Who’s ready for some caramel?! We sure are because April 5th is National Caramel Day — woohoo! Traditional caramel is made by heating sugar and cream together until it turns down into a gooey, delicious sauce, but it’s easy to make it plant-based. In fact, there are multiple ways! You can make it from Medjool dates, like in this Healthy Date Caramel, or with nut butter and unrefined sugar, like in this 4-Ingredient Caramel Sauce, and so many other ways. To learn the finer details of making vegan caramel sauce, read How to Make Caramel Sauce Without Dairy.

But don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you hanging. We’ve got 15 yummy, gooey, sweet vegan desserts featuring caramel of all kinds — but not a single one is made with dairy.

1. Apple, Pecan, and Caramel Ice Cream Cake

This marvelous Apple, Pecan, and Caramel Ice Cream Cake is the perfect way to indulge in the flavors of fall in a creamy, chilly treat. It’s made from four simple layers. The crust is oats and Medjool dates, it’s topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream, a layer of date caramel and apples, and finally, a top layer of crunchy pecans and date caramel. Make this cake for summer parties, birthdays, or just because — it’s that good.

2. Snickers Shortbread Bars

These vegan Snickers Shortbread Bars are a real caramel, peanut butter, and chocolate dream come true. It starts with a caramel shortbread cookie base, which is then topped with peanuts, smoothed down with peanut butter, and doused in melty chocolate. The hardest part about making these bars is waiting for them to set in the fridge! Other than that – they are a total breeze and absolutely delicious.

3. Fa’ausi: Samoan Caramel Over Coconut Bread

Whip up a batch of this Fa’ausi! This Samoan specialty consists in fact of two separate parts that are assembled: fa’apapa, which is a coconut bread and a coconut milk caramel. The bread is light and fluffy, perfect for absorbing the sweet coconut milk caramel. Serve the leftover fa’apapa bread for breakfast, sliced and lightly toasted with vegan butter and jam and use the remaining caramel sauce for dessert.

4. Raw Matcha Caramels 

These Raw Matcha Caramels are melt-in-your-mouth good. Made with just four ingredients, these candies are ridiculously easy to make! Plus they’re refined sugar-free, use a base of healthy cacao butter, and contain gorgeous antioxidant-rich matcha powder. Enjoy these as a wholesome anytime treat or wrap them up individually and fill a mason jar for a darling gift.

5. Peanut Butter Caramel Ribbon Golden Milkshake

Golden milk, turmeric juice, and turmeric lattes are popping up in juice cafes, coffee shops, and grocery stores. However, if you want something more on the refreshing side, this Peanut Butter Caramel Ribbon Golden Milkshake is chock full of all sorts of good-for-you ingredients from turmeric to apricots, avocado, dates, cinnamon, and coconut milk. Not to mention the delicious peanut butter caramel ribbon drizzled in. Yum!

6. Coconut Caramel Panna Cotta

This Coconut Caramel Panna Cotta is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The base is a combination of coconut and date caramel which is then topped with a chocolatey nut crumble and drizzled with more caramel. Silky, sweet, nutty.

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7. 5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Made with only five ingredients, this Salted Caramel Ice Cream is simple and easy. Just blend it up, freeze, and enjoy — no ice cream maker necessary. It has a rich and creamy coconut milk base that’s swirled with salty date caramel. Enjoy a bowl of this for dessert or try a scoop on top of a berry crisp.

8. Coconut Milk Caramels With Tellicherry Pepper

These Coconut Milk Caramels are chewy, sticky, and creamy, with a kick from the Tellicherry pepper. Tellicherry pepper has more of a sweet, aromatic taste than regular black pepper, which is perfect for these candies. When wrapped up, they make wonderful gifts for any fan of caramels.

9. 15-Minute Banana Caramel Fudge Tart 

When it comes to quick desserts, this 15-Minute Banana Caramel Fudge Tart is going to become one of your favorites! It starts with a sticky base of oats, dates, and coconut, and has a banana filling that also has dates and oats and is sweetened with maple syrup. Made with fairly standard pantry staples, it’s something you could whip up in an instant, stick it in the fridge and voila, you have a dessert, snack, treat or just a plain old late night indulgence.

10. Bibingkang Malagkit: Filipino Rice Cake With Caramelized Coconut

Bibingkang Malagkit is one of the several types of rice cakes hailing from the Philippines. It’s made from a simple combination of coconut milk and glutinous rice that is baked and then topped with a rich coconut caramel sauce. The cake itself is thick and chewy while the topping is crispy and caramelized.

11. Black Bean Fudge Brownies With Sweet Potato Caramel 

Everybody loves brownies, but brownies with caramel are by far the best. This recipe for Black Bean Fudge Brownies uses a rich chocolate, black bean, and date brownie batter and then marbles homemade sweet potato caramel throughout the dessert.

12. Cinnamon Caramel Protein Tart 

There are few things better than getting your nutrition in dessert form. This Cinnamon Caramel Protein Tart begins with an oat-coconut-date crust held together with maple syrup and coconut oil and has a rich date caramel filling that is given a boost of protein via powder. It’s gooey, it’s sticky, and it’s good for you!

13. Banana Bread Doughnuts 

These gluten-free Banana Bread Doughnuts are made from buckwheat flour, rice flour, and tapioca flour — and they could easily fool anyone who isn’t gluten-free. The texture is just like a classic banana bread but in a doughnut shape. Then, to finish them, they’re topped them with a gooey caramel sauce enriched with pecans. They also bake in just 20 minutes. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

14. Almond Butter Caramel Cookie Bars 

These Almond Butter Caramel Cookie Bars are like Twix bars with a healthy twist! They’re made with all of the same delicious layers – cookie bottom, decadent (date) caramel, and chocolate – with an almond butter as an added bonus. Enjoy the crunchy yet gooey delight of this candy bar and relish in the fact that you’re eating a healthier version.

15. Raw Caramel Peanut Pie

This Raw Caramel Peanut Pie is a dream dessert for anyone who loves nutty, gooey, and chewy sweets. The nutty crust is topped with a layer of peanut butter and then finished off with a peanut and caramel topping and garnished with walnuts.

Looking for more? Check out of vegan caramel recipes page!

Lead image source: Salted Caramel Ice Cream