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!
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Homemade "Rolo" Knock-Offs
Yield
18 bites
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
40
Total time
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 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
For the chocolate coating
- scant 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
For the garnish
- chia seeds (optional)
Directions
- [Note: You want to use very soft Medjool dates. If yours are firm, soak in water to soften before using. Be sure to drain well.] Process pitted dates in food processor until a sticky paste forms. Now, add in the nut or seed butter along with a pinch of fine grain sea salt. Process until combined. The mixture will be SUPER sticky, but this is a good thing!
- Scoop out the sticky mixture into a bowl and freeze for about 10 minutes. Chilling it makes the caramel easier to shape into balls. After chilling, lightly wet your fingers and shape caramel into small balls to make about 18 balls total.
- Place balls back into the freezer for another 10 minutes on a parchment lined plate. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips along with 1 teaspoon coconut oil on the stove top over low heat. When 2/3 of the chips are melted, remove from heat and stir until everything is melted.
- Remove balls from freezer and dunk each ball into the melted chocolate, one at a time. Roll around to coat. Tap off excess chocolate and place back onto parchment-lined plate. Sprinkle with chia seeds (optional) and stick a toothpick into each. Repeat for the rest.
- Freeze again for at least 20 minutes until set. Bites taste best straight from the freezer and will soften (but will not melt) at room temperature.
Tip:
The chia seeds were added for a Halloween 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.
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?
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!