Susan's Blog

No-Bake Lemon Bars

No-Bake Lemon Bars:  A Good-For-You Summer Treat!

Okay, this recipe can be a little drawn out (since you pre-soak cashews for the filling), but it really is easy to make!  The recipe can be tripled or quadrupled for a crowd, and is so delicious your guests won’t even know how good for you it is!  Since it is frozen, it’s especially good for 4th of July and other summer occasions, plus it can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the freezer until you are ready to serve!

Here’s the recipe:

 

PRE-PREP:

Soak cashews:

Soak 1 cup of unsalted, raw cashews using one of the following methods.  (One cup of raw cashews will make the 1.5 cups of soaked cashews called for in the recipe below.)

  1.  Slow-soaked cashews:  Add 1 cup raw cashews and 2 cups filtered water to a 3-cup glass jar or any 3-cup or larger container with a lid and an airtight seal.  Let sit on the counter for 6 hours or refrigerate for 8-12 hours.  Pour into a strainer and rinse with water.
  2. Speedy-soaked cashews:  Boil 2 cups filtered water and pour over 1 cup raw cashews in a 3-cup glass jar or any 3-cup or larger container with a lid and an airtight seal.  Let sit on the counter for 1-2 hours.  Pour into a strainer and rinse with water.
  3. Super speedy soaked cashews:  Boil 1 cup of raw cashews in 2 cups of filtered water for 15 minutes.  Pour into a strainer and rinse with water.

Note:  The longer you are able to soak your cashews, the smoother the final product.  However, a high-speed blender can go a long way to make the speedy or super speedy-soaked cashews much smoother in a pinch!

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

  • 1-1/2  cups almond flour (or grind 1 cup almonds to make 1-1/2 cups of almond flour)
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
  • 2 Tablespoons raw honey 
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Filling:

  • 1.5 cups soaked raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup organic lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon organic lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup virgin (or unrefined) coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (if desired, for color)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Crust:

  1. If making almond flour, put almonds in a blender and blend to a fine powdery flour.  Be careful to not overblend or it will turn into almond butter.
  2. Combine almond flour, coconut oil, honey, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Transfer to a greased cake, pie, or 8×8″ square pan and press down evenly.

Filling:

  1. To make the filling, put soaked cashews, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, honey, coconut oil, and turmeric powder (if using) in the blender and blend until you have a smooth texture.
  2. Pour the lemon filling over the crust then smooth the top.
  3. Sprinkle on reserved 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
  4. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours, or overnight.
  5. To serve, thaw for a few minutes before cutting into wedge, square, or rectangular-shaped pieces.

Why is this recipe so good for you?

Every single ingredient in this recipe benefits your health.  There’s not a single one that is detrimental, so you can feel good about eating this treat!

Cashews are considered an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous, and zinc.  They support optimal cardiovascular health because they are a monounsaturated fat and contain antioxidants, fiber, and plant sterols.  When they are soaked (required in this recipe so they will be creamy), they are more digestible and the nutrients may be more available for absorption.

Almonds contain antioxidants like Vitamin E and essential nutrients like protein, zinc, and Vitamin B6, which support brain health.

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which bacteria in your gut turn into monolaurin, which is a very potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal.  (A little trivia for you:  the best source of lauric acid is human breast milk, and coconut oil is the second best, with coconut milk being the third best.)  Also, “bad” bacteria have not shown resistance to monolaurin as they have too many other antibacterial agents. (1)  This brand of virgin coconut oil is the one that I use and it is certified to be a great source of antioxidants. (2)

Raw honey, though it should not be consumed by infants under one year of age, contains antioxidants and small amounts of a lot of vitamins and minerals such as niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc.

Lemons (and lemon zest) are very high in Vitamin C and naringin (both potent antioxidants) and also provide some B vitamins that help with energy and minerals like potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and copper.

(1)  Lieberman, Shari & Enig, Mary & Preuss, Harry. (2006). A Review of Monolaurin and Lauric Acid: Natural Virucidal and Bactericidal Agents. Alternative and Complementary Therapies. 12. 310-314. 10.1089/act.2006.12.310.

(2)  https://healthytraditions.com/pages/professor-dia-certificate



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