Vegan lemon bars - Fruits and Veggies Monday

Happy Monday foodies!

I have been away in the mountains camping and recharging in the Apennine mountains of Tuscany. We've been eating very simple camping food these days so I was looking forward to coming home and eating something different and fresh. For breakfast today I wanted something healthy, rejuvenating, sweet, tart and raw because if I ate that darn oatmeal one more day, I swear I would just die! So, let me tell you about these vegan lemon bars (raw) and how they will rock your world!

Also offering this post for #fruitsandveggiesmonday with the lovely @lenasveganliving!

I have made these bars many times before and I never get tired of them. Sometimes I make them just for myself and selfishly try to eat them all before my husband gets home, because if I don't, I know there will be none left anyways in a matter of minutes. Other times, I selflessly bring them to parties and let others enjoy them. So, I would say, that's quite fair enough :)

RECIPE

Dough:
3/4 cup of gluten free oats
3/4 cup shredded coconut or coconut flakes
1 1/3 cup of dates

Blend oats & coconut till they form a flour like consistency. Add dates and blend until everything sticks together. If not sticky enough, add more dates (or coconut oil) little by little. Place dough on a tray and flatten it out using your hands. Sometimes I flatten it to a large rectangular shape and other times when I don't have much time, I make 4 balls with the dough and I flatten them out individually.

Cream:

Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1-2 ripe bananas
Optional: dates or maple syrup

Blend everything together. It should taste somewhat tart with a hint of sweetness. Add more dates if you prefer it sweeter. and pour the mixture over the dough. Place the tray in the freezer for 1 hr to allow the filling to firm. Once firmed, sprinkle shredded coconut on top and cut into squares. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy!

Here in Italy we are so blessed with wonderful lemons and other citrus fruits. The very fertile Amalfi coast in the southern region is well-known for lemons and in particular, for the funny-looking, gigantic kind (see picture above). Have you every tried Limoncello? It is an Italian, alcoholic digestive drink originating from this region, that is usually slowly sipped after big Italian-style meals. While a traditional Limoncello is made with lemons, there are many other similar digestive drinks that can be made with other fruits (peach, tangerine, lime etc). Give it a try when you visit Italy, just remember to sip it VERY slowly :)

On a final note, I just wanted to emphasize that this recipe is sugar-free and 100% sweetened by fresh dates and banana. If you have never used dates to sweeten desserts, it's time to give it a try! The caramel-like flavor is irresistible - nothing that sugar can ever match in taste or nutrition.
A long time ago, I used to drink coffee with sugar. When I decided to quit sugar, boy...it was super hard to adjust my coffee routine. The wonderful dates came to my help - I would sip the unsweetened coffee while taking a bite from my dates, until the taste buds slowly adjusted to the new flavor of black coffee.

That's all for today :)
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK EVERYONE!