Vegan No-Bake Lemon Raspberry Bars

Free of gluten / grain / egg / dairy / refined sugar. Full of healthy fats and phytonutrients to support brain & mood. Bonus – they are creamy, delicious, and raw!
Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup pitted dates
1 cup raw walnuts or almonds
Pinch of sea salt

Filling:

3 cups pre-soaked raw cashews
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp lemon zest (Try Meyer lemons for a sweeter/less tart taste – you may not need as much maple syrup if you do)

Raspberry-chia topping:

1 ½ cups fresh raspberries (can also use blackberries, blueberries, strawberries – if using frozen may need to strain if excess liquid, or increase amount of chia seeds)
1 ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup (more or less depending on desired sweetness)
1 ½ Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

Soaking the cashews:

1. In a bowl, cover the cashews with water and let soak for 3-4 hours. Nuts contain natural enzyme inhibitors. Soaking the nuts not only helps with blending, but it neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and makes t

If you’re in a pinch for time, you can put the cashews and water in a pot on the stove. Bring the water to a boil and then remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can prepare the other ingredients in the meantime.

Making the topping

1. I like to make the topping in the beginning to give the chia seeds time to gel with the raspberries. To make the topping, mash together the raspberries, chia seeds, and maple syrup with a fork. Start with less maple syrup and gradually increase if you want it sweeter. Set aside to gel.

Making the crust

1. Add dates and nuts to a processor and pulse a few times to break up the big chunks. Add the pinch of salt and process for 2-3 minutes, or until finely chopped. Mixture should hold together when pressed. If mixture is too dry, add in a few more dates and process until well combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 8×8 or 9×9 pan. I recommend lining with parchment paper – it makes getting the bars out so much easier. Clean the processor to use for the filling.

Making the filling

1. Drain and rinse your cashews after they have soaked. Add cashews to food processor, along with lemon juice, coconut oil, maple syrup, and lemon zest. Blend until creamy.

*If you like a mild lemon taste, you can start out with half the amount of lemon juice and zest called for. Taste and add the other half, if needed. If the mixture is too thick you may need to supplement an equal part of water for the lemon juice omitted.

Putting it together

1. Pour filling onto the crust and spread across the pan evenly. Drop spoonfuls of raspberry sauce all over the filling and spread over the top, until evenly distributed. Cover the pan well with foil and place into the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until mixture has firmed.

2. If you used the parchment paper, use a knife to separate the bars from the edge of the pan. Pick up the bars using both sides of the parchment paper and set on cutting board. Cut into bars and thaw for 10-15minutes before serving. Best eaten when cold, but creamy. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve. Store leftover bars in the fridge for 4-5 days or in a sealed container in the freezer for 2-3weeks. Enjoy!