with wax paper or a plastic wrap. Then put the wrapped pieces into a storage bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months! This keeps the fudge extra fresh and is much easier when you want to thaw a piece for that post dinner dessert 😉
Why I love these this recipe
- 3 delicious layers – walnut crust + homemade vegan caramel + topped with a delicious chocolate walnut fudge. I don’t know about you but I love layered desserts for the combinations of flavors and textures so this is perfect!
- These bars are gluten and dairy free so that even those with allergies and intolerances can enjoy them.
- It’s a great recipe to batch create before the craziness of the holiday season then simply thaw when needed. Ideal for those late night events or last minute holiday gatherings when you don’t want to stress about dessert!
Honestly though, what’s not to love about chocolate + vegan caramel + walnut all in a fudge bar?!
If you’re looking for more chocolate desserts this holiday season be sure to check out these Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies that are perfectly chewy, soft and filled with melty chocolate chips. These Raw Snickers Bars are also delicious with layers of peanut butter caramel and chocolate + they’re no-bake!
And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Walnut Fudge Caramel Bars 🙂
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- ½ cup gluten free flour
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or sub coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
Vegan Caramel:
- ¾ cup coconut cream*
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Chocolate Walnut Fudge:
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp water
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup walnuts rough chopped
- *solidified part of a full fat can of coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare your crust – add all ingredients to a food processor and process for ~30 seconds, or until you have reached a crumbly, sand-like consistency. Pour into the parchment lined loaf pan. Use a spatula or your hands to press firmly down to compact the crust in a single even layer. Move to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the edges have just started to brown. Set aside.
- Caramel – Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low / medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, whisking frequently to ensure caramel doesn’t burn. After 15 minutes, the vegan caramel should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour on top of warm crust and move to the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
- Start on your Chocolate Walnut Fudge. To another small saucepan, add the coconut sugar, coconut oil and water. Bring to a boil then turn to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add on top of the caramel layer and move to the fridge to the harden for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Remove bars from the pan and cut into slices. Store in the fridge and serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!
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Ive made these twice and both times the Carmel didn’t thicken.
Any tips ??
Hi Emily! I would make sure that you are only using the thick white part of a can of coconut cream or full fat coconut milk. I like to scoop with a spoon from a can that has been refrigerated for a few hours (it will separate towards the top of the can, and there will be a clear liquid underneath). Make sure you don’t include any of the liquid! You could also try simmering for an extra 5 minutes. It definitely doesn’t get as thick as traditional caramel, but does get thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. After pouring on top of the crust and refrigerating for 20-30 minutes, it should be thick enough where when you pour the chocolate layer on top, it will stay in place and not move. I would then make sure to store these bars in the fridge! Let me know if that helps/works for you!!! – Casey