Caramel without cream or skipping the caramel topping?

Thank you so much! I ended up using homemade thick milk kefir which my friend can tolerate since it only uses traces of lactose. It was kind of an experiment, and the caramel turned out actually excellent - slightly tangy from the kefir. Will do it again!

There is such a thing as a vegan caramel cream, and that's what I'd suggest. Most of them use coconut cream or milk to make it with, which gets you the creaminess without the dairy problems. There is a slight coconutty taste, but it's acceptable if you ask me. A web search should get you several recipes to choose from. I bet your friend would be very thankful you were so thoughtful!

Don't know of replacement for cream in making caramel.
Yes, either make the blondies without salted caramel, or use a non-dairy fudge and a bit of salt to replace it.