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Caramel Sauce and Maple Caramel Squares

This caramel sauce is a simple treat made with just three ingredients—no refined sugar or butter. The secret? Yukon Gold potatoes! Their naturally buttery flavor gives the sauce a rich taste without any actual butter, and it’s radical fat-free. It’s easy to make—steam the potatoes, blend them with maple syrup and vanilla, then heat it in a saucepan until it thickens into caramel sauce. Enjoy it as-is or freeze it in a square silicone mold for a fun treat. Fair warning: the frozen maple caramel squares are seriously addictive!

Ingredients:

2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups pure maple syrup
2 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean powder
Roasted chestnuts, chopped (optional) (see note)

Instructions

1. Steaming the Potatoes:

Add about 1 inch of water to a pot and place a steaming basket inside. Add the diced potatoes to the basket, cover the pot, and steam them for 15-20 minutes on medium heat. You will know they’re ready when they can be easily pierced with a fork.

2. Creating the Caramel Sauce:

Transfer the steamed potatoes to a blender. Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup and blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until completely smooth.

Pour the mixture into a nonstick ceramic saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

If you’re using it as a caramel sauce, it’s ready to serve and enjoy. For caramel squares, continue with the next steps!

3. Freezing the Caramel:

Pour the caramel sauce into a square silicone mold. Alternatively, if you don’t have a divided mold, you can pour it into a small heat-safe container lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.

4. Serving and Storage:

For a bit of crunch, sprinkle optional chopped, toasted chestnuts or your favorite nuts on top. I like to use pre-roasted, packaged chestnuts to keep it radical fat-free—just chop them up, spread them on a parchment-lined tray, and pop them in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for about 7 minutes. If you’re using a conventional oven, it may take about twice as long. Once toasted, sprinkle them over the caramel squares and enjoy!

Keep the caramel squares frozen until ready to enjoy. No thawing required—just pop them out of the silicone mold and enjoy!

Notes: