Vegan Raspberry and Chocolate Chip Bars

 

What do you do with life throws raspberries at you? Throw them at someone else! Mwhahaha… Actually, I’m kidding. Make raspberry sauce is what I would do!
I love how they look all full of seeds after they’re blended. OH YEAH, raspberry sauce.

 

I don’t know why, but blended raspberries seem to taste a lot better than blended strawberries. Have you ever tried it before? I tried a few weeks ago to blend some strawberries and there was this really strange smell and when I cooked it, it kind of smelled even strong. I wonder if it’s me!

 

So I had the idea of making these bars but I had no idea how to deal with the topping. A bar won’t look so good without stuff on top, right? But then, would you really want to be eaten the top part without it heated up?
That’s why the recipe is baked for 10 mins.

 

 

But, you are very welcome to try this recipe raw, all you need to do is use raw pecans instead of roasted, and freeze it right after you make it and eat it. Though I can’t guarantee the oatmeal would taste as good without being baked for a little while. But putting in the freezer is great cos it hardens the raspberry sauce.

 

 

Vegan Raspberry and Chocolate Chip Bars
Raspberry Sauce
1 cup ripe raspberries
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Crust
1/3 cup oat flour
1/3 cup pecans (I used roasted)
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 tablespoon golden flaxseeds
1 tablespoon lucuma
3 pitted dates
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
1 teaspoon instant old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vegan chocolate chips (eg Enjoy Life)
1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar
Raspberry Sauce: Put a cup of ripe raspberries (if you use unripe ones, the taste may not be as sweet) in a blender. Blend until it becomes a puree, with little bits and pieces of seeds in it.

 

 

Pour it into a small saucepan and add the brown rice syrup (or you can use pure maple syrup too) and cornstarch. Stir until everything is well mixed, and cook on medium high (6) for 2-3 minutes until it starts to bubble. Spoon it into a bowl to be used later.
Bars: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
Mix all the ingredients for the base into the blender. I used roasted pecans, you can choose what you prefer. Blend until it becomes sticky and crumbly.
Spoon it into a mini oven tray that’s either aligned with a small piece of parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking oil. Press the crust down with a spoon or your hands until it’s firm.

 

Add a few spoonfuls of raspberry sauce on top until it covers the whole surface.
Sprinkle the topping ingredients across the surface, including the oats, flaked coconut, chocolate chips and coconut sugar.

 

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, then freeze for about 30 minutes to harden.
(You may want to eat it raw as it is. If so, don’t heat up the oven.)

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