Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Bars

Sesame Coconut Nut & Seed Bars (with CBD oils!)

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I didn’t try my first KIND bar until a few weeks ago during an outing at Costco. You know, half the fun (okay, all of the fun) of going to Costco is the free product samples they pass out all over the store! Anyways, the KIND bar I tried was good. And dairy-free! But we’re on a budget, and if it’s a snack we don’t really need then I’m hesitant to shell out the cash for it. So I went home and started researching how to make my own KIND bars. I came across this wonderfully helpful and informative recipe page from The Yummy Life. I applied her technique for the perfect homemade KIND bar, and let’s just say these Sesame Coconut Bars made in collaboration with Santa Cruz Medicinals are killing it.

The best part about these bars is how easily customizable they are! You can basically add in your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in place of what I’ve used. Not a fan of coconut? Use whatever you like instead! Cooking the syrup and honey mixture to the right temperature really allows these bars to set perfectly. I don’t recommend attempting this recipe without a candy thermometer (Nathan picked one up for me for around $3 at our local grocery store!). The CBD infused oils are totally optional, and these bars are good either way! Have fun with this recipe and happy making!

Sesame Coconut Nut & Seed Bars
Makes 20 bars

Bars
1 1/3 cups whole almonds, toasted
1 cup walnut pieces, chopped and toasted
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips/flakes, toasted
1/3 cup puffed millet or puffed rice
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted (I did a mix of black and white)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 cup honey
6 Tbsp brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5 ml Santa Cruz Medicinals 2000mg CBD Infused MCT Oil (optional)
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tsp Santa Cruz Medicinals 1000mg CBD Infused Coconut Oil (or regular coconut oil)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F if your ingredients need to be toasted. Toast your nuts and sesame seeds by heating them at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. Toast your coconut chips/flakes at 325°F for around 5 minutes.

2.) Prepare a 9×13” pan or baking dish with olive oil spray + parchment paper – spray your pan then line with the parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the toasted nuts, coconut chips, puffed millet, toasted sesame seeds, and flaxseed meal.

3.) In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, add the honey, brown rice syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until liquid reaches 260°F (hard ball candy stage). Immediately remove from heat.

4.) Quickly stir the CBD infused MCT oil into the nuts and seeds mix (if using). Immediately pour the hot syrup mixture over the nuts and seeds and stir until totally combined. Dump into your prepared pan/dish and use a flat measuring cup (I sprayed mine with olive oil) to quickly spread and firmly press the mixture into the pan.

5.) Allow your mixture to cool completely before removing from the pan to cut into 20 bars. Heat the chocolate chips and coconut oil, and drizzle over each bar. Store bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temp or in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Yummy Life

This recipe was created in partnership with Santa Cruz Medicinals 

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars

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The last time I made something this fruit heavy was probably last fall (I’m basically on a permanent chocolate and cookie kick). But we love berries at our house. And blueberries have been on sale, which means we’ve been hoarding an abundance of them in our fridge. This also means that sometimes we don’t get to them in time before one of the little suckers starts growing mold. If I’m going to rush to eat a whole carton of blueberries, I want to put them in these Blueberry Crumble Bars.

These bars are seriously simple and will look like you spent more time on them than you will. You whip up an easy dough that will be the base and topping for these bars. Then you’ll toss your blueberries in a few things, put it all together and throw it in the oven! I promise it really is that simple. And they’re vegan and can easily be made gluten-free! In fact, my first recipe test for these was with an all-purpose GF flour blend. Still totally delicious. The base of these bars is sweet and chewy and the blueberry lime filling is perfectly tart. The crumble adds a bit of texture and really rounds it all out. I love these so much I actually ate three of them the day I baked them (it’s fine. they’re small)! I hope you love them, too – happy baking!

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars
Makes 16 bars

Crust + Topping
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend)
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
Pinch of salt
Blueberry Filling
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice*
Zest from 1 lime* (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with olive oil – or other non-stick spray. Line sprayed dish with parchment paper, being sure to leave “handles” hanging over two of the edges.

2.) In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (mixture will be crumbly).

3.) Set aside 3/4 cup of the crumbly dough (for your topping). Firmly press the rest of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish; set aside.

4.) Rinse your fresh blueberries and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and tapioca starch until no longer lumpy. Add the blueberries and mix until fruit is well coated.

5.) Add the blueberry mixture to your baking dish, spreading the fruit in an even layer. Be sure to scrape any extra liquid into the dish. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of crumbly dough over the blueberries.

6.) Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow your bars to cool completely before removing from the dish (using the parchment paper handles) to cut into squares. I cut mine four across and four down, which yields 16 bars. Store the bars in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bars can be frozen ahead of time and then thawed in the refrigerator – be sure to pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to re-heat and serve fresh! Enjoy! 

*lemon will work just fine. I personally love the slight lime flavor that the zest adds to these!

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Grab a glass of milk (or whatever you’re drinking!) and get ready because these bars have a whole cup of stick-to-your-mouth peanut butter! These cookie bars are my first attempt at a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, but when the cookies didn’t spread – so. much. peanut butter. – I decided to press the dough into a baking dish and make cookie bars instead! These bars are soft, dense, and filling. They’re full of peanut butter flavor, and the chocolate chips add this extra bit of richness that makes these bars totally irresistible. I opted to use spelt flour, along with all-purpose flour, in these bars to bring in a slight bit of nuttiness. If you don’t have spelt flour available, all-purpose will work just fine as a substitute. Happy baking!

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Makes 12 bars

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup natural peanut butter, unsweetened + unsalted
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp spelt flour*
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips + more for topping (optional)

1.) Preheat oven to 350℉ and prepare an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper – leave a bit of an overhang so you can easily pull the giant bar out of the baking dish once it cools. I also like to spray the exposed sides with olive oil.

2.) In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to cream together the coconut oil and coconut sugar. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla, and then the peanut butter.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir together with a wooden spoon, leaving a few flour streaks. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.) Firmly press cookie dough into prepared baking dish, using a flat measuring cup or your hands. Top with extra chocolate chips, pressing each chip a bit into the dough. Bake at 350℉ for 15-25 minutes. Allow cookie bar to cool before removing from the dish and slicing up to serve.

*if you don’t have spelt flour available, all-purpose will work just fine

NOTE: for cookies, omit the chocolate chips. Scoop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press down with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350℉ for around 6 minutes. 

 

 

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies

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There’s just something so good about sinking my teeth into an ultra chewy, fudgy brownie. I’ve always liked my brownies a bit underdone as this guarantees the ultimate fudgy texture. With these Almond Butter Brownies, there’s no need for under-baking because they are perfectly soft and fudgy as-is! I decided to use melted chopped chocolate – the kind in a bar – instead of cocoa powder to get as far away from a cakey texture as I could (the first ones I baked were literal chocolate cake). I also added an extra egg yolk for chewiness.

These brownies are super moist without being overly sweet, and they’re so easy to throw together! I feel like I say that about everything, but it’s true! I love an easy dessert. I topped mine with a drizzle of melted chocolate – one of the fancier bars I had saved – to add an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. This step is optional, of course, and you could even add chocolate chips to your batter pre-bake or top your brownies with an almond butter drizzle. Get crazy and happy baking!

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies
Serves 9-16, depending on brownie size

1 cup almond butter
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
6oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt or table salt

1.) Crack eggs and egg yolk into a small bowl; set aside.

2.) Melt chopped chocolate using the double boiler method – place in a heat-safe bowl over a pot with about an inch of simmering water, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool down a bit.

3.) Preheat your oven to 350℉. Prepare an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper. I like to cut two long, thin strips to allow for the paper to hang over each edge. Then I’ll spray olive oil into each exposed corner. This makes it easy to pull the entire dish of brownies out at once.

4.) Mix coconut sugar and maple syrup (or honey) in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolk into the sugar mixture. Add almond butter and mix until combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate. Then the coconut oil. And finally, stir in the coconut flour and salt.

5.) Bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes* or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Place on cooling rack or in the refrigerator to totally cool before removing from the dish. Slice into 9 or 16 brownies and enjoy!

*this is for a glass baking dish. If you’re using metal, I suggest checking the brownies at 10 minutes and going from there.