Over the last few months I have become completely obsessed with lemon. Lemon everything, lime too if I can get my hands on it. I love hot lemon water in the morning. I love adding lemon on the inside of my roast chicken. I love adding lemon to all my dishes savory and sweet. I don’t know if it is spring in the air or if it just the bright flavor of lemon that has me loving this citrus so much.

My youngest just turned six on Sunday, that means another birthday party, and treats. At this point I am so very used to having to make something “special”, or rather “non grain or sugar” for myself and my oldest child. This year in addition to the usual grain free cake or cupcake it was lemon bars I had on the mind. There were a few things I wanted to accomplish with these lemon bars. I wanted it to be grain free, free of refined sugar, vegan and easy to make. Making a raw lemon bar popped right into my head and I went to work.

Whether you like lemon bars or not, these will have everybody asking for more.

I made the lemon bars in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients for crust

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut

2 tbsp coconut oil(melted or soft)

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 tsp of coconut sugar(or palm sugar)

1/4 tsp of kosher or sea salt

Ingredients for Lemon Filling

1/2 cup Coconut Butter

2 tbsp of Coconut Oil (softened or melted)

2 tbsp of Maple Syrup(good quality or organic)

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

Lemon Rind from 2-3 Lemons(organic if possible)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut(reserve until the end)

Directions:

Line a small square cake pan with parchment paper and set aside

In the bowl of a food processor add your almond flour, cashews, coconut, coconut oil, palm sugar, and salt. Pulse until it starts to pull together and resemble a dough. Take out your crust and firmly push down in the pan you have prepared. Set the crust aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the lemon filling.

In your food processor or blender add in your lemon juice, lemon rind, coconut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil and turmeric. Pulse or blend until well incorporated. You may want to adjust the sweetness here, you may like a little more sweet and less tart. Take out your crust from the refrigerator and pour your lemon mixture over the top. Cover with foil or plastic and place back in the refrigerator. Chill overnight or at least 3-4 hours. The firmer the better. When you are ready to serve dust the top with the remaining shredded coconut. Slice and enjoy. These are truly such a lovely and yummy treat. The flavor is bright and refreshing. I love a treat that doesn’t make you feel guilty about eating.

 

This is a treat that anybody can enjoy. You most definitely don’t need to be a vegan or a raw foodie. I am neither or those things. I like to incorporate all types of eating styles in my cooking. I like to think outside of the box. I like play around with textures and tastes. This little project came out delicious. What I do love about a raw food recipe is that it is all alive. It is all filled with life. What could be better for you than to fill your body with living food that is full of life giving energy?

 

I hope you all enjoy these as much as we did in our home.