My Apricot and Coconut Bars are quickly and easily made and are a great healthy option when you’re in need of an energy boost. These no-bake bars are free of refined sugar, are vegan and gluten-free. As well, they are made with ingredients which are easily found in the supermarket.
2tablespoon(40 ml) water - only if necessarySee Notes 5 and 6
For coating the bars:
2tablespoondesiccated coconutSee Note 5
Instructions
Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square dish with cling wrap. Leave a little hanging over the edges to make it easier to remove the bars. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of coconut.
Add the dried apricots to the bowl of a food processor.
Process the apricots until they are finely chopped.
Add the coconut, almond meal, vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds and water to the food processor, and blend until combined as you prefer; either smooth or slightly chunky.
Take a small amount of the mixture and press between your fingers to ensure that it is sufficiently moist to be able to press into bars. If not, add a little water and blend again but be cautious, you don’t want it to be damp.
Add the apricot mixture to the dish and, using the back of a spoon or a spatula, firmly flatten and smooth the mixture.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of coconut.
Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour for the mixture to firm.Cut into bars, the size of your choice. I made 15, approximately 6.5 cm x 4 cm (2 ½ x 1 ½ inches).Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
If measuring by volume, the apricots are firmly packed in the cup. We have used soft apricots. If yours are not soft you may need to add a small amount of additional water to the mixture when blending.
Desiccated Coconut is finely shredded coconut.
Both almond meal and almond flour are made from ground almonds. However, one may be made from blanched almonds and the other from the whole almond. You could use either in this recipe; the one made from the whole almond will contain more dietary fibre.
For the best flavour, use vanilla which is extracted from the vanilla bean, not one synthetically flavoured.
In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. You may need to adjust your quantities accordingly.
You may not need additional water. Only add water if necessary to help the mixture combine to be pressed into bars.
Please note, the nutritional information is based on the slice being cut into 15 pieces. The nutritional information is for one piece and is an estimate only.