Friends, vegan lemon bars (!!!) Made with only 1 0 Ingredients, Naturally Sweetened, and Gluten-Free. I know I am, too.

The almond oats crust is adapted to my Snack Bars with Peanut Butter and Jam and tastes like graham crust. This is my new favorite thing besides the uber-creamy filling.

The filling is made up of cashews soaked in coconut cream, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup (for thickening), arrowroot starch, and sea salt. That’s it!

I wasn’t sure what I would get if I baked and blended everything, but it turned out that the result tasted like a cheesecake with a similar texture. SWOON!

They would be perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, and office gatherings. Study dates (Yass, girl) and office gatherings are also great. These are great to keep around your house as a snack, even if you have no special plans.

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 cup raw cashews
• Coconut cream* is the hardened top layer of coconut milk.
• Use two tablespoons of arrowroot or cornstarch
• Half a cup of lemon juice (about 120 ml or 1/2 cup)
• 1 heaping Tbsp lemon zest (1 large lemon yields ~1 heaping Tbsp or 4 g)
• Sea salt, one pinch
• 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more to taste
• Use 2 Tbsp of organic powdered Sugar ( optional for topping).

CRUST

• 1 cup of gluten-free oatmeal
• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
• Maple syrup, 1 tbsp
• 4-5 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)

Instructions

• Pour the raw cashews into a large mixing bowl, and then cover it with hot boiling water. Let sit for an hour (uncovered). Drain thoroughly.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch dish on parchment paper.
• Add the oats and almonds to a blender, along with sea salt and coconut sugar. Mix on high until you have a fine meal.
• Add maple syrup and coconut oil to the medium bowl. Start with the lower end (4 Tbsp, or 60g as written in the original recipe // adjust for changes in batch size). If it is too dry, add more. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it forms a loose, elastic dough. The mixture should not crumble when squeezed between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry, you can add more coconut oil.
• Spread evenly the mixture in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place parchment paper over the mixture and press down with a flat object such as a glass.
• After 15 minutes of baking, increase the heat to 375 F and continue baking for another 5-8 minutes or until the edges have a golden color and the top has browned. After removing the dish from the oven, allow it to cool down a little before reducing oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• After cashews have been soaked and drained, add coconut cream, arrowroot, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup, sea salt, and lemon zest to a high-speed blender. Mix on high speed until creamy and smooth.
• Taste and adjust flavors as necessary. I added more maple syrup and lemon zest. It should be very sweet and not too lemony.
• Spread the filling evenly over the crust that has been pre-baked. Tap the counter to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 20-23 mins or until edges are slightly dry and the center is “jiggly” but not liquid.
• Please transfer to the refrigerator and let it cool (uncovered) for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
• Slice and sprinkle with powdered sweetener (optional) before serving. Covered, store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days, but it is best if you use them within the first two days.