Friday, July 20, 2012

Frozen Lime Bars, raw & no sugar added!

Even if you don't restrict yourself dietarily, these lime bars are a treat! Especially on these hot days, (hello summer!) a frozen sweet-tart bar that melts in your mouth is the perfect dessert or breakfast. Because I eat dessert for breakfast, don't you?


So let's get to it! You do need a food processor for this, although I think a VitaMix would work as well. This recipe comes together in 15 minutes or less and then should be frozen for at least a half hour to firm up. Keep these in the freezer and pop them out whenever the mood strikes you! I made this the first time as written in a small oval baking dish, and the bars came out very thin. The second time I made a 3/4 batch of crust and kept the same filling amount, then shaped the bars into a loaf pan which made thicker bars. Either way, this recipe is very forgiving and easy to adapt. You can always just not use some of the crust and make powerballs with the extras (recipe coming soon!).

This is what cooking looks like in my kitchen

Raw Lime Bars
Adapted from Raw Model, via Pinterest

For the crust:
80g (~5) medjool dates
60g (~1/3 cup) cashews
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 large (~160 g) avocado 
(~35g) medjool dates (or 1/4 c. honey/agave if you prefer)
1/4 c. (50g) coconut oil
1-3 Tbl. fresh lime juice

In a food processor, combine all the crust ingredients and pulse until the nuts are ground to your liking. I prefer a smaller bit of nut when I'm eating so I pulse until it looks like this:



Press your crust ingredients into a small pan of your choice lined with saran wrap or foil.


Rinse out the food processor, no need to wash with soap, and combine all the filling ingredients. Process until very smooth. I start with 1 Tbl. lime juice and add more to taste after processing. I usually add up to 1/4 c. myself, as I really like the tart lime flavor. Also, the dates will never be completely incorporated, so you will have some very tiny pieces. 


When the filling is smooth, spread on top of the crust and pop into the freezer for at least 30 minutes before eating. Cut into bars and enjoy! Keep the leftovers frozen as these "melt" quickly. So so good. 


3 comments:

  1. I would absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE any recipes or links to recipes that you have for sugar, dairy, and egg free recipes. My mother in law recently started a sugar free vegan diet. Recipes are few and far between. If you ever have the time please send me an email gbpackers@live.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Laura!

      Going sugar, dairy and egg free is a big deal and can be really challenging at first! I sympathize, but know that your MIL will feel so healthy soon =) I use a variety of sources, online and otherwise, but do post many of them to my pinterest board just for special diets: http://pinterest.com/Springly/vegan-beyond/ Not all the recipes are vegan, but many are and it's a good place to start.

      Also, there are some terrific bloggers out there who write vegan or sugar-free recipes, three that I frequently use are http://ohsheglows.com/, http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/, and http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/

      Can you MIL use agave, maple syrup or honey? Those are good refined sugar substitutes. Many people love stevia, though myself I have not got a taste for it yet. My favorite sugar-free sweeteners are dates! They are naturally so sweet and work in a variety of applications. You can even make date syrup by blending a few on high with some water until they are blended smooth.

      Good luck with helping your mother-in-law out and let me know if you have any other questions!

      ~Jordan

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