Pistachio Caramel Cake Bars (Vegan GF)

These no-bake Pistachio Caramel Cake Bars are the best way to use up leftover cake. With a pistachio cake crumb base, a gooey tahini caramel and dark chocolate top, they are vegan, gluten-free and easy to make.

If you loved my St Patrick’s Day Loaf Cake and have some green pistachio cake leftover, then these cake bars are the best way to use it all up. They are so moist and delicious, nutty and smooth and so indulgent, yet they are made with wholesome ingredients and require no baking (once you’ve baked the original cake). They are also inspired by my Red Velvet Caramel Cake Bars which also use up leftover cake, and it’s safe to say these are some of my favourite low-waste recipes.

Why will I love these cake bars?

These bars are seriously divine:

• Moist, tender and delicious
• Melt in your mouth gooey
• With a no-bake cake base to use up leftover cake
• Filled with quick and easy caramel
• Chocolatey and rich
• Nut-free, vegan and gluten-free
• Low-waste and healthier
• Easy and quick to make
• Great for friends and family

If you already love the sound of these Pistachio Caramel Cake Bars then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The base for this recipe uses simple ingredients, which you can find linked below in the “shop the recipe” section:

• Leftover cake: I use the green pistachio cake leftover from making my St Patrick’s Day Loaf Cake but you can use whatever cake you have. Ideally, it is a pistachio cake for the flavour and colour but you can use a vanilla, lemon or caramel cake, too. make sure you have the correct amount and crumble it all up.
• Vegan protein powder: this adds a lovely flavour and texture to the base. You can use a variety of flavours like vanilla, salted caramel, white chocolate or even chocolate mint (which is a current favourite and seasonal special) from Macromike where my code AMB-AMY saves you 10%.
• Runny smooth tahini: for the smoothest tahini caramel, use a runny, smooth tahini and the quality makes a lot of difference. As this is made from sesame seeds, it means that the caramel is nut-free.
• Pistachio butter (optional): I love pistachio butter but it is fairly expensive, so I saved the pistachio butter for swirling on top as opposed to inside the bars.
• Coconut oil: this is for helping the layers to set. It creates a melt-in-the-mouth caramel fudge texture as well as allowing the chocolate to set more quickly and slightly softer so that it won’t crack when slicing the bars.
• Coconut yoghurt: for some moisture in the base, I love adding thick Cocos Organic vanilla or original yoghurt. Make sure the yoghurt is thick and creamy, like a Greek-style dairy-free yoghurt.
• Maple syrup: for a sweet, sticky caramel, use maple or another syrup like agave, oat or vegan honey.
• Pistachios: for adding some crunch in the layers. You can find raw, unsalted and de-shelled pistachios in most supermarkets and health food stores.
• Dark chocolate: for the top of these bars, I like a rich 80% dark chocolate but any dairy-free chocolate will work.

How do I make them?

These are easy to make in a few steps:

• Crumble up the cake and stir in all the ingredients: to make the base.
• Press into a lined 6-inch square tin: and press down firmly. Chill while you make the toppings.
• Whisk together the caramel ingredients till smooth: and pour over the base.
• Add on some pistachios for crunch: and allow to set until firm.
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil: and pour over the caramel.
• Swirl on the pistachio butter: and allow to set again.
• Use a warm, sharp knife to slice into bars: and enjoy.

Are they gluten-free and nut-free?

These are easily gluten-free, as long as your cake does not contain gluten. To keep these nut-free, make sure your cake doesn’t contain any nuts, and use tahini throughout the recipe. Also leave out the pistachios and pistachio butter and check that your protein, yoghurt and chocolate are nut-free.

What if I don’t have any leftover cake?

You can easily bake up a fresh cake to make this recipe. Make just the green loaf of my St Patrick’s Day Loaf Cake, or try:

• Vegan Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge Cake (you can half this recipe)
• Vegan Orange and Champagne Bundt Cake
• Orange and Rhubarb Loaf Cake (leave out the rhubarb)
• Vegan Lemon and Blueberry Loaf Cake (without the blueberries)
• Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Sheet Cake

Bake the cakes as instructed then crumble them up and weigh out the correct amount before moving on to make the bars.

What other recipes can I make?

If you are looking for more no bake bars and slices, how about my:

• Golden Tahini Caramel Bars
• Pecan Chocolate Fudge Cookie Dough Bars
• Chocolate Raspberry Crunch Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Caramel Squares
• Raspberry Oat Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

Shop the recipe

Stay in touch

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Pistachio Caramel Cake Bars so please leave a comment below and a star review above. If you do make these, please let me know and tag me in your creations. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With pistachio cake bar love x