Vegan Lemon Raspberry No-Bake Bars

• Produce

  • 1 cup Dates, pitted
  • 2 tsp Lemon, zest
  • 1 1/2 cups Raspberries, fresh

• Condiments

  • 1/2 cup Lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup Maple syrup, pure

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 pinch Sea salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 1/2 cup Coconut oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 1/2 tbsp Chia seeds
  • 1 cup Walnuts or almonds, raw

• Other

  • 3 cups Pre-soaked raw cashews

Found on wifemamafoodie.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 cup Pitted Dates
• 1 cup raw Walnuts or Almonds
• pinch of sea salt
• 3 cups pre-soaked Raw Cashews
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup melted Coconut Oil
• ½ cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1.5 cups fresh raspberries (*see notes below)
• 1.5-2 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• 1.5 tablespoons Chia Seeds

Directions

• 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 them more digestible. If youre 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.
• 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 add the extra half tablespoon, if you want it sweeter. Set aside to gel.
• 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 8x8 or 9x9 pan. I recommend lining with parchment paper. It makes getting the bars out so much easier. Clean the processor to use for the filling.
• After your cashews have soaked, rinse and drain the dirty water. Add cashews to your 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.
• 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.
• 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 your counter top. Cut into bars and thaw for 10-15 minutes 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 2-3 weeks. Enjoy!