Hi!!! Happy New Year!!! I brought in the new year with these batter-licking lemon bars and I have to say, it was love at first bite. They are perfectly tart with a crust that tastes like Mr. Graham Cracker Crust got married to Mrs. Shortbread Cookie. Raw lemon bars with chia seeds and cashews may sound weird if you like your traditional boxed lemon bars, but trust me, these are better, really easy to make, and have lots of nutrition. My husband kept saying, “I’m not sure if they’re ready yet, can I have another?” Total scam…I sure worked for my information on this one. He didn’t give up any info without another zesty lemon bar in his hand.
My friend (who also raved about them!) preferred them frozen, not softened. I personally think the creamy texture firms up in the freezer enough to make them taste like a zesty lemon cheesecake bar that way. I recommend putting them in the freezer, but fridge or freezer will set these well, but freezing will make a cleaner cut. Freezing is also a great choice because you can ration them. Generally my husband goes for the pantry, not the freezer…my secret hiding spot. Shhhhh.
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how good lemon is for you, but just in case, let’s pretend. Lemon has the ability to turn from acid to alkaline in your body, crazy vitamin c, and major detox abilities. Its the one fruit I cannot live a day without. I usually have 2 bags of lemons in the house at all times so I can can do lemon water in the morning and evening. I have a friend that swears by lemon water because it cleared her age spots. Its the only way she drinks water. Talk about a heavy lifting fruit!
If you want to drink lemon water more often, get a glass bottle. Glass bottles are BPA free and you can put anything in it. Here’s what I use (the pictures are linked to amazon*):
Ello Pure 20-oz Glass Water Bottle
I like this one because of the silicon sleeve. I’m a total klutz, yet its never broken! Also the mouth is wider so you can put other stuff in it. I really like peppermint water in the summer. Rosemary lemon can be seasonally fun, lavender, orange-lemon-cucumber…the options are endless! I have a friend that turned me on to Joanna Goddard’s blog, Cup of Jo. Try these 3 fun water ideas from her blog.
Ello 22-oz Glass Water Bottle
I also like this one because I still feel like its a water bottle. Since the mouth is narrow, I usually just do water (and sometimes lemon) in this one. The glass is very sturdy and the silicon grip is perfect for easy handling when you’re on the go.
Needless to say, if you want to talk more about the amazing benefits of lemon, raw lemon bars with chia seeds, or lemon water leave a comment!
Another great ingredient in this recipe are the chia seeds. Chia seeds are a great thickener, egg replacer, and nutrition powerhouse. When you are choosing between chia and flax, consider this: Flax seeds you can’t nutritionally absorb in your body unless they are ground before you ingest them, whereas your body can readily absorb chia seeds whole or ground. So, unless you grind your flax seeds fresh every day in your smoothies, you’ll probably get more omegas out of chia seeds. Since I’m not a doctor, scientist or nutritionist, just a humble foodie, don’t take my word for it! Here is an article you can take a look at by Dr. Weil. However, if you do decide to grind your flax seeds daily, flax seeds totally take the cake.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mulberries
- 3/4 cup gluten-free oats (make sure they are not contaminated by wheat fields)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 large date
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup cashews (soaked for 2 hours)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp apples (no peel)
- Juice from 1 1/2-2 lemons
- 2 tbsp coconut nectar
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (whole is fine if using a high-speed blender)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon peel
- 1 tsp of orange zest (optional)
- Coconut Flakes (I used unsweetened)
Instructions
- Prep: Soak your cashews for 2 hours. If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak them longer!
- Pulse in a food processor or high-speed blender.
- Press into an 8x8 glass dish
- Puree all the ingredients together and pour into the dish, It should have a pancake batter texture or slightly thicker. If it is too thick, add more lemon juice/coconut nectar.
- Refrigerate or freeze for at least 4 hours to be fully set.
- Puree the coconut flakes and sprinkle over the lemon squares. I used a sifter to make the flakes extra fine.
Notes
Lemon layer too thick? Add equal amounts of lemon juice and maple syrup until it is a spreadable consistency.
*I am an amazon affiliate and receive a small percentage if you buy any amazon links from my site. This money goes towards my food budget to make the recipes you see here. Every little bit helps! If you want to check out amazon, here’s a link to get there!
When you put the chia seeds in the blender, do they still inflate in the lemon filling like they do in liquid? This looks like a great dessert, and thankfully it is already husband-tested. 🙂
Marjorie Stradinger recently posted…Figs vs. Food Assassins
Hi Marjorie! Good question. When you put the chia seeds in a high speed blender they should get pureed along with the rest of the ingredients. Therefore, it will act like a gelling agent, but not inflate since it’s no longer whole. Thanks for asking and I loved your last post! I agree with you that we have wonderful food that is waaaay over processed. What a sham!
Foodscape recently posted…Raw Lemon Bars with Chia Seeds
I have tried these, and they are delicious!!! They are creamy, tart, sweet and nutritious. I love them frozen.
Awwww! Thank you so much, Rosie! I’m glad you enjoyed them as much as I did.
Foodscape recently posted…Raw Lemon Bars with Chia Seeds
Oh my goodness, these look fantastic! I just found you thanks to Finding Vegan…love your recipes and your non-labeled nutrition philosophy. I’m putting these on my to-make list!
Racine recently posted…Plant Food Profile – Tempeh
Hi Racine, Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I so appreciate it. It looks like our food philosophies are fairly similar! The closer to the food’s original form, the better it is for you. Let me know what you think of the lemon bars once you make them 🙂
Foodscape recently posted…Raw Lemon Bars with Chia Seeds
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Thanks so much Cindy! I love your link parties 🙂
Foodscape recently posted…Easy Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (vegan & gluten-free)
These lemon bars look divine! Can’t wait to make them as a special treat. Thank you also for posting a link to the mulberries. I’ve been looking for them in the stores with no luck. Good to know I can buy them online!
Hi Christi! Thank you so much! I love my lemon and these bars taste wonderful!
Mulberries are definitely a little hard to find. The only place that has them, even around me in Los Angeles, is Whole Foods. I still prefer just to buy them through Amazon since we have Amazon Prime. Easier and faster! Also, since I didn’t mention it in this recipe. Mulberries are crunchy in the fridge and chewy when room temperature. For some options 😉 Thanks for commenting!
Foodscape recently posted…Easy Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (vegan & gluten-free)