Raw Raspberry Shortbread Bars(Grain and Gluten Free with a Vegan Option)

I am so excited to share these with you today because these are the first raw dessert my hubby actually enjoyed!  Yaaaay!  He asked what I was making and when I replied that it was raw and vegan he was a little disappointed, but when they were done he tried one and had another right after.  Score!  One thing he did mention was the bitter aftertaste of the walnuts though, so if you think that might bother you, you can switch out half the nuts for a less bitter nut like almonds.  But the buttery walnuts are really yummy 🙂

I’m also really excited to share another similar dessert but with a brownie base, but that will have to wait till at least next week.  I also have a fresh raspberry lemon curd tart to share with you, with a whole wheat cookie crust that is so yummy.  My hubby ate most of that one too 🙂  I think next week might just have to be all sweets 😀

I know it’s been raspberry overload around Food Doodles, or at least that’s how I feel.  I do promise the raspberry recipes are almost over, just a couple more.  Of course the coconut and chia seeds aren’t local but I love that the raspberries, walnuts and honey were all local in these bars.  I love trying to make recipes as local as possible and I think I’ve kind of gone away from that lately.  It’s time to start challenging myself to do that again 🙂

I have to say,  I think what I love most about eating (mostly) local and seasonal is that I eat so much of one thing, in this case raspberries, that I’m so done with them until next year 🙂  Anyone else feel that way?

Speaking of eating local and seasonal, I’ve been trying to think of how to define the Food Doodles way of eating besides just vegetarian and occasionally vegan.  These are grain free, and I think paleo friendly(correct me if I’m wrong, I know nothing about the paleo or primal way of eating even though I think quite a few of my recipes probably fall under that category) but I certainly don’t shy away from grains.  The only word I can think to describe Food Doodles recipes is unprocessed, but even still the grains I use are ground up and technically processed.  Am I just splitting hairs here?  I wouldn’t call it clean eating either, I have no problem using real butter and wholesome sugars and whole grain flours to make things like brownies and I don’t think that fits into the typical “clean eating” definition.  Maybe I should just call it real food, eh?  🙂  Please let me know what you would call it in the comments below!

Moving on, if you like raw desserts, I hope you’ll give these a try.  Of course you can adjust the sweetness of the topping to your liking, but be careful about adding too much liquid as the chia seeds might not be able to absorb too much.  I tried these with frozen berries once, but there was just too much liquid so I wrote instructions on draining the berries slightly before mixing in the honey and chia seeds.  Keep in mind that berries that have been frozen and thawed may be a little more tart too, so adjust your sweetener as needed.

Enjoy and have a great weekend! 

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Raw Raspberry Shortbread Bars(Vegan, Grain and Gluten Free)

Author Heidi @ Food Doodles

Servings 10 -12 servings

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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• For the Shortbread:
• 1 1/2 C walnuts
• 3/4 C unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• pinch sea saltFor the Raspberry Topping:
• 1 C fresh raspberries or slightly more frozen raspberries, thawed and drained
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds any color will work
• extra unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut for topping if desired

Instructions

• Prepare a standard sized loaf pan by lining with wax or parchment paper or even plastic wrap. Set aside.
• For the shortbread, place the walnuts, coconut, honey, vanilla and salt in a food processor. Process just until no large pieces remain and the nuts and coconut are evenly ground and mixed. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly and press down firmly.
• Prepare the raspberry filling by lightly mashing the berries with a fork. If using frozen berries, thaw before using and drain out any extra liquid sitting on top of the berries before lightly mashing. Stir in the honey and chia seeds and pour over the shortbread base.
• Cover the bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. To remove, lift out the bars with the paper or plastic used to line the pan. Cut into equal sized bars and refrigerate up to a week or freeze 4-6 months and thaw before serving.

Notes

Substitute pure maple syrup for the honey to make these vegan!

If you're worried about the bitter aftertaste of walnuts, sub in half almonds or your other favorite nuts in place of the walnuts.

Shortbread base recipe from Shutterbean

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