Dulce De Leche Cake Bites

Let us take a trip down memory lane.. A trip to a time where I thought that eating healthy meant depriving myself of all of my favorite sweets and treats. A time where I couldn’t control my cravings and couldn’t stop thinking about them due to restricting them completely.

The fire behind Dani’s Healthy Eats all began because of a passion for showing others that you CAN consume a healthy diet while still enjoying dessert, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. By making simple swaps, you can easily create sweets and treats, that are often, even more decadent than their unhealthy counterparts.

I went years without having one of my FAVORITES; dulce de leche cake! I could never figure out a way to re-create it, while doing it justice. However, I think I have finally hit the nail on the head! I can’t believe how yummy these turned out!

Now, let’s talk ingredients, because these are important with this cake! First off, BUTTER. Yes, I wanted to keep this recipe vegan due to the heavy amount of vegans that follow my platform. However, if you are not, feel free to use ghee in this recipe as I think it would work wonderfully and offer a real depth of flavor. If you are vegan, feel free to use your favorite vegan butter. Personally, I am not a fan of butter substitutes on the market these days as they are often full of chemicals and additives that I just cannot get behind. This is why i’ve never incorporated them into my recipes previously. However, I found Miyokos Creamery and couldn’t be happier with it. Sure, its a little pricey, but it is so worth it in my opinion. You are definitely paying for quality and the ingredients are on point (It’s paleo too!)

For the flour, you can definitely sub normal flour, and possibly whole wheat, however I try and keep my recipes as paleo as possible, and opted for almond flour. If you are using almond flour, you may want to add 2 tbsp of either arrowroot or tapioca starch, as this helps bind the dough together.

As far as sugars go, I opted for coconut sugar as this is the closest to brown sugar and gives the cake that real, authentic, flavor. You can sub in normal brown sugar if you’d like, but stick with a granulated form. Now, onto the recipe!

Cake Layer:

• 1/3 cup vegan butter or ghee (I used Miyokos Creamery as I love the ingredients)

• 1 cup almond flour

• 2 tbsp arrowroot/tapioca starch/flour

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

Dulce De Leche layer:

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp coconut sugar

• 5 tbsp vegan butter or ghee

• 1 1/2 cups coconut cream (solid part from a can of full-fat coconut milk)

• 1/2 tsp espresso powder

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (danishealthyeats gets you a discount)

• Solid part from 1 can of full-fat coconut milk

How to:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl or food processor. Using an electric mixer, or your processor, combine ingredients until the dough forms.

3. Press into a parchment-lined 8X8 baking dish. Prick the cake layer with a fork, all over the surface. Then, allow to bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

4. While your cake is baking, begin to make the dulce de leche layer by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, until it reduces to about half it’s original l volume. Allow the mixture to cool, then spread over the cooled cake layer.

5. To make the chocolate ganache topping, combing the chocolate and coconut milk together in the same small saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt, mixing until completely smooth. The mixture should thicken as you continue stirring. Frost your cake bites as desired.

6. Place the cake in the fridge, for about two hours, allowing for everything to fully come together, soak in the flavors, and for the chocolate to set. Cut into pieces and enjoy!