You’ll never guess that this ice cream pie, smothered with yummy caramel sauce, is health-conscious! The rich flavor in every bite will definitely have you fooled.

Sometimes as a foodie, there’s this thing that happens. Each photo session with your perfectly styled recipe produces what seems to be a million photos. You’ve got to get every single angle with different lighting options. You’ve got to get them horizontal and vertical. The close-ups. The far-away. The bitten-into piece. All of it.

So then you’re left with the task of deciding on the best that get to be published and sent off to your pretty little eyes. Sometimes that’s super difficult because there are so many gorgeous shots (if I do say so myself)!

Let’s just say that this post is going to be pretty photo-heavy because well, I just couldn’t choose. I couldn’t bear to cut any of these! So I’m going to let them do most of the talking. You won’t want to listen to me once you see this amazing dessert (that’s totally health-conscious) anyway!

On top of the fact that tomorrow is Easter, did you know that it’s also National Caramel Day?? I know, another one of those kooky food holidays (that we really all secretly love). I am a caramel lover through and through. Not quite as much as I am a coconut lover, but it’s definitely one of my top 10 favs.

But when thinking about how I was going to make a caramel recipe health conscious, I got a little lost. How the heck was I going to make this happen??

And then I remembered that my friend Tiffany over at Feel Great in 8 made this healthy (seriously!) caramel recipe that I had been wanting to try.

And so I did.

And oh.em.gee!
You guys!

I will never make sugary caramel ever again in my entire life. Nor will I ever have the need to buy caramel sauce from the store. This will forever be my go-to. The best thing about it is that there’s no need for a candy thermometer or real threat of burning is like there is with traditional caramel.

So once I made this amazingness (and found the control to stop licking the spoon and dipping cookies into it…) I had to figure out what I was going to make with it to wow you this crazy food holiday.

And this baby was born. Let me tell you. This is one of best recipes I’ve ever made ever. I mean, look at it!

This healthy caramelly sauce is topping a coconut caramel ice cream that is made with coconut milk and sweetened with pure maple syrup. And that is all held together with one of the best crusts I’ve ever made and that came from three healthy ingredients – oats, walnuts, and dates. Done.

It’s simple. It’s health-conscious. It’s the best thing you can do for your taste buds. They will absolutely thank you.

Lightened Up Coconut Caramel Ice Cream Pie

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Ingredients

• 1 batch, (about 1 cup) of Healthier Caramel Sauce

For Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 10 pitted dates, (I love Natural Delights dates)

For Ice Cream:

• 2 cans full fat coconut milk, (in the Asian food aisle), cold
• 1 cup International Delight Caramel Macchiato Creamer
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

For Garnish:

• about 1/4 cup toffee pieces, , crushed

Instructions

1. Prepare caramel sauce as instructed on Feel Great in 8's post. Allow to cool.
2. Make the ice cream. To prepare, be sure that the bowl of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 12 hours. And also be sure your coconut milk has been refrigerated for at least a few hours to solidify the fats in it.
3. Place all ice cream ingredients in a blender and combine until thoroughly mixed. Add mixture to ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. It should take about 15 minutes to thicken.
4. While the ice cream is churning, go ahead and make your crust. Add all crust ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is completely chopped and starts to come together to a sticky consistency. If you press on it, it should stick together.
5. Place crust mixture in a deep dish pie plate and press to the bottom and sides of the pan. That is all you need to do. No baking or anything.
6. Top crust with ice cream once it's all thickened, and then top the ice cream with the cooled caramel sauce.
7. Top with a sprinkling of crushed toffee pieces and freeze for at least 2 hours.
8. To serve, let sit out for about 10-15 minutes. Run a sharp knife through hot water and it should be pretty easy to cut through.

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture, upload it to Instagram and tag me (@happyfoodholly) and use the hashtag #inspiredbyholly

Don’t forget to check out more caramel recipes from my friends!

Caramel Cheesecake Martini – Happy Food Healthy Life
Salted Caramel Cheesecake – Ashlee Marie
Crunchy Coconut Caramel Popcorn  – Jamie Cooks it Up!
Caramel Apple Stuffed Waffles – Happy Food Healthy Life
Quick Microwave Caramel Sauce – Real Mom Kitchen
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pastry – Summer Scraps
Frozen Caramel Crunch Torte – Creations by Kara
Carmelitas – Cupcake Diaries
Nutty Salted Caramel Coconut Ice Cream – Tried & Tasty
Salted Caramel Sauce – Like Mother Like Daughter
Homemade Snickers Bars – Butter with a Side of Bread

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