Raw Lemon Coconut Cream Bars. Vegan. Gluten Free.

I’ve been working on several different bar recipes for some menu tastings.  I wanted to incorporate some buckwheat groats (gluten free) to add more texture to the crust and that’s just what they did. Groats are fruit seeds that are related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who have a gluten sensitivity.  Packed with manganese, fiber, copper, phosphorous.  Plus they provide a great crunch factor to a rather soft crust.  The cashew cream is a creamy, cheesecake-like texture without any dairy.  I took a lot pictures to help aid you through this recipe.  The recipe is very easy but waiting for it to set up in the freezer is the most painful part if you’re impatient like me.

Ingredients:

Base:

10 Medjool dates, pitted – if not soft, soak in boiling water for 15 minutes.
1/3 cup of raw almonds
1/2 cup of gluten free rolled oats – I used Bob’s Redmill
1/3 cups of buckwheat groats
1 cup of shredded coconut flakes
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Directions:

Into your food processor, add all of your ingredients and blend until the dough can be pinched and sticks together nicely.  Taste to adjust salt as well.
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After the ingredients have been pulsed.
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To prepare your crust – take a 9×9 square pan and line with parchment and overlap the sides so it’s easy to remove once frozen.  Press the crust into the pan evenly.  See photo below.
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Filling:

1 cup of raw cashews, soaked overnight in fresh, purified water
1/4 cup coconut butter (not oil) or maple syrup
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Topping: Shredded coconut flakes

Directions:

Drain and rinse your soaked cashews.  Place them and the other ingredients through salt into your high speed blender or Vitamix.  Blend until creamy.  If you need extra liquid, add additional water or lemon juice cautiously.  Should be a thicker, pudding-like texture.  See photos:

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Stop and scrape the sides down as necessary.  Sample your batter to ensure the flavors are to your liking.  Then pour into your prepared crust.
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Spread that out evenly and top with coconut flakes if you wish.  Then proceed to cover with tinfoil and freeze overnight or until firm.  Prior to serving – let the pan sit out for about 10 minutes to thaw a bit.  Slice and serve.  I wrap the bars individually and store in a large ziploc baggie.

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fitness_update

My week has been finally showing some markable progress.  Today’s cooler temps helped with my run greatly and I was quite shocked at the end result.  I’ll take it but know I have a lot of work ahead of me still to bounce back to where I was prior to all of my surgeries.

Sunday: 20 cycling miles
Monday: 6 treadmill miles/strength training
Tuesday: 5 outdoor miles in the rain.
Wednesday: 6 miles.  First 5 were progressive: 8:16/7:51/7:35/7:32/7:18.  I then ran another mile for cool down prior to weightlifting.
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signature

— Knead to Cook

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3 Comments

  1. As much as I love chocolate, citrus flavors are just so refreshing in the summer. Coconut gives anything that vacation vibe. Thanks for sharing this recipe!