Ingredients:

1 cup (165g) pitted soft dates
1/4 cup (80g) cashew butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (120g) raw cashews
100g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. If the dates are dry soak them first in boiling water until soft. Then drain and add to a food processor with the cashew butter, maple syrup, and salt. Blend until you get a smooth ball that looks like caramel.
2. Transfer the date caramel to a bowl, cover and keep in the fridge to firm up a little. About 30 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, toast the cashew in a 350F or 170C oven for about 10minutes until slightly golden. Set aside to cool.
3. Take the date caramel out of the ridge, and scoop out xx balls about the size of a walnut shell, around 18g each. Add 3 cashews to each of the balls, letting them poke out the sides a little. Place the balls on to a silicone mat or parchment paper on a tray or baking sheet, return to the fridge to keep the caramel firm until it’s time to dip into the melted chocolate.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Take out the cold and firm caramels and carefully dip either just the top or all of it. Return to the silicone mat or parchment paper and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using or chopped cashews. Once all the caramels have been dipped, return to the fridge until the chocolate has set.
5. Enjoy or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. But there is no way they will last that long!

Notes:

You can use any nut or nut butter. For a nut-free variation use tahini instead of the cashew butter, and then roll into balls and dip in chocolate before sprinkling sesame seeds on top.