When life gives you raspberries you make a dessert…because simply just eating them alone isn’t enough. I gotta say I have a sweet tooth.
Picked up a whole crate of freshly picked raspberries from my local fruit/veggie market and I almost ate 2 boxes before we even got home.
Paired this delectable & juicy berry jam with a soft and delicate almond base, crunchy sliced almonds, and toasted coconut.
The perfect breakfast bar!
This recipe can easily be made with any berry jam. Whether it is blackberry, strawberry, or even rhubarb it will taste delicious!
Did I mention this recipe is 100% gluten-free?!
These bars are…
- Healthier than your average dessert
- Vegan
- 100% gluten-free
- Easy & simple
- Delicious of course!
Raspberry Almond Coconut Bars
By: Taavi Moore Makes: 16 bars
Ingredients
Almond base
- 3/4 cup softened coconut oil
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or coconuts sugar)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups almond flour
Raspberry Jam
- 3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave
- Slurry: 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- Sliced almonds
- Shredded coconut
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the coconut oil, sugar, and maple syrup until smooth. Whisk in the extracts. Stir in the flour until a very thick batter has formed (it will be a very soft dough). Pour batter into the baking dish and spread in an even layer. Bake for 20 min. or until the edges have become golden brown. Completely cool before spreading on the jam.
- While crust is cooling, prepare the jam. To a small saucepan add the raspberries, lemon zest & juice, and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Stirring frequently, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in cornstarch slurry. Cook for another 5 min. until thickened.
- Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the jam over the strainer and using the back of a spoon, push out as much of the berry juices as you can to obtain a thick jam. Transfer the jam to a smaller bowl and let it cool for 10 min. The juices can be saved for later in other sweet dishes (see notes).
- Spread jam in an even layer over the crust. Sprinkle on a generous amount of sliced almonds and coconut. Bake for 15 min. or until jam has formed a slight crust along the edges. Completely cool in the fridge before slicing into bars.
Notes
*Juices from the raspberry jam can be stored in an airtight container for later use. Use it as a sweetener in oatmeal, yogurt, or even ice cream. Get creative with it!
