Honey Caramels With Chocolate, Almonds and Coconut
Recently, I had an amazing chocolate covered almond caramel that left me craving more; which I then of course proceeded to make much healthier. Honey gets a bad rap due to its high glycemic index- but lately I keep reading about all the excellent health benefits of honey. I’ve read it all before but after the umteenth time, I started to crave honey again. After playing around in my head making these caramels with agave nectar, I decided to stick with the honey. Since I was craving the honey taste, this worked out quite well! There is a underlying honey flavor but the creaminess of the coconut comes out as well. The almond provides a nice crunch while the semi-sweet chocolate balances out the super-sweetness of the honey. I would still like to make some caramels with agave or something else soon- since not everybody likes the strong flavor of honey.
My mom enjoyed these even though she doesn’t like honey. My mother-in-law thought they were good but the honey flavor was strong (she’s a Brach’s caramel eater and prefers to keep the honey out of things!). My son likes them and my other taste testers approved so I think we’re safe serving to the masses…that like honey!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup coconut cream concentrate (I used Tropical Traditions)
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Method:
- Over medium-high heat in a saucepan, heat honey, cream, coconut cream concentrate, vanilla and salt.
- Stir constantly using a whisk - mixture will bubble - you want it to bubble lightly - continue to stir until mixture reaches about 260 degrees
- Turn off heat and stir in almonds and coconut
- Grease 8×8 pan - pour in caramel mixture and allow to cool or put in refrigerator to cool faster
- Once cool, cut into desired shape and size and place on wax paper - melt chocolate and brush on top of caramels - allow chocolate to harden and they’re ready to eat!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
ooo the honey and coconut combo wounds fantastic!
sounds even… whooops!
So….if I didn’t want honey, can I replace the cup o’ honey with a cup o’ agave?
They sounds wonderful! Honey caramel sounds delightful! I’m not put off by the flavor of honey. Thanks for sharing!
~ingrid
Mandie,
I think agave will work but I am not sure - I do know there are agave caramel recipes so I’ll bet it will, but maybe it needs to be tweaked. I have a hunch it will work though - I’d like to try it w/ agave too b/c so many people I know don’t like honey!
What a delicacy! These definitely belong on a holiday cookie plate. I’ve been using a lot of honey lately too. I guess I feel like anything must be better than refined white sugar, even though the GI index of honey is close to table sugar. I don’t like the taste of plain honey very much, but I love it in baked goods (and caramels!).