During my late teens and early twenties, my top 5 favourite chocolate bars were the following (in no particular order):
Chunky Kit Kat, Wunderbar, Coffee Crisp, Rolo/Caramilk, and Twix.
What about you?
For the next Halloween recipe in my Treat-a-thon series, I made a healthier version of Rolo caramels. Instead of making a traditional caramel, I processed Medjool dates into a caramel with a touch of nut butter. I really had no idea how close I could get the flavour, but I figured it was worth a shot.
Well let me tell you, we couldn’t believe how much these taste like Rolo caramels (only better of course because they are homemade). They don’t call dates “nature’s candy” for no reason!
Homemade “Rolo” Knock-offs
To email, text, or print this recipe, click here.
Yield: 18 bites
Ingredients:
- 200 grams pitted soft Medjool dates (about 11 large)
- 1/2 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- scant 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- chia seeds (optional)
The chia seeds were added for a spooky bug-like appearance and for some sneaky nutrition!
You’ll need soft Medjool dates for this recipe. My favourite brand is by Bard Valley. If you are starting with firm/hard dates, you’ll need to soak them in water until soft. Make sure to drain the water off before proceeding.
How to make:
1. Process dates with nut/seed butter until a sticky paste forms.
2. Chill date mixture in freezer for 10 minutes, then shape into about 18 small balls.
3. Freeze balls again for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt chocolate with coconut oil.
4. Dunk each chilled ball into chocolate. Tap off excess. Sprinkle with chia and stick with toothpick.
5. Place bites back into the freezer for at least 20 minutes to set. Bites taste best when they are firm and cold, straight from the freezer. They soften at room temp, but do not melt.
6. Enjoy!
Try them for yourself – I think you’ll be surprised by how much they taste like the real thing.
Next on my Halloween recipe list might have to be the Kit Kat bar…
In other Halloween news, I’m thinking about going as an 80’s girl this year. My inspiration came from these hot pink mesh gloves I found at Dollarama yesterday. Hot!
My mom was visiting on Monday and we were talking about my love for 80’s fashion as a child. Neon colours, side pony, teased curled bangs, spandex (neon of course), high top sneaks, leg warmers, stone-washed tapered jeans, slap bracelets, sweater clips, scrunchies….I rocked it all. There was no mistake that I was an 80’s child.
Anyone else have their costume idea decided yet?
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{ 246 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG…I love Rolo’s! One of my all time favorite candy! I will definitely have to make these, think I can use carob chips instead of the chocolate?
Sure, why not! Let me know how it goes. :)
My grocery store was out of dates! How does that happen? Also, saw a great homemade recipe for Twix yesterday; http://www.manifestvegan.com/2011/01/vegan-gluten-free-twixx/
I haven’t had a Rolo in ages. Well done, Angela! I think my favorite chocolate bars were a toss up between Twix, Mars and Skor.
I too was a crazy 80’s child. I rocked the side pony like no other. And the tights under large neon sweaters? Ya, I did that too. Can’t wait to see the costume!
How Cute! I love those little pumpkins!
Also, I just noticed how dates give a caramel flavor to smoothies. So making a date caramel is just awesome!
That filling looks ridiculously good. Have you noticed how 80’s fashion is making a raging comeback?
Yes it totally is. My inner 80’s child is loving the neon colours, hah.
These look delicious!!! Dates are so versatile for remaking desserts!
Yes!! Love that these are sweetened with dates—what a simple, easy treat idea! Thanks Angela :)
I cant control my excitement!! Rolos and Caramello Bars were my all time faves, closely follow by a good Kit Kat bar…. I think MUST try to make these asap to re-live my love for the rollo. I havent had them in ages. Thanks for sharing !
These look so cute with the little pumpkins on top. I used to love Rolos so I’m excited to try this recipe. I also LOVE the Apple Bites, they are sooooo cool!
I can’t wait to try these – I’ve been tempted to buy Rolos ever since the Halloween candy came out, but have been good and RAN the other way!! Have any healthy recipes for mallow pumpkins?!
I love the little pumpkin toothpicks–what a nice touch!
I don’t know what I’m going to be this year. I’m going to be taking all my 4 kids this year, so I’m thinking something that will coordinate well with their costumes…
And 80’s. Oh dear. I loved my crimping iron!
These sound amazing! I used to love Rolos but I haven’t had any since I went vegan of course. I’ll have to make these! But I don’t have any coconut oil, and my small town grocery store doesn’t sell it. Would it work to just use vegetable oil in melting the chocolate, or does it have to be coconut oil because of its property of being solid at room temp?
Hey Melissa, you can probably get away with omitting the coconut oil. Just be sure to melt the choc at a very low heat.
Wow! These look delicious!! Thank you for sharing your cute and creative ideas.
*I think you forgot to mention to add the coconut oil to the melted chocolate in your picture descriptions.
Thanks, just added it in :)
Date caramel? Coolest idea ever. I used to love rolos – especially frozen. I’m thinking these would make a perfect homemade DQ Blizzard. Appropriate for Canada, no? ;)
Wow – you are creative!!! That caramel combo is something I would never have come up with on my own. I can’t wait to try these!!!
Last year we were in Las Vegas for a Halloween wedding. I was a pirate & my husband was a flasher {it was very funny and gross at the same time} —- we spent more than usual on our costumes for that, so I think we’ll be doing some recycling this year!!
Vegas would be the perfect place to be on Halloween!! Yes, costume recycling is never a bad thing. I usually alternate the usual suspects each year.
What a great idea! I love the idea of using dates and nuts to make the filling. I think I’d like these better than rolos whose filling I always found too sugary
When I was in High School (the period of time when I consumed a lot of chocolate bars) my favs were: Peanut Butter Cups, Wunderbar, Big Turk, Areo, and Mr. Big – now I barely eat them – but I get cravings for them every once and a while… This recipe sounds delicious – and might just solve that pop-up chocolate craving now and again!
First of all, I just want to say THANK GOODNESS FOR YOU & YOUR AMAZING BLOG!!!! You are soooooo wonderful and I love to read about and from a fellow Canadian in Toronto! I am wondering if these dates are able to be mashed without a food processor if they are soft enough, or if the texture just wouldn’t cut it, probably… I really need to get a food processor soon.
I was going to go as the “wandering womb” for Halloween, which would be a simple costume … I’d cut out a squiggly cloud-like shape and pin it on my thigh or shoulder and have little white dots (like thinking bubbles in comics) going from my abdomen to wherever the “womb” is. I am doing my Master in Library Science so I think most people would get the reference and it’d be an easy costume =P
LOVE the 80s idea though! I do have neon pink tights and neon yellow leg warmers hmmm.. I completely forgot about the side ponytail until you mentioned it! I fully support that ^__^
Hey Farah, You might be able to mash the dates with a fork if they are SUPER soft. The brand I buy is very very soft and I would think they could be mashed with a fork. goodluck!
It’s probably wrong, but I would love to have that date/nut butter spread just on a sandwich…or a spoon. Yum!
I was just thinking yesterday it could work as a spread too!
I can’t WAIT to make these! I only have half the dates on hand but that might be a good thing since I’ve got some pie weight to lose from vacation last week! HA!
I think I kept Aqua Net in the black in the 80’s. Don’t forget to overlap neon socks! ;-)
Rolos are only like my favorite childhood candy EVER. Those and milk duds. I am a gigantic sucker for caramel. I can 100% see dates working for this, especially with the stickiness. Awesome!
Oh my gosh, I was beyond excited to see your post this morning – I really love Rolos! Yesterday Katie (of CCK) asked her readers what other candy she should make over, and I suggested Rolos (and Twix, 100 Grand Bars, and peanut M&Ms, haha – I couldn’t choose!) so I was practically giddy when I saw that you had already made a healthier, homemade version of Rolos! I can’t wait to try them out!!
And I think you would make a great 80s girl – please share some pictures after Halloween :)
Oooo. I think I might try these!
I’m either going to be Zorro (a la Amelie) or a zombie. I found out last week I can’t actually watch the show “The Walking Dead” (too scary, spent too long checking under the bed, in the shower, etc., after watching one episode) so maybe I’ll just BE a zombie instead. I’ll probably do both, since I have a few Halloween events to attend.
I will be trying this recipe tonight, thanks for the great idea.
What a wonderful idea for a caramel! I need to make these ASAP. It seems when I buy dates I make a million recipes with them, these will be the next : )
These look so adorable! I love chocolate & caramel ANYTHING. I’ll have to get my hands on some more dates, asap!
I love, love, love you!! Fantastic! My faves were Coffee Crisp amd Wunderbar and Mr.Big,,,But these I will be able to have, guilt free without the yukky chocolate milk fix…Did I say love??
Looks really good. Do you think you could use regular dates instead? Perhaps if you soaked them first?
THIS. IS. AMAZING. I can’t wait to make these for Halloween.
I’m going as Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Rooney Mara version. :)
This is a must try, Angela! Such a good idea. I can’t believe how simple they are to make, and so few ingredients… can’t wait to make them!
Any tips on melting chocolate? I seem to always have trouble with it.
I find melting it on the lowest heat setting works for me. Stir it a lot and the coconut oil helps it thin out. The key is to remove the chocolate from the heat when the chips are about 2/3 melted. Remove from the burner and just stir it to melt the rest of the chips. It’s a quick and dirty method of “tempering” the chocolate. Goodluck!
lol! Your photography is adorable.
You are genius, no other word for you!!! They look incredible!
Now I’m so bummed that I put the dates back on the shelf at the grocery store yesterday. What a great idea. Can’t wait to try them!
I have all 5 of these ingredients and am totally making these today! Thanks for putting me in the holiday spirit!
I’m dressing up as Amelia Earheart! Partly because my friend wrote an amazing song about her that makes me cry, partly because I’m reading a book about her, and partly because my husband rejected my couples costume of Garfield and John.
Also, we can’t forget about those horrible leggings with the straps that went under your feet…ouch!
That will be a cool costume, so original too!
I just got the funniest mental picture about those leggings. I am pretty sure I had them in hot pink too.
Please make a vegan version of Twix! That’s the one non-vegan candy that I still have a weakness for.
I have a twix recipe on the blog from 2010 (Twix or treat bars) however it needs some work! The shortbread crust was crumbly. I will have to revisit it for sure. :)
WOW-definitely my favorite candy of ALL TIME!!! Can’t wait to try these!
Not sure for Halloween yet….gotta figure that out quick!
Oh my gosh! Yesterday, I was saying to my husband how much I missed Rolo! You are definitely the awesomest ever!!!
Where are snickers on this line up?? :-)
oh and– there are “chunky kit kats”?? What the! We’ve been ripped off here in the states. :-)
You don’t have Chunky Kit Kats in the US? im going to try to recreate them this week…wish me luck!
Hooray!! I was browsing your comments to see if you were going to attempt these. I LOVE(d) kit kats!
I love that you are making chunky Kit Kats, we have them in Australia too and they were definitely my favourite growing up. Good luck!
I knew someone was going to ask that!! Funny thing is, I was never big on nuts in my chocolate bars! They just get in the way of the chocolate, wafer, and caramel fillings if you ask me. hah.
Awesome idea! I love to see typical fat-boy candy being healthfully recreated by bloggers. Love the 80s idea! I remember crimping my hair before school and feeling like the coolest chick ever!
Oh my gosh I love rolos!!! If you can make caramel perhaps you’d be able to make a vegan version of Mars bars??? I was obsessed with those as a kid! Have no idea how to recreate the nougat.
I’ve been thinking about that one too….I will have to look up some non-vegan recipes to see what they use to make it.
These look spectacular. I used to love Rolos! I am so making these. Until I cut out processed foods, my all-time favourite treat was Smarties. I think they’d be really hard to re-create, though, because of the candy shell.
maybe some kind of coconut oil + food colouring shell would work? They’d have to be kept chilled though :)
Can’t wait to try these, my favorite candy then and now is still Reese’s Peanut butter cups
Best idea EVER for that sort of gloppy stage of processed dates + nut butter. Just soft enough to be exactly like caramel yet still hold together! At that stage, I usually add oats or some sort of dry ingredient to make bars with, etc. What was I thinking?! I need to keep that state and keep the caramely love alive and make these! LOVE Rolo’s & this idea!
OMG I’m not Canadian but I LOVE coffee crisp!!! I live inmichigan and get at least 10 bars every time I go over the bridge!!!
These rolos sound great :)
hah I wonder why they aren’t sold in the US? I need to find a way to make them at home.
This look cute, healthy, fun and delicious! Can’t wait to make the asap!
Can’t wait to try! I loved Rolos and am always looking for a vegan substitute.
Love this idea! That caramel looks awesome.
Because my son has behavioral issues when eating artificially colored treats, I’ve been trying to entice him to eat other goodies instead. The hard part is that to him, nothing tastes as good as the real thing. I’m excited about this recipe and will give it a whirl. Last year I made him his own pumpkin chocolate chip cake in exchange for his trick-or-treat bag (I know that sounds so mean) and it worked to a point. I think I needed a few other treats to make it more of a fair trade. Thanks Angela!!
I just felt the need to reply to your comment. As a young child (I’m now 28, though no kids of my own yet), I also suffered from behavioral issues from artificial food dyes/preservatives. This was in the ’80s, when there wasn’t a whole lot of research (particularly in the Deep South of the US, where I’ve always lived). I have much empathy for you and your son! It was tough not understanding why I couldn’t have the same treats (M&Ms, Skittles, cheese-flavored snacks, etc.) as my friends, but I’m so glad my mother did her own research and stood up for me and herself when doctors basically said she was crazy. Luckily I grew out of it, but I still try to avoid artificial dyes as much as possible because of what’s in them. Luckily for you and your son, there are so many more options today–and awesome blogs like this one that have creative AND healthy ways to recreate some of those unhealthy (but enticing) treats.
I can’t wait to try to make these myself. Seems so simple. Rolos weren’t one of my favorites–I was more of a Reese’s PB cup or peppermint patty/Junior Mints girl (love those 2 flavor combinations in ANYTHING!)–but these look too delicious to pass up.
I’m glad you commented! I’m really impressed that your Mom linked artificial colors up to some struggles you had and that she stuck to her guns! I know my son struggles with not being able to eat the candy that the other kids can so I do try to make and get stuff that will help him to not feel ‘left out.’ I just went and got some dates so I can get going on these. I laughed because Rolo’s were never my thing either – Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are STILL my favorite. The cake I made last year though (in trade for his candy) was using Angela’s Spiced Buttercream frosting on her pumkin cake – it was to DIE for. Thanks for your comment – it’s always nice to know someone out there knows what I’m talking about! Love the pic of your doggy by the way. :)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins!!!
My substitute is Alicia Silverstone’s vegan peanut butter cups.
Delicious!!!
It sounds like you could easily take this recipe and make Twix – just spread the date/PB mixture on a Club cracker, then dip in chocolate. Club crackers aren’t exactly healthy, but it would work!
lovely idea! I was thinking I need to revamp my Twix recipe too.
Those look sooo good, can’t wait to give the recipe a try!
Rolo’s were my dad’s favorite candy- I’ll always think of him when I eat one [and it gets all stuck in my teeth] :P
They look delish! I’ll definitely try them!
Your Halloween treats are so fun! These look especially delicious!
I think I know what I’m making for my boyfriend’s welcome home treat tomorrow! nummy! And my favourite “Cheap” chocolate bar is a kitkat. Nothing else tempts me, but a kit kat…now that’s another story. I like the little boxes of smarties too, just enough for me.
Hi Angela,
Wow, thanks for the great recipe. I’ve already tried to make them, but I can’t seem to form balls. It’s too mushy and sticky. I’ve made the ‘caramel’ with soaked dates, so I think that’s the problem. Do you have any idea how I can solve it and make the date paste more solid (freezing it for 3 hours didn’t help)? Maybe I’ll add some whole grain rice crisps and call them Lion bars (Dutch name for the crispy, caramel, chocolate bar).
Thanks again for your creative idea, I love, love, love most of your recipes :).
Wow! These look incredible! I haven’t thought about rolos in years, much less eaten one. I used to love them while growing up (eaten while wearing my neon colors, of course). Thanks for providing me with the grown-up healthy version. :-)
Great treat idea! And cute decorations. I’d wonder how they would look fully covered with chia. I might have to try that. It’d look like fly eyes or something weird….Hahahaha! I am still trying to decide what to be for Halloween.
Yes, I’m going to be a mermaid! I found a green sparkly and scaly skirt from H&M, and I’m going to put tinsel in my hair and wear a shell bikini— probably over a flannel since I am in Maine!
I just made little energy snack from dates yesterday! I wish I’d seen this recipe first, it look delish!
Does the pinch of salt go into the date mixture?
Yes it does! It’s written in the recipe I linked to. Enjoy!
Ahh I love this! I actually could never have Rolos as a kid because they say “may contain traces of nuts” on the label. So now I can make up for all those years without them by making these! ;)
My favourite candy bars were/are Hershey’s cookies ‘n cream, Caramilk, Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp, and mint Aero!
Wow, I would have never guessed that the date mixture would turn out like caramel. Super creative Ange! My favourite chocolate bars were Crispy Crunch and Twix, and although I’m not really a big chocolate person, those would still be my top 2 today! As for costumes, I’m not sure what’s happening in my house as far as dressing up goes, but I think those gloves were made for you! ;)
When do you put in the pinch of sea salt?
the salt is added With the date mixture – please see the recipe link. Enjoy! :)
Thanks for the reply. I still don’t see where it mentions adding the salt in the recipe…LOL.
I made them last night without the salt and they turned out great. My daughter, a chocoholic, LOVED them. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
D’oh…now I see it on the link. I just made them from the blog post…LOL. Thanks again.
oh holy crap! Sooooo excited to make these =)
I have to bring in some treats for a Halloween thing at my volunteer gig and I was racking my brain trying to think of something not completely evil (like the candy currently flying off of the shelves), somewhat healthy but fun. Score!
Ole YUMMYYYYY!! I need to try this recipe.
I recently became vegan, and I used to LOVEEE rolos as a kid. I was so thrilled to see this recipe, but I have a nut allergy :( Any suggestions for a nut/seed butter substitution??
You are SO creative! Love this recipe! Such a great healthy halloween treat.
OMG! These look so good!
I love this recipe…can’t wait to try it!
I just finished making these, and they are awesome!!!! I am having to use all of my self-control to not go finish off the rest of them! Thanks for the great recipe!!!!
THANK YOU for actually making these, and THEN commenting on your experience (so tired of the ‘can’t wait to make these!!!! comments, and then no follow up).
I have no idea what to be! But I do know that I want to try making these!
Nice recipe! If I have some kind of holiday event I might make these :)
Oh my goodness! I just posted a recipe so similar to this a few days ago on my blog, “ShotglassTruffles” except with peanut butter whipped cream as the center! So decadent! Will have to try your version! They look delicious. Those toothpicks are adorable and so are the pics!! Can’t wait to try them.
Oh and of course they’re vegan…I use coconut cream as the peanut butter whipped cream :)
My favourite chocolate has to be Snickers! I love it because it has a bit of everything :) These rolos look awesome! I’m not a big fan of dates but might just have to try this!
Oh my gosh I haven’t had Rolo’s since I was a kid! I have to make your healthy version!!! What a great treat!!
“o” rings worn in bunches on your wrist like Madonna, oxford shoes, white Keds, wayfarer sunglasses in bright colors
Looks verrrrryy yummy!
If you use white chocolate and stick some green/blue/brown M&M candy on top, they would look like eyeballs :D
This is AMAZING! Can’t wait to try them out : )
I think I’m a little tooooo excited to try these. When I was younger, I was obsessed with rolos and once gave my dad one to throw away because I dropped in on the street. Let’s just say he didn’t realize any of this…ha he still makes fun of me today
Angela, you’re amazing! I miss rolos soooo much.. Can’t wait to try your recipe out!
So much healthier to make rolo’s caramel with dates! I must try this!
And as a fruit lover… I’m being the Chiquita Banana Lady for Halloween!
Looking forward to making these for my parents, but I’m really excited for the Kit Kats. I was never huge on chocolate…but Kit Kats…MMMMMM.
That date carmel has be thinking about snickers…wonder if there is a vegan version of the nouget.
Thinking of going as a vampire.
So simple and so delicious!
I made these tonight, and my boyfriend, who is VERY picky about his sweets, adored them. The one change I made was to add a bit of vanilla to the caramel. I’m already thinking up variations…blending in some shredded coconut maybe? Yummm.
Also, to aid in the rolling of the very sticky caramel balls, I covered my hands in cocoa powder–it really helped!
Yum!! What a great halloween treat so as not to be tempted by all the mini chocolate bars :)
Mmmmm rolos! My favorites when I was younger (and still my faves!) are reese’s, snickers and kit kats. You could probably make snickers from this recipe with the addition of chopped peanuts and then the nougat part… not sure how you’d do that!?
Omg can’t wait to try making these!!
I was a Skor and Butterfinger kind of girl myself, back in my pre-vegan days:p
P.S. Your blog is AWESOME for vegan recipes, you should have a vegan cooking show on TV
Yummy! great idea!
I made these last night and they were soooo good and super easy. I tried to get people to guess what the “caramel” was made from, and they couldn’t! There’s something so satisfying about sweets that you make yourself from simple ingredients you can pronounce. Thanks for this. I will be making it again for sure!
I made these, just because I had ingredients for once! They are delicious! Perfect amount to satisfy the sweet tooth!
Oh My God! How can anyone say being a vegan is boring? We can have vegan anything these days. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
ooooooh….how about Twix!!!???
Angela!! These are amazing, I can actually say they are BETTER than a true Rolo!! Thank you for making such a great, east recipe. Keep them coming!
I made these delicious little marvels tonight. Wow! Tickled with how they turned out. I shared with everyone on my fb page!!! https://www.facebook.com/LivingOnGodsGreenEarth
Thanks for your wonderful recipes.
Yum! I tried this recipe today (also because I only had a small amount of dates left in the fridge and wanted to use them up) and I have to admit, I ate 1/2 of the recipe, if not, 2/3 of it (and I’ll shamelessly admit it too)! I’m having to ban myself from the kitchen just to keep myself from eating the rest!
I used to go as a witch, using my cousin’s old costume, for about a year or two, then I just began going as myself!
My top 5 favorite candy bars are: Snicker’s ICE CREAM bars, Butterfinger, Heath Bar, Pay Days, and Almond Joy. I’m so stinkin’ excited about this recipe! It looks so easy yet so healthy while being guilt-free! *stoked*
I will have to try these, always looking for healthy treats. For Halloween, last week my friend and I did a Halloween 5k Run and dressed up as hula girls! It was a blast! We had to make our own costumers – grass skirts out of rafia – since the 6 Halloween stores we visited did not carry the costume.
Oh wow Angela! These certainly are impressive! Can’t wait to try these out!
This looks like a yummy treat for next week!
I will be making these for sure. I will be selecting a costume this week, hope the costume stores are still well stocked!
Did you use the Vitamix to mash up the dates?
Or a food processor?
Thanks
A food processor :)
LOVED them. Can I consider this a health food? ;)
I don’t have a processor so I chopped up the dates as best as I could and added more peanut butter. Turned out great:)
Thank you
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Just made these! I love that they are so-flippin-easy!!!!! And you are right, they taste very similar to rolos!! YAYYY!!
I’m craving something sweet right now and you’re the first one I turn to for the “yummy + healthy” combo. I’m making these this weekend!
These are SO yummy! They taste more like Milk Duds (my favourite!) to me. I may have to bring a baggie of them to the movies…
Yum! These are inspiring me to run to the kitchen right now! I am sure my kids will be happy that I did when they taste them. My husband just said, “What no caramel?” I can’t wait to serve him one. :)
I made these yesterday, and my gosh they truly taste like the real thing! My Dad will usually go nowhere near my healthy creations but he LOVED these and has nearly eaten them all! Thank you so much for creating these!
I’m going to have to make these! I can eat quite a few rolos, I love them!
I was soooo an eighties child…. I had the side pony and the neon pink skirt.
Ok, I’ll admit it- at first I thought “yea right, I bet this tastes nothing like caramel.” Well, it totally does and now I have to buy dates in bulk and experiment. Thanks, Angela!
I made these this afternoon and they came out wonderfully! Only difference was that I had to add a smidge of water to my blender to get the dates/PB to process smoothly and I mixed the chia seeds directly into the date-caramel. SO Yummy!! Thanks!
I made these and they are amazing. I think they taste better than Rolos because they don’t include the guilt associated with eating massive amounts of candy.
Made these today and we LOVE ’em!!! Thanks for another great recipe!!
The best thing to come out of this recipe is date caramel. I’ll have to try that.
I made these on Saturday and they are amazing! Thanks again for another great recipe!
I made these twice this weekend because they went so fast! They are delicious. Blew my mind :)
Angela, these were amazing! It took a while for my date paste to come together (I was getting worried about crumbly centers), but it worked out in the end. My husband is a total dried-fruit-a-phobe, but he said these tasted like Milky Ways! I’m definitely making these again :)
Oh I just bought medjool dates tonight- Yay! But I may top these with sea salt instead of the chia. I love the trader Joes dark choc caramel black sea salt bars and I’m thinking this may be very similar:)
I made these, and they are delicious! I followed the pictorial steps, and I found they are missing instructions on when to add the salt. I ended up sprinkling it on top with the chia seeds because it was too late to add it too the date blend. Still superb!
I’m lovin’ your Rolos. Pair those little cuties with a latte and suddenly a frosty morning gets a nice warm “glo” on.
Hello Angela! I want to say thanks for that yummy and sooo easy recipe. My friend at work just fall in love with those rolo bites, as I do, and I’m sending the recipe to my best friends too throught email… translated in French ;) Thanks from Sherbooke, QC. :)
Made these today and they are really good. I gave one to my 6 year old and said nothing about what they were. He took a bite and first thing out of his mouth? “mmmm, tastes like a rolo!”. Consider it a major hit if you can fool a candy obsessed 6 year old.
haha that’s awesome to hear!!
I just made these and as usual they are amazing!!! Every recipe I have tried from this site is delicious.
Hi-I see that salt is in the list of ingredients.. when do you add the pinch?
You can add it to the date caramel :)
figured but had to ask, thanks!!
Hi Ange, I just made these babies and oh my god!! They are soooo good – I literally ate 6 of these in one day! Just couldn’t resist them. It is the best treat I have had in forever. Thank you so much for this recipe :)
Glad to hear that Heidi! Enjoy :)
Wow those look delicious!! I need to try it. My favorite chocolates are Areo, Kit Kats, Coffee Crisps, Caramilks and Crispy Crunch.
I just made these Angela, they are SO good, my husband (who claims he hates dates) ate half the batch already, these are my new favorite candy! Thank you for your amazing ideas. :) Happy Halloween!!!
I’m happy to hear that! Happy Halloween to you too :)
I just made these and gave one to my niece and told her it was chocolate & caramel. She thinks she doesn’t like any of my “healthy” food (dates). She said it was a piece of heaven! I haven’t told her yet that it is really dates.
hah that’s great! Enjoy :)
Oooh, we are having a Halloween party at the library I work at and I wanted to make sure the treats I brought in were inclusive of all dietary needs. However, because of allergies, I don’t want to bring anything with nuts in it. Is there a possible alternative to the nut butter? Thanks!
I would suggest using sunflower seed butter. Enjoy!
Oh, now I see that you can use seed butter. I’ve never had that before. What would be the effect on the taste to use that instead of peanut butter?
Yum! Made these today and they’re super easy and fantastic. I found the 1/2 cup chocolate chips was enough to make two batches. I used “milk” chocolate chips (couldn’t find dark chocolate) and it was still yum. I have never had dates before this and I’ve got several ideas for their use now :) Thank you!
what do you do with the salt? does it go in the date mixture, the chocolate mixture, or do you sprinkle it on top?
I added it to the date mixture :) enjoy!
I made these yesterday in preparation for Hurricane Sandy…because yes, we’re directly in her path, and yes, I DO need chocolate to survive, That said, they’re wonderful and my kids are obsessed. You’re a genius.
I made these on the wknd, so easy and delicious! Plus they looked super pretty. I topped some with coconut, pecans, rice crispies and chia seeds before the chocolate hardened.
Thanks Angela!
Oooooo…I like your topping idea! Guess I’ll have to make them again.
Making your recipes has become a bit of an obsession and, thanks to you, I have more unique ingredients in my pantry than the local co-op. These little balls of heaven were so addictive. I fully intended to share them with my house guests. And I did mention it but maybe it was a noisy room and maybe I whispered and just maybe I didn’t mention it again. I’d like to add you to the very exclusive list of ladies I have proposed to.
bahahaha….oh man your comment just made my day. I am so honoured – and yes, I accept obviously. I will have to tell Eric in a noisy room while feeding him Rolos…
I just have to say I LOVE these. I stumbled upon your website and I have to say you have inspired me. I was looking for vegan recipes because my husband was diagnosed with cancer and I truly believe “vegan” is the way to go!! Long story short his prognosses is good and we are continuing to slowly transfer over to vegan. Let me also say I am from the midwest where meat and potatoes were always on the menu at almost every meal. This is quite a change but we are determined. If you have any suggestions please send them my way :) You are an inspiration and thanks for making our journey to “vegan” much easier than I expected. PS We also love your Veggie Burgers and Green Monsters (which my husband and parents have every morning)!!
Hi Carol, Thank you for your kind words! I wish you and your husband all my best. xo
Oh my goodness, I just made these and tried one and they are ridiculously good! Over the past week, I’ve come to the conclusion that you, my dear girl, are a geee-nius! :-) I found your blog the other day and keep sneaking back, when I really should be busy with other things, to see what else I can try out! Thank you so much for all that you do and Happy Halloween and 4th {Blog} Birthday! I am so grateful to have found you. Now… the rest of those rolos (I only made half measures, so there are already only 7 left) are sitting in the freezer and the question is, do I wait for my husband to get home and share them with him, or eat them all now and pretend they never happened?! ;-)
I’ve made these twice now to rave reviews! Love them. Now going to try your Kit Kat Bars!
Thank you. :)
They are so yummyyyy!!! Thank you so much for this recipe,it’s amazing,so easy to make and delicious! My husband and friends loved them too ;)
I’m pretty new to your blog, but loving it! Just a little tip I picked up from my mom when melting chocolate: put some water in a pan over medium-high heat and put a glass bowl over the pan (it must NOT be immersed in the water but should be a bowl big enough to perch on the pan edges). Put the choc chips in the glass bowl. The steam from the bubbling water will cause the choc chips to melt slowly. I use this every time and it’s flawless. Hope it made sense :-)
great tip!
OMG!!! The date carmel is amazing I wish I would have discovered that along time ago. My carmel has not made it to the rolo stage because I can’t stop eating the carmel by the spoonful.
I’ve already made these twice! All of my friends love them. I love this blog it makes being vegan so easy and fun!
awesome, thanks for letting me know!
Hi Angela , I love your website have told so many people about it and the awesome recipes. Made these today and instead of putting melted chocolate I mixed in cacao nibs. Really great also. I have a friend who doesn’t eat sugar so they were perfect. Love them with the chocolate also. This one is another keeper. Thanks!
Made these tonight for my sons Halloween Themed birthday party tomorrow. YOU are the best!!!! these taste just like a store bought candy bar. I’m making the Apple Bites tomorrow. Thank You Thank You Thank You :-)
These are awesome and SO easy!!! Thanks for all the great recipes!
Oof. My food processor burned out while trying to make this date caramel.
This is a dumb question…but I am out of chia seeds. Should I wait until I have them or can these be made without? (I have NO IDEA how I missed these the first time aroound!!)
These were pretty awesome. The first time I made them, though, I soaked my dates way too long so they wouldn’t freeze. It was just like a frosting texture that was smooth but refused to set up enough to ever make a ball out of it. However, thanks to that mistake, I think I am going to do the same thing over again and use this “caramel” base for my own vegan spin on German Chocolate Frosting! My plan is to use
-200g of soaked dates (I soaked mine overnight)
-1/2 tbsp peanut butter
-2 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
-1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
-1 tsp of vanilla
The best part is that there will be no added sugar or any of the other awful things you find in German Chocolate frosting. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. :)
Just made my frosting. I ended up using:
• 400 grams dates (about 30 medium dates)
• 1 cup water, divided
• 1 tbsp cashew butter (or any other nut butter, but cashew has the most mild taste that doesn’t interfere with the frosting)
• 2 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 ½ cups pecan pieces
• 2 tsp gluten free vanilla
The date mixture with cashew butter and vanilla tasted even more like caramel than the date/peanut butter mixture for the rolos.This made enough to frost an entire 2 layer 8 inch round cake, and I’m betting any leftover would make great little truffles.
This looks delish and I plan on making them this week! I assume the pinch of salt goes in with the date mixture? Thank you! :)
OMG. Rolos are my fav! I love anything that combines chocolate and caramel. It’s midnight now, and I’m going to fall asleep dreaming about these. I will absolutely be making these in the morning.
These were great! I used almond butter and did not use toothpicks, but they are so delicious! I will definitely keep this “caramel” recipe in mind for slathering in the middle of a chocolate layer cake!
Cant believe it has taken me this long to comment on these little beauties! I made them when you first posted this, and have pretty much been making them fortnightly since. Being pregnant I feel Im getting such a treat, yet still relatively healthy. Today I made them using Macadamia nut butter, which is great for something different. But the original is still my favorite, thanks Angela!
Hi! I’ve made these once already and they were great. This time around I noticed that you list salt in the ingredients but not in the instructions. Is it supposed to go in there somewhere?
Thanks! :)
Yes, I put it into the date caramel mixture when processing. Hope this helps!
I just made these this evening, and they were absolutely delicious. I made two mods: I added chis seeds to the processor with the coconut oil (inadvertently) and it actually worked great. Also I heated the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave for a minute. The results were very well-received by the whole family. Also, since my dates were dry, I “steamed” them in a little bit of water in the microwave first, and they were good to go.
Sorry to bring a post back from the dead like this (thought it IS a Halloween-related post, so why not??), but I have a funny story: I made these a few times since you’ve posted the recipe because my husband and I both LOVE them when we’re craving sweets but not the inevitable guilt of junky food.
Usually I make a small batch like your recipe, but I figured this time I’d make a QUADRUPLE batch since they keep so well in the freezer, and since they’re kind of a pain to make/clean up (though very worth the mess!). I used the same kind of dates as you did, Ange, and did soak them first even though they’re pretty soft. Wellllll, this idea ended up being a bit of a disaster. It takes a lot of scraping and blending regardless, but I guess the massive amount of date-goo was too much for my food processor to handle. I was at the sink washing a few dishes as it was blending, and it started to make struggling sounds… which turned into death throes. Smoky, smelly, death throes. My poor food processor bit the dust and the “caramel” wasn’t even pulverized yet :( Panicked that I might have wasted 45 precious dates (they’re NOT cheap), I hesitantly used my hand blender to VERY CAREFULLY and slowly puree it as best I could. It was touch-and-go, but I’m happy to report that I only killed the one small appliance in the process and now have a “Rolo” stash to get me through ’til the next apocalypse! Ah, who am I kidding… they’ll probably still be gone in a month. My food processor was only 3 years old, and though it wasn’t all that bad, I can’t say I’m sorry that I’ll have to upgrade to a better model ASAP :) Yay for happy endings!
Thank you for this recipe they look amazing!!! I just made them and put them in the freezer for their final go.. and realized I should’ve asked this question a lot sooner… Is it okay to freeze them for hours?! I was planning on not eating them until 5 or 6 hours from now
Yes that’ll be just fine!
First I must say that I LOVE your blog and recipes!!! I just made these “rolos” but I think I must have soaked my dates too long because the date mixture was super hard to work with. I did drain off the extra water but the mixture was so sticky I ended up freezing it overnight and it was still a bit challenging! Thinking they must have absorbed too much water?
WOW! These “rolo” candies are fantastic!!! I loved Rolos as a kid and just took my first bite (okay, my first bite was when the mixture was in the VitaMix) with the chocolate covering and I can’t believe how great they are! Some vegan and gluten free snacks are good because you just don’t have a choice, but these are great for everyone! I used Naturally Nutty Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower butter in place of peanut butter. Their stuff is amazing!
Hey Stephani, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them so much!
Hello!
First of all, me and my sister have been trying all of your recipes one by one and we love them! thank you! Also, I tried these and they actually really do taste like caramel once they set. I used sea salt instead of chia seeds to make it a sea salt caramel. Thinking of making it with lavendar or earl gray infused into the caramel? Any thoughts?
I made this recipe and the little “rolo” balls were AMAZING! Based on what I remember rolos tasting like, I’d give these an 8.5 for closeness. But for overall tastiness value, they get a 10. Thank you for the awesome recipe! They are easy to make and require simple ingredients AND take care of my now vegan sweet tooth! Plus I like that I don’t feel nearly as guilty if I eat these–heck, I know what’s in ’em! Can’t say that about rolos, the regular type!
I made these again (2nd time this week since finding this recipe; who’s counting? not me!) and they are just a scrumptious. I think you have created a monster. A vegan, fat & happy monster. ;)
im making this yummy recipe but at what point do i add the salt?
I made these for my mom for Mother’s Day. Since I have become vegan, my mom has been really supportive and now she’s pretty much vegan. She used to LOVE rollos, so these were the PERFECT mother’s day treat! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!!! :)
Hey there, just wanted to say that I absolutely love you stuff and will def be re-posting it and linking to your site!! Such great ideas and awesome recipes :) Thanks again!
Jenn
Hi! I loved your recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I wanted to make this but I just have one question. In the first step, you have mentioned to process dates with butter. I just wanted to know how you do it. Do you do it just with the spoon or you put them in a processor? And do I need to remove date’s skin..?
I need to make this tomorrow so can you please answer it a bit early!? Thanks in advance!
Yes you process them in the food processor. No need to remove the skin! Enjoy
Thanks Angela for a quick reply! And do I must use coconut oil OR I can substitute it with just regular canola oil?
Thanks in advance!
I just made them. Easy and fantastic!
oh… i made this caramel… and then randomly decided to make it into german chocolate cake icing (typically made with evaporated milk, egg yolks and a whopping whole cup of brown sugar) … added water a tablespoon at a time until it was frosting consistency, then added pecans and shredded coconut… dee-vine! xo
Hi Angela! I am in the middle of making these and I can’t figure out which step I am supposed to add the sea salt listed in the ingredients? Did I miss something?
These are delish! I think my dates were smaller, so I added more but I don’t think it made enough (hehehe). I had leftover chocolate so after they set in the freezer I did a second coating!
So good and super easy, thank you!
Now I’m looking for a vegan wunderbar recipe….any ideas?
I’ve been pretty hesitant to try medjool dates.
I’m going paleo & trying to add more natural sweeteners into my diet.
Do medjool dates really taste like caramel?
I LOVE caramel btw, so this would be awesome for a natural ‘caramel’! ^_^
Yes they do in this recipe! Try it :)
I just made these. My children are very picky about my plant-based desserts- they adore these. These aren’t going to last long! SO DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you!
Hi, I really want to make “Rolo Pretzel Delights” (made with rolos, pretzels and pecans, but I am hoping to use the vegan rolos. Have you tried this/do you think it would work? Thanks.
These are amazing!
Love these! Can they be made with deglet dates instead? My store seems to be out of medjool.
Ok – I’m totally not a vegan, not even a vego, not organic just a regular omnivore – and I was intrigued by this recipe. I have just made these balls (well I made a half recipe as I was doubtful :-) They are actually really, really good. They DO taste like caramel and are so surprisingly rich and luxurious. I used bog standard peanut butter, didn’t add salt (there was salt in the peanut butter), did add about 1/2 teasp vanilla extract and used Belgian dark chocolate for coating. Now I have to go to the store to buy more dates! Thank you for this insight into ‘slightly’ more healthy sweet treats.
Just made and ate my first of your rolos. Yummmmaaaaaay as Jim Carrey would say! So easy to make and fun. I love simple recipes, just a few ingredients and things I usually have on hand for when the idea strikes to make something. This will definitely be a favorite for me for forever! Thanks you!
I made these (from the amazing cookbook!) today, and they are fantastic. They really, really do taste like Rolos. Yum!
To be honest, this was not one of my favourite OSG recipes. Followed directions exactly, but it really tasted nothing like caramel, or the original version, to me.
I made these for me and my partners anniversary and they were amazing.
Only my chocolate didn’t stick as well maybe i needed to let it cool a bit more? And funny story I bought my dates from a new place and didn’t realize they weren’t pitted so I nearly broke my mum’s food processor…..ooop…
These are seriously delicious. My mum made them for us last night and they were so good I have already made a double batch for myself. Thank you for this recipe!
Tried these… They are not Rolos… Rolos have no peanut butter in them.
My husband love them and said they reminded him of Wunderbars without the rice crisps. Maybe that would be something to add to them :)
Hi
I’m new to your page and just tried this recipe, substituting almond butter for peanut butter. They are DELICIOUS, but mine had to stay overnight in the freezer in order to come to a consistency in which they could be rolled, and even then they are still very very squishy and soft. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
thanks!
Added too much peanut butter first time but far from being a disaster it tasted like a snicker bar. Have only just realized it was meant to taste like a rolo. Trying again as hopefully I will have two versions. Thank you for a great recipe.
Holy moly these are good!! I’ll definitely be making these again and again! Wetting fingers and using a small batter scoop helped with making balls from the caramel after the freezer time. So so so good!!!! Thank you!!
Wanted to make these for Christmas. Finally made yesterday for Valentine’s Day. Delicious!!! And so easy. Wasn’t sure what to do with the salt so just omitted it. Great recipe.
I made these for my toddlers birthday… He ate 6 at once!! I didn’t even know that was possible. I was full after having a couple. Guess I’ll have to make more for the party. Great recipe! He also loved helping me roll the balls.
I’ve made these twice now. I have to avoid almonds, so I use cashew butter– they taste so good! The most recent attempt was almost thwarted by dates that had unexpectedly gone bad. What a disappointment considering how $ they are! I tried the recipe with prunes instead. It’s fruitier as opposed to caramel-like; but one of my fave chocolate bars is Fruit & Nut–so I added walnuts to some of the balls and I am loving them! I topped others with sesame seeds and the remainder with sea salt. Delicious!
I accidentally misread the recipe and added a 1/2 cup of peanut butter, and they came out like peanut butter cups! SO good! I don’t know if I’ll ever try the original recipe now!
Haha, that sounds like a happy (and delicious!!!) accident, Lindsey! So glad it all worked out in the end.
Haha! Thanks! P.S. I’m also expecting a baby (Aug 24th!). Have you heard that dates are supposed to help shorten labor? There’s been a few studies done…I figure it can’t hurt to stock up on these yummy treats and hope for the best!
I just heard this on Detoxinista’s blog actually! It was the first I had ever heard that before! So crazy if it helps. I have been eating a couple dates each day just in case a bit helps (and they are the perfect sweet snack!)
Just made these today! Wonderful recipe! I’m too young to remember the 80s, but rolos were definitely one of my very favorites growing up! I left out the coconut oil and melted my chocolate in a metal bowl above boiling water. I also boiled water and poured it into a bowl with my dates and let them soak in the hot water for a few minutes to soften them before I dared tried to blend them I to a paste. This made the chilling time a little longer, but I feel like it helped. They turned out amazing. I’m going to bring them to a Halloween party at work on Monday, so it s nice that they keep well in the freezer! The hardest part about this recipe was keeping my boyfriend from eating them all right off the tray! I’m so glad I found this recipe, ill be making it for relatives this thanksgiving and Christmas :)
I hope they were a hit at your work party, Clare!! Keeping ourselves from gobbling them all up is always a challenge around here, too. :)
AMAZING!!! SO GOOD!!!!! I teach a vegan cooking class and students tried these tonight- everyone was blown away by how delicious and simple these were. Thank you so much!
It’s so great to hear they were a hit, Sherry!!