Raw Vegan Multi-Layer Fruit Bars – Wow Your Guests (And The Kiddos) With These Delicious & Stunning Sweet Creations

We can’t get enough of raw desserts here at Green Queen- packed with nutrition and wholesome deliciousness, what’s not to love? Plus, we love how guilt-free they are! It’s hardly comparable to scarfing down a tub of Häagen-Dazs…There’s really not much we can say about this heavenly recipe that isn’t already obvious from the photos…More of a layered slice than a bar, it’s a breeze to make, cooling on a hot summer’s day and a far healthier alternative to all the overly sugary and processed. It will no doubt become one your favourite sweet staples!

This recipe makes quite a few slices- if you don’t need the whole lot at once, just freeze the unused portion after making the first two layers. When ready to eat, defrost the slices for about 5 -10 minutes and then add the final fresh fruit topping.

Feel free to vary the nuts you use- it really depends on your food processor. If yours is lacking in some engine juice, then go with walnuts as they are softer so easier to process than hard nuts like almonds. The choice is yours.

Inspired & Adapted from Secret Squirrel Food, a wonderful healthy lifestyle blog in Dubai .

Makes 12 – 16 slices

Ingredients – Base

• 1 ½ cup walnuts
• 1 cup pitted dates, medjool are ideal
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (plus extra for greasing the pan)
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
• ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

Ingredients – Middle Layer

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water overnight
• 1 cup coconut cream/thick milk
• ½ cup creamed coconut, also known as coconut butter (sub. desiccated coconut)
• 1 tbsp raw chia seeds
• 2 tbsp brown rice malt syrup, or your choice of sweetener

Ingredients – Topping

• sliced kiwi fruit and star fruit, or any of your choice (we suggest trying dragon fruit or papaya)

Directions

1. Smear a touch of coconut oil on your baking tray or tin, then line with cling film or baking paper. This helps the lining from moving around in the tin.
2. If you’re dates are hard, soak them in boiled hot water first for about 5 minutes until they soften.
3. In a food processor, blitz the walnuts, dates, coconut (both oil and desiccated) and nutmeg until the mixture sticks together.
4. Press the mixture in to the tray with your hands or a spatula, making sure your layer is as even as possible, then freeze for 30 minutes to set.
5. Meanwhile, make your cashew layer: blitz the softened cashews in a food processor until they are roughly chopped, pour in the coconut cream, coconut butter (or desiccated coconut), chia seeds and syrup to the cashews and blitz again until you get a fairly smooth consistency. Avoid turning it into a liquid- you want to keep some bite.
6. Pour the cashew cream over the base mixture, smoothing it down to an even layer with a spatula and leave to set for 2 hours in the freezer.
7. Layer kiwi and star fruit on top, slice with a sharp knife and serve/eat immediately.