vegan lemon bars

we were in charge of making dessert for our memorial day celebration with our families over the weekend.  in addition to the cake that we made to celebrate ryan's dad's retirement, we also made vegan lemon bars.

i'm a huge fan of lemon desserts, especially lemon bars.  this recipe changes up traditional lemon bars by eliminating the eggs, butter, and sugar in order to make them vegan.

the crust has a nice crunch thanks to the almonds, and the texture of the filling is creamy like cheesecake thanks to the cashews.  the filling has a nice lemon flavor and it is not sweet at all.

these bars are a great healthy alternative to traditional lemon bars.  did i mention they are gluten free too?!

vegan lemon bars
prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes
baking time: 45 minutes
yields: 12 bars
adapted from minimalist baker

crust ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

filling ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup maple syrup

directions:
cover the cashews with boiling water and let rest uncovered for 1 hour.  drain thoroughly.  preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease a 8x8-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper.  in a food processor, pulse the oats, almonds, salt, and sugar until very fine.  mix in the maple syrup and melted coconut oil.  transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish and press the mixture firmly in the bottom to form an even crust.  bake for 15 minutes, then increase the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

reduce the oven temperature back to 350 degrees F.  in a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, coconut cream, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and maple syrup until very creamy and smooth.  pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.  tap the baking dish gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.  bake for 20-23 minutes, until the filling is dry and set.  let the bars cool to room temperature before transferring the baking dish to the refrigerator to cool completely for several hours before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie