Vegan Lemon Bars

This is another delicious, indulgent recipe! This dessert is great for a summer party with the light, citrus flavors. The crust bring its together and tastes like a sugar cookie! They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Tools:

• High speed blender

• Oven

• Stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1.5 cups almond flour

• ¼ cup coconut flour or oat flour

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ⅓ cup coconut oil melted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake layer

• 1.5 cup raw cashews

• ½ cup full fat coconut cream

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp lemon zest 

Lemon Curd

• ½ cup white sugar

• 1 tbsp cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)

• ½ cup non-dairy milk

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2.5 lemons)

• Zest of 1 lemon

• ⅛ tsp turmeric (optional for color)

Coconut whipped cream (optional)

• 1 can full fat coconut cream

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar 

  Instructions:

Instructions:

For the crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine ingredients until a sandy texture forms. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely!

For the cheesecake filling

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for 2-6 hours (The longer you soak the easier they’ll be to blend). 

2. Add all the ingredients into a high speed blender. Start blending on low until the blender starts going then turn up to high until very smooth. Pour into the cooled crust.

For the lemon curd

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Stir continuously on medium heat until a thick, curd consistency forms, about 5 minutes. You can add some water to it to thin it out if it’s too thick. 

2. Marble the curd on top of the cheesecake layer and let sit in the freezer for 4 hours to overnight to set.

3. To remove from the pan, go around the edges of the pan with a knife. Cut into squares then remove with a spatula.

For the coconut whipped cream

1. Add the cream from a can of coconut cream into your stand mixer bowl. Use only the dense cream and leave behind the rest of the liquid to use in smoothies or other treats. 

2. Whip on high until stiff peaks form. About 5-7 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar in the last 2 minutes. If you are doing this by hand with a whisk then this can take up to 15 minutes of fast whipping. Spoon onto the bars and enjoy!