Bars and Squares

Raw Vegan Cherry Almond Bars

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Fruits become extra special when they're dehydrated. Many of their sugars slightly convert into acids during a subtle fermentation and their flavors become concentrated into a irresistible tartness with subtle sweetness accompanied by intense fruit flavor. This wildly complex cherry flavor is what I wanted to capture in this Raw Vegan Cherry Almond Bar recipe. Cherry notes are further enhanced by almond flour and agave syrup. Just a bit of lemon zest and salt to bring foundation to the whole flavor package. Finally, cacao nibs add a nice contrast featuring a slight bitterness and delectable crunch. Feel free to buy dehydrated cherries or dry your own if you have a food dehydrator. I recommend Bing cherries for these bars but you should be able to get great results with any other variety.
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Fruits become extra special when they're dehydrated. Many of their sugars slightly convert into acids during a subtle fermentation and their flavors become concentrated into a irresistible tartness with subtle sweetness accompanied by intense fruit flavor. This wildly complex cherry flavor is what I wanted to capture in this Raw Vegan Cherry Almond Bar recipe. Cherry notes are further enhanced by almond flour and agave syrup. Just a bit of lemon zest and salt to bring foundation to the whole flavor package. Finally, cacao nibs add a nice contrast featuring a slight bitterness and delectable crunch. Feel free to buy dehydrated cherries or dry your own if you have a food dehydrator. I recommend Bing cherries for these bars but you should be able to get great results with any other variety.

Find more Raw recipes on Veganbaking.net

Raw Vegan Cherry Almond Bars Recipe

2 cups pitted dried cherries (or dehydrate fresh, pitted cherries at 110F (43C) for about 32 hours)
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup dark agave syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cacao nibs, chopped

1) Process the ingredients

Process the dried cherries, almond flour, agave syrup, lemon zest and salt for 1 minute.

2) Form the mixture into shape

Press the mixture into an 8 x 8 inch square on parchment paper. Press the chopped cacao nibs on top.

3) Dehydrate the raw bars to perfection

Dehydrate at 110F (43C) for 12 hours. Cut into bars and serve. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for 6 months. This recipe makes one 8 x 8 inch tray of Vegan Cherry Almond Bars.

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Vegan Double Cranberry Cinnamon Oatmeal Nut Bars

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:40:34 +0000

I first became obsessed with crumb-topped bars when I discovered Whole Foods' caramelita bar, a decadent mixture of chocolate, caramel, pecans, sugar and butter. Definitely not vegan, and not all that good for you either. If made with real fruit, the jelly crumb bars at least hit one of the healthier food groups. This vegan version of the recipe takes advantage of the wonder that is Earth Balance and combines it with homemade cranberry jelly, dried cranberries and cashews. {loadposition share}

I first became obsessed with crumb-topped bars when I discovered Whole Foods' caramelita bar, a decadent mixture of chocolate, caramel, pecans, sugar and butter. Definitely not vegan, and not all that good for you either. If made with real fruit, the jelly crumb bars at least hit one of the healthier food groups. This vegan version of the recipe takes advantage of the wonder that is Earth Balance and combines it with homemade cranberry jelly, dried cranberries and cashews.

Find more Cranberry recipes on Veganbaking.net

Vegan Double Cranberry Cinnamon Oatmeal Nut Bar Recipe

2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ¼ cups vegan "butter" (Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped cashews

½ cup chopped dried cranberries

1)
1 ½ cups cranberry jelly (I made from scratch, from back of cranberry bag: boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 12-oz package of whole cranberries and return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put through a ricer/sieve/wire mesh strainer to collect the jelly part. Cool slightly).

2)
Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass dish and preheat oven to 350F (177F). Beat the top seven ingredients together until crumbly, about 1 minute. Remove 2 cups and place in a medium-sized bowl. With the rest of the crumb mixture, press into the glass dish and bake uncovered for ten minutes.

3)
In the bowl with 2 cups of the crumb mixture, add the ½ cup chopped cashews to this and mix. In a small bowl, stir the jelly and dried cranberries together. Spread the jelly mixture onto the crumb mixture and top with the cashew mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Yum! This recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch tray of Vegan Double Cranberry Cinnamon Oatmeal Nut Bars.

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Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:24:24 +0000

Peanut butter and maple syrup have this amazing relationship. I think they might be in love with each other. This Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge recipe is really easy to make and you have the option of adding chocolate chips if you want to crank up the flavor/passion levels even more.
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Peanut butter and maple syrup have this amazing relationship. I think they might be in love with each other. This Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge recipe is really easy to make and you have the option of adding chocolate chips if you want to crank up the flavor/passion levels even more.

Find more Gluten-free recipes on Veganbaking.net

Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge Recipe

2 cups natural style peanut butter, unsalted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt

1) Prepare the peanut butter and vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

2) Simmer the flavor building ingredients

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, maple syrup, arrowroot or tapioca flour and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer for about 1 minute then remove from heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl containing the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated then pour into the baking dish. Allow it to cool completely.

3) Cool and slice the vegan fudge

Lift the fudge out of the baking dish by its wax paper liner and place it on a cutting board. Slice into pieces with a large knife. This recipe makes one 8 x 8 inch baking dish of Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge.

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Vegan Chocolate Coconut Magic Bars

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:12:19 +0000

This Vegan Chocolate Coconut Magic Bar recipe is quite possibly the only good thing I got from going to church as a youngster. Sundays were free-for-all sugar fests that kept the kids coming. This vegan dessert in particular often inspired me to secretly infiltrate the church kitchen with ninja-like abilities so I could get to it first while the church service was still in session.

Magic Bars are also known as Seven Layer Bars because they often involve seven alternating layers of things like walnuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips and shredded coconut that are bonded together with a liberal drizzling of condensed non-dairy milk. I opted to forego the peanut butter chips and butterscotch chips due to their near-impossible vegan availability and because they usually push the sweetness envelope a little too far. I then made up for their lack of flavors by opting for Golden Vegan Caramel Sauce or Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce instead of Vegan Condensed Non-dairy Milk in the binding department. The result is a sticky gooey mess of a great thing.
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This Vegan Chocolate Coconut Magic Bar recipe is quite possibly the only good thing I got from going to church as a youngster. Sundays were free-for-all sugar fests that kept the kids coming. This vegan dessert in particular often inspired me to secretly infiltrate the church kitchen with ninja-like abilities so I could get to it first while the church service was still in session.

Magic Bars are also known as Seven Layer Bars because they often involve seven alternating layers of things like walnuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips and shredded coconut that are bonded together with a liberal drizzling of condensed non-dairy milk. I opted to forego the peanut butter chips and butterscotch chips due to their near-impossible vegan availability and because they usually push the sweetness envelope a little too far. I then made up for their lack of flavors by opting for Golden Vegan Caramel Sauce or Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce instead of Vegan Condensed Non-dairy Milk in the binding department. The result is a sticky gooey mess of a great thing.

Find more Chocolate recipes on Veganbaking.net
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Vegan Chocolate Coconut Magic Bar Recipe

1 cup Golden Vegan Caramel Sauce, Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce or Vegan Condensed Non-dairy Milk.

9 graham crackers
5 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup walnuts
1 ¼ cup chocolate chips
½ cup shredded coconut

1) Prepare your baking dish

Preheat the oven to 325F (163C). Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2) Prepare the vegan caramel sauce

Prepare the Vegan Caramel Sauce or Vegan Condensed Non-dairy Milk.

3) Prepare the graham cracker crust

Break the graham crackers into 1 inch pieces, place in a food processor and pulse repeatedly until they're ground into a sand-like consistency. Add the crumbs to a large mixing bowl, add the melted coconut, water, salt and hand mix with a spoon until well combined.

4) Press the graham cracker crust into the baking dish

Transfer the graham cracker crumb mixture to the baking dish and distribute evenly on the bottom. Use the bottom of a pint glass to press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of the dish so it's firmly packed.

5) Sprinkle the layers of the ingredients, drizzle with topping and bake to perfection

Add a layer of the chopped walnuts to the baking dish and distribute evenly. Repeat with the chocolate chips, then the coconut. Carefully drizzle the caramel sauce or condensed non-dairy milk evenly over the top. Use a rubber spatula to distribute it if you need to spread it out a little. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to one week.
This recipe makes 16 Vegan Chocolate Coconut Magic Bars.

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Vegan Tropical Paradise Bars | Gluten-free

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:35:16 +0000

This Vegan Tropical Paradise Bar recipe makes perfect vegan energy bars for sporting events, a nutritious snack for people on the go or just for dessert. These gluten-free bars feature a cashew butter base that's sweetened with agave syrup, brown rice syrup then studded with pineapple chunks, macadamia nuts and shredded coconut.

Vegan Tropical Paradise Bar Recipe

1 ½ cups cashew butter
½ cup agave syrup
½ cup brown rice syrup
¾ cup dried pineapple chunks
¾ cup macadamia nuts, roasted and chopped
¾ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

1) Toast the macadamia nuts

Preheat your oven to 350F (177C). To toast the macadamia nuts, place them in a frying pan on medium heat, shaking pan back and forth about once a minute for about 5 minutes or until you can smell them toasting.

2) Mix together the flavor building ingredients

In a large bowl mix the cashew butter, agave syrup and brown rice syrup for one minute with a spoon. Add the pineapple chunks, macadamia nuts, shredded coconut and mix well.

3) Bake the vegan bars to perfection

Spread mixture on a well oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Store Vegan Tropical Paradise Bars in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
This recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch tray of Vegan Tropical Paradise Bars.

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Vegan Pecan Blondies

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:29:38 +0000

This Vegan Pecan Blondie recipe makes a dense, moist and chewy vegan bar due to its use of flax meal, coconut oil and brown rice syrup. Rolled oats, vanilla and pecans enhance the caramel notes. Use refined coconut oil if you want an overall balanced flavor or unrefined coconut oil if you want a slight coconut flavor that will tend to enhance the flavor more overall. {loadposition share}

This Vegan Pecan Blondie recipe makes a dense, moist and chewy vegan bar due to its use of flax meal, coconut oil and brown rice syrup. Rolled oats, vanilla and pecans enhance the caramel notes. Use refined coconut oil if you want an overall balanced flavor or unrefined coconut oil if you want a slight coconut flavor that will tend to enhance the flavor more overall.

Find more Pecan recipes on Veganbaking.net

Vegan Pecan Blondie Recipe

¼ cup non-dairy milk
2 Tablespoons golden flax meal
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup unrefined coconut oil
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats

½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1) Prepare your baking dish and egg replacer mixture

Preheat your oven to 350F (177C). Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix the non-dairy milk, golden flax meal and apple cider vinegar with a fork and let it sit for about 10 minutes so the mixture thickens. Set aside.

2) Mix together the flavor building ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, add the coconut oil, brown rice syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and the flax meal and non-dairy milk mixture and mix until smooth.

3) Whisk together the flour and oats

In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and rolled oats.

4) Build the dough and bake the vegan blondies to perfection

Add the first half of the dry ingredients to the bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with a mixer for about one minute. Add the pecans, chocolate chips if using, remaining dry ingredients and hand mix with a spoon. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it into shape. Bake for 40 minutes. Set on a rack to cool. When cooled, remove from baking pan and slice into desired squares. It's normal for the center to slightly depress after baking. Store in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This recipe makes one 8 x 8 inch baking dish of Vegan Pecan Blondies.

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Vegan Peanut Butter Bars

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:20:42 +0000

This Vegan Peanut Butter Bar recipe makes perfect vegan energy bars for sporting events, a nutritious snack for people on the go or simply just dessert. Peanut butter and chocolate is such a delectable flavor combination it may be banned in some countries. Add maple syrup and brown rice syrup to enhance chewiness and provide a complex sweetness profile and you had just better be careful walking around with these bars.

Vegan Peanut Butter Bar Recipe

1 ½ cups unsalted natural peanut butter
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup soy flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips

1) Mix all of the ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350F (177C). Hand mix peanut butter, syrups and salt in a large bowl for one minute with a spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

2) Bake the vegan bars to perfection, cool and slice into squares

Spread mixture on a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Store in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch baking dish of Vegan Peanut Butter Bars.

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Vegan Cashew Crunch Bars | Gluten-free

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:14:15 +0000

This Vegan Cashew Crunch Bar recipe makes perfect vegan energy bars for sporting events, a nutritious snack for people on the go simply just dessert. These gluten-free bars offer a satisfying crunch as well as a nice chewy texture thanks to a cashew butter base which is sweetened with maple syrup and brown rice syrup, then studded with everything from hemp seeds to millet to crushed cacao nibs.
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This Vegan Cashew Crunch Bar recipe makes perfect vegan energy bars for sporting events, a nutritious snack for people on the go simply just dessert. These gluten-free bars offer a satisfying crunch as well as a nice chewy texture thanks to a cashew butter base which is sweetened with maple syrup and brown rice syrup, then studded with everything from hemp seeds to millet to crushed cacao nibs.

Find more Gluten-free recipes on Veganbaking.net

Vegan Cashew Crunch Bar Recipe

1 ½ cups cashew butter
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup hemp seeds, toasted
½ cup millet, toasted
½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
½ cup crushed cacao nibs
¾ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted

1) Toast the nuts and seeds

Preheat your oven to 350F (177C). All nuts and seeds, such as the hemp seeds, millet, sunflower seeds and walnuts or pecans should be toasted in separate batches because they'll toast at slightly different rates. To toast them, place them in a frying pan on medium heat, shaking the pan back and forth about once per minute, for roughly 5 minutes, or until you can smell them toasting.

2) Build the dough and bake the vegan bars to perfection

Hand mix the cashew butter, maple syrup and brown rice syrup in a large bowl for one minute with a spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture on a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Store in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch tray of Vegan Cashew Crunch Bars.

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Vegan Pecan Walnut Baklava

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:01:36 +0000

This Vegan Pecan Walnut Baklava recipe is much easier to make than it looks. It features layers of phyllo dough coated with Vegan Butter, layered with chopped pecans, walnuts and spices then drizzled with sweet syrup. Below are recipes for two different types of syrups to use depending on the availability of ingredients in your area. {loadposition share}

This Vegan Pecan Walnut Baklava recipe is much easier to make than it looks. It features layers of phyllo dough coated with Vegan Butter, layered with chopped pecans, walnuts and spices then drizzled with sweet syrup. Below are recipes for two different types of syrups to use depending on the availability of ingredients in your area.

Find more Easy recipes on Veganbaking.net

Vegan Pecan Walnut Baklava Recipe

30 sheets whole wheat phyllo dough
½ cup Vegan Butter or margarine, melted

½ cup walnuts
½ cup pecans
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves

Syrup mixture (see below)

1) Process or chop your nuts

Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Place the pecans, walnuts, cinnamon nutmeg and cloves in a food processor or blender and process until the nuts are ground into a powdery consistency. This is important because big nut pieces will prevent some of the phyllo dough layers from sticking together, making the baklava fall apart in your fingers.

2) Grease your baking dish and prepare your phyllo dough

Melt the Vegan Butter in a small bowl. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and set aside. Take 18 sheets of phyllo dough, cut them to 9 x 13 inches with a knife and cover with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.

3) Layer your phyllo dough

Place one layer of phyllo dough in the baking dish. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the phyllo dough with Vegan Butter. If you don't have a pastry brush, this can be done with your fingers. Repeat this so that there’s 10 layers of phyllo dough, with margarine after each layer. It is important that the phyllo layers are thoroughly covered with margarine or the baklava will be dry and not chewy.

4) Add a layer of nuts

After the 10 layers of phyllo dough, add a ½ cup of the nut mixture evenly to the top.

5) Repeat the layering steps to build the baklava

Repeat steps 3 and 4, then step 3 again.

6) Cut the baklava

Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava evenly spaced 2 times lengthwise and 3 times widthwise. Then cut each piece across diagonally. Lightly sprinkle a light layer of remaining nut mixture on top if desired.

7) Bake to perfection and prepare your Vegan Baklava Syrup

Bake at 350F (177C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 300F (149C) and bake an additional 20 minutes. While the baklava is baking, prepare the Vegan Baklava Syrup below.

8) Pour the syrup over the baklava and allow to cool

After removing the baklava from the oven, immediately pour syrup mixture over it and let cool completely.
Optional: place three pecans and three walnuts in a food processor or blender and process into a flour-like consistency. Sprinkle a light layer of this nut powder on top of the baklava.

Vegan Baklava Syrup 1

1 cup agave syrup
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
3 Tablespoon brown rice syrup

Whisk agave syrup, maple syrup and brown rice syrup in a small bowl and set aside.

Vegan Baklava Syrup 2

1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add the sugar, maple syrup, water, arrowroot powder and lemon juice to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Whisk vanilla extract into the mixture and set aside. Store in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This recipe makes one 9 x 13 inch tray of Vegan Pecan Walnut Baklava.

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