Delicious vegan caramel slice with gingerbread as the base. All topped with chocolate and homemade vegan gingerbread cookies, this caramel slice recipe is a festive twist on classic millionaires shortbread.
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease the base and sides of a square 8" pan with some oil or vegan butter, then line with parchment paper.
In your food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients until they stick together to form a dough. Evenly press the dough into the base of the pan and smooth it out with a spatula or flat bottomed glass. With a fork, gently prick the dough several times.
Bake for 14-15 minutes until slightly browned, then allow to cool to room temperature.
Caramel
Add the sweetened condensed coconut milk, soft brown sugar, vegan butter, salt and vanilla to a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Add the cornflour and continue to heat whilst stirring. Place your candy thermometer in the caramel and heat until it reaches 116°C (240°F). Remove from the heat and allow the caramel to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread base and allow it to reach room temperature before transferring to the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
For the coating melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Stir until melted thoroughly. Use a spatula to spread it over the caramel in an even layer. Add the gingerbread cookies and crushed ginger nut biscuits on top of the chocolate before it sets.
Allow to set at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing into servings.
Storage
Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to a week. I recommend taking the caramel slices out of the fridge to come to room temperature for about an hour before serving them. Alternatively, you can freeze them in a sealed container and defrost them for an hour or two before serving.
Notes
Nutritional information is based on caramel slice without gingerbread cookies or biscuits on top.
Sprinkle some pecans, peanuts, or almonds on top of the chocolate layer before it sets.
Why not turn them into white chocolate caramel slices with some homemade vegan white chocolate in place of regular chocolate.