Chocolate and Coconut Cashew Bars

Chocolate and Coconut Cashew Bars

by Julie
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Chocolate and Coconut Cashew Bars–a dessert you can feel good about.

If you haven’t met me before, allow me to introduce myself.   I’m the girl who wants dessert after every meal.  Every meal.  And also after snacks, after watching TV commercials about meals and snacks.

And that’s a problem.

But luckily I’ve found a way to combat this.

And I have to be honest.  I really had no faith in this recipe because I am a dessert snob.  If it’s described as a healthy dessert my mind immediately puts it into the “Yeah, right!” category.  And so I wasn’t expecting much.

I distinctly remember my first bite.  I think I said something like, “Well, it’s okay, I guess.  But I doubt I would make it again.”  Which was followed by multiple bites that impressed me more and more.

And you know what I love most about this recipe?  The bars taste so rich to me that it only takes one to satisfy!  So they last a long time!  And this has been so helpful for me in my quest to eat healthier and lose weight.  Vegan if you don’t use the honey.

You can use agave nectar (although not actually healthy), honey, brown rice syrup, or maple syrup. I had some agave to use up and that was tasty, but like I said, not really healthy the way it’s made today. I was worried that the maple syrup would be too strong, but it was perfect. Gotta be REAL maple syrup though!It can be gluten free if you make sure that your oats are as well!

Chocolate and Coconut Cashew Bars

Chocolate and Coconut Cashew Bars--a dessert you can feel good about.
By:
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups lightly roasted cashews (I used Planter's)
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup + 2-3 tsp. liquid sweetener*

  • Topping
  • 1/4 cup liquid sweetener
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2-3 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes
  • sea salt to taste
Directions
Step 1
In a food processor, process the cashews for a couple of minutes. Scrape down the sides if you need to. They will start to clump together a little, and that’s good.
Step 2
Add the oats, almond butter, and sweetener and blend for another couple of minutes, scraping the sides down if necessary. This should form a sort of dough.
Step 3
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and lightly coat it with some non-stick cooking spray. Make sure the edges of the parchment come out over the edge so you can lift out the bars later.
Step 4
Spread out the dough and press it evenly to the edges.
Step 5
Make the chocolate topping by whisking together the liquid sweetener, coconut oil, and cocoa powder until smooth. Pour this over the top of the bars.
Step 6
Sprinkle with coconut and sea salt.
Step 7
Freeze for an hour or refrigerate for several. Then lift out the bars and cut them carefully into squares. I did 5 slices in each direction which gave me 25 bars.
Step 8
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge.

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