Raspberry Vegan Bars

These deliciously nutty no-bake Raspberry Vegan Bars are creamy, tangy, and jam-packed with antioxidants. The perfect healthy dessert or snack, that contains no refined sugar – but tonnes of favour and goodness! Gluten-free.

Just to warn you, you won’t stop at one bar because they’re pretty addictive! I wanted to post this recipe for months, but every time I make them, they’re gobbled up by my little monkeys (okay, me too!), before I get a chance to photograph them. This was attempt #4 (am not complaining). The tartness of the creamy filling is nicely balanced with the nutty-date crust to offer a great alternative to refined sugar-laden desserts.

Perhaps it was meant to be because this recipe is the perfect fit for Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. With minimal cooking (about a minute) and no baking required, these yummy bars can be ready in a dash. What a beautiful way to impress the one you love, and look after your heart too.

How to make Creamy Raspberry Vegan Bars – Step By Step

1. I start by preparing the nutty-date base first and place it in the freezer to firm up (Images 1 and 2), whilst I prep the filling and topping.
2. The filling consists of soaked cashews, coconut oil, lemon juice + zest, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt. These are processed to create a creamy filling (Images 3 and 4), that’s poured, and spread evenly over the nutty-date crust.
3. The topping is even more simple; I process fresh raspberries with a dash of lemon and bring the mixture to simmer (ever so slightly) with the agar agar (to thicken) on medium heat. The heat helps to not only activate the agar but also brings sweetness to the raspberries (Images 5 and 6).
4. The raspberry topping is cooled for a few minutes, and then poured over the cashew cream (Image 7). This is placed in the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until frozen.
5. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, thaw for 10-15 minutes – before removing from the loaf pan, and cut into bars.

Enjoy!

You Will Love These Raspberry Vegan Bars Because They’re:

• Creamy
• Dreamy
• Tangy
• With no refined sugar
• Easy to make
• Good for your heart (and perfect for your Valentine)
• & Luscious

These beautiful Raspberry Vegan Bars are the perfect choice as a healthy snack to have at home, to enjoy as dessert, and to mark special days – like Valentine’s Day.

Are These Nutty Vegan Bars Healthy?

These vegan bars are loaded with health-promoting ingredients; such as nuts and fruits. Nuts are a great source of healthy unsaturated fats, and both nuts and raspberries are rich in disease-preventing antioxidants. Besides helping to keep your ticker healthy, eating more nuts has also been associated with reducing inflammation in our body – and this too is linked to heart disease risk.

You’ll be spoilt by this recipe because I’ve used three of my favourite nuts: cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. Coupled with the antioxidant power of raspberries – you’ve got yourself the bar of your dreams!

I can hear what you’re thinking – what about all those calories?! It’s important to limit your portion size (isn’t that the case with nearly everything?!). I always say that choosing nuts instead of a less nourishing snack (donuts, pastries or sugar-loaded snack bars) could help us all stick to a heart-healthy diet.

Is It Healthy To Eat Nuts Every Day?

Research shows that eating nuts daily offers a myriad of benefits. Here’s why you should aim for a handful a day…

1. Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats and omega 3s (commonly found in salmon, mackerel, sardines and other oily fish) which have shown to help lower LDL cholesterol levels and help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol levels. Think of HDL as a friendly scavenger that cruises through your bloodstream, and helps to clear LDL cholesterol away from the arteries. And did you know that nuts also contain fibre? We know that fibre helps to keep us full for longer, and is thought to not only help protect your heart (by lowering cholesterol levels) but may also play a role in preventing diabetes.
2. Nuts are also a source of vitamin E; which helps to prevent plaque formation, and some types of nuts contain plant sterols. Plant sterols work by preventing the body from absorbing cholesterol, which in turn helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels. Rich sources are peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans.
3. Nuts contain L-arginine – a building block for proteins and it’s been shown that L-arginine may help your heart by making your arteries less vulnerable to clots – which block blood flow and cause a heart attack.

Nuts are so simple to incorporate into your diet. I mean, they’re easy to store and pack as a snack and are full of goodness.

Top Tips for Making Lemon Raspberry Bars

• It’s important to soak the cashews so they create a creamy consistency when blitzed. If you forget to soak the night before, soak for at least 20 minutes, and add 2 tbsp water to help create a creamy consistency.
• Take your time processing the nut-date mixture, to ensure it begins to stick together. It should be very fine. If it’s too crumbly, the bottom layer will fall apart.
• Use your knuckles and fingertips to press down the nut-date mixture in the pan.
• Remember, as you prep each layer, place the pan in the freezer, to allow the layers in the pan – to start firming up
• I used fresh raspberries but frozen and defrosted raspberries will also work
• Make sure to line your pan with baking parchment so the bars are easy to remove
• You can freeze these bars for around one month or store in the fridge for up to 5 days
• Don’t forget to thaw for 10-15 minutes before slicing

More Healthy Desserts You Might Like:

• Chia Chocolate Pudding with Mint
• Strawberry Kiwi and Banana Nice Cream
• Easy Chia Pudding with Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

Tell me, what’s your nut? Have you tried my raspberry vegan bars before? Leave me a comment and share your all-time fave nut recipe

If you try this recipe, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!  I can’t wait to see your photos.