Car-mel. Care-ah-mel. Tomayto. Tomahto.
Whichever way you say it, I have always loved caramel. I loved Werther’s caramel candies as a kid (they contributed to all the cavities I got growing up). Then as an adult, I discovered that the main ingredients in a Werther’s are high fructose corn syrup, palm oil (not sustainably sourced), and artificial flavors. I’m not surprised but nevertheless disappointed. Could I find a “healthier” alternative for caramel? The fake stuff isn’t great. The real stuff is…made out of melted cream and sugar. Not great either.
I had a revelation the other day. Maple syrup + cashew butter = a caramel fix. Sure, it’ll never taste as delectable as the real thing. When you really want caramel, eat the mouth-watering buttery, overly sugary classic caramel. But because I crave caramel everyday, I go with this more sustainable take.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of smooth cashew butter
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
If you want to kick it up a notch, you can add any or all of the following:
A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or ground vanilla
Powdered freeze-dried strawberries
Make it taste like Nutella by using hazelnut butter instead and add a teaspoon of cocoa powder
I love this carmelly nut butter with apples, in yogurt, or as “frosting”.
