1 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups soft dates
1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Zest from one organic lemon (do not omit this, it's what gives it the lemony flavor!)
2 tablespoons organic lemon juice (ideally from the lemon above)
1 1/4 cups dried coconut
3/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
Directions
1. Place almonds in food processor and process into a fine powder.
2. Add dates, vanilla, lemon juice (if using fresh squeezed don't let any lemon seeds go into the recipe!) and lemon zest to food processor.
A note re: lemon zest: Lemon zest is simply lemon peel. If you don't have a fancy zester, just do what I do: use a clean carrot peeler and "peel" the lemon with your carrot peeler and throw the big chunky peels into the food processor for processing. Done! Process again until well mixed. Depending on how hard your dates are this could be a wild ride!
3. Once everything seems pretty well processed thus far, set food processor lemon bar mixture aside for a moment.
4. In a large mixing bowl, place your dried coconut and salt. Mix with a spoon to distribute sea salt.
5. Now dump your food processor mixture into the mixing bowl. Mix everything together with your clean hands so that it's nicely combined and resembling a delicious lemon bar dough!
6. Transfer your raw lemon bar dough into your final dish. I like to use a glass brownie dish. Now press the mixture down into the dish with your hands so that the mixture sticks together nicely.
7. Ideally, you should refrigerate your raw lemon bars for about an hour so that they really stick together and are easy to cut.
Enjoy your raw lemon bars! Their lemony coconut flavor goes really well with fresh or thawed strawberries. They should be stored in the refrigerator.
The Rawtarian's Thoughts
Raw lemon bars recipes... How do I love thee? Let me count the lemony-coconutty raw ways...
Before I went raw I used to love lemon bars made with lemon and coconut. Lemon bars are so sweet and flavorful and I used to eat them quite frequently as a sweet snack.
So when I went raw I knew I needed a substitute. Surprisingly, these raw lemon bars are easy to whip up and the taste is pretty similar to the lemon bar recipes that I remember from days of yore!
This raw lemon bar recipe is pretty easy to make, you just need to food process almost everything, mix recipe together with your hands, and then press it down into a pan with your hands. The toughest part of making raw lemon bars is getting the dates to process well, especially if your dates aren't fresh.
Tip: Be careful if doubling this raw lemon bar recipe. You might want to make two batches right after one another instead of making one huge batch because it can be tough to get everything to blend well in the food processor.
Tip: If your dates are rock-hard try softening them by soaking them in warm water for half-an-hour, then squeezing almost all water out of them before using in this raw lemon bar recipe.
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Comments
hilary
Sep 08, 2011
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Is there anything else possible to use other than ... dates?
Thanks,
H.
The Rawtarian
Sep 08, 2011
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Hi! Yes, definitely. You could try raisins. You could also try apricots--if you use apricots you'll need to add a little extra sweetener--like honey or agave or something.
Good luck!
Monika
Feb 26, 2013
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My roommate made this but she used figs and its GOOD!!
The Rawtarian
Feb 27, 2013
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Yum! You chose a good roommate Monika :)
Court
Sep 08, 2011
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Just made these this afternoon! Love that you've been adding more and more recipes! These were a huge hit with my family. Not too sweet and a great lemony-coconut flavor! Thanks!!
The Rawtarian
Sep 09, 2011
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Hi Court, I am so glad they worked out well for you :)
Thanks for coming back and letting me know. I like to know what you guys think!
And thanks for noticing that I've been posting more lately. I am trying to post a new recipe every monday, although I don't want to commit to that too officially because I go in fits and spurts :)
Ren
Sep 10, 2011
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This looks like an excellent energy bar! I'm going to try it with brazil nuts instead of almonds, my taste buds tell me to do so and I love my dose of selenium.
The Rawtarian
Sep 11, 2011
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Always gotta listen to the tastebuds. They lead us to yummy places!
Ren
Sep 14, 2011
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I made the lemon bars with 3/4 c sunflower seeds, 1/8 c sesame seeds, and 1/8 c flaxseed instead of the almonds and they turned out excellent! Might be a good option if folks are allergic to tree nuts. I'll keep playing with variations.
The Rawtarian
Sep 14, 2011
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Nice substitutions! I love making substitutions like that, especially if it means that I can make something ASAP rather than having to run to the grocery store. :) Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Ren. :)
Cara
Sep 11, 2011
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I found your website a few days ago :) And this was the first recipe I have tried (and actually followed exactly!) They are wonderful! My husband has just enjoyed his first taste and is impressed and happy for me to spend more time in the kitchen!
Your recipes sound great, nicely explained and easy to make. Thank you for taking the time to share. Having only yesterday ungraded to a high speed blender (not a Vitamix as they are very difficult to come by where I live) I am super excited about the possibilities that await. I will definitely be making more of your recipes especially as I also invested in a food processor so I am literally dreaming of what foods I can create!
Your website has helped to inspire me with the phase that I am in at the moment. Thank you! You will be hearing from me again!
The Rawtarian
Sep 11, 2011
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Hi Cara,
:) Thank you for your kind words.
Congrats on your HS blender and food processor!
Please keep me posted on which recipes you try, and which turn out GREAT and which ones you didn't like, too :)
Also, I always love to hear what husband's think :)
Warmth
Laura-Jane
Lara
Oct 15, 2012
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I know EXACTLY what you mean by "literally dreaming" of adventures in food. :o) Food excites me! The thought of breakfast often keeps me up at night.
The Rawtarian
Nov 02, 2012
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Love it Lara!
Miriam
Sep 13, 2011
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We all loved these and I will definitely make them again. I poured boiling water over the dates and soaked them for a few hours. I drained them quite well but perhaps this made the batter stickier than it might have been otherwise. Regardless they are a wonderful sweet treat minus the guilt! My dh was surprised to hear there was no sugar added and the kids loved them too. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, you are my inspiration to better eating for my whole family!
The Rawtarian
Sep 13, 2011
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Hi Miriam, I am so glad you liked it and that your DH enjoyed it too,
I don't know about you, but I think the stickier the batter the better!
I am glad to be an inspiration for better eating for your whole family. That is the highest compliment you could give :)
Christine
Oct 21, 2011
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hi. im new here, thanks for the site. is there anything that i can substitute for the coconut (for both this recipe and your lemon cookie recipe)? i appreciate any help that you can offer. thanks.
The Rawtarian
Oct 22, 2011
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How come, are you allergic to coconut?
I don't think there is anything you can sub in the raw lemon bars recipe. Coconut is integral in this one.
However, for the lemon cookies you can probably substitute for less coconut and more cashews in equal parts.
Good luck
Karissa
Nov 30, 2011
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Can the coconut be sweetened or is it supposed to be unsweetened?
The Rawtarian
Dec 01, 2011
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It's supposed to be unsweetened (but if all you have is sweetened then you CAN use it but it won't be raw)
Miriam
Dec 01, 2011
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I used this recipe as a base to create a carrot cake bar. I changed the ingredients to: 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup walnuts, 3/4 cup soft dates, 3/4 cups soft raisins, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tbsp ground golden flax seed, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, splash of lemon juice, 2 inch chunk of fresh pineapple, 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (I patted it after grating to remove some of the liquid), and 3/4 tsp sea salt. I used Laura-Jane's method to mix the bars and they were super-delicious! I am so inspired by this lemon bar recipe that I am going to try to recreate some of my other favorite desserts this way too!
The Rawtarian
Dec 01, 2011
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This sounds awesome Miriam!!
Maureen
Dec 10, 2011
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hi Laura-Jane,
Tried this one yesterday; tho I don't have a food processer yet so used almond meal and tried blending dates which didn't work! My stick blender worked better after dates had been soaked. I also used dissecated coconut - is that raw? I rolled them into truffle balls instead of bars.
I think they are yummy but haven't convinced fussy kids yet!
The Rawtarian
Dec 11, 2011
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Blender is best for smooth wet stuff and food processor is for drier, harder recipes.
Hopefully you can save up for a food processor - so worth it, and you don't have to get a very good one. $50USD can get you one -- not sure what that converts to where you are! :)
Maureen
Dec 11, 2011
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thanks Laura-Jane...I am in New Zealand. Am investigating getting a food processer...will just wait till christmas craziness is over.
Do you know if dessicated coconut is raw?
The Rawtarian
Dec 11, 2011
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Unsweetened dessicated coconut (AKA dried coconut) could be raw or not depending on where you buy it and how it was dried.
Most dessicated coconut that you can buy at your grocery store would not be considered truly raw since it was probably heated about 105 degrees and thus not considered raw.
However, I am a raw foodist who is practical some times. I use dessicated coconut that is not sweetened even though it might not be technically "raw" (neither are cashews either). It's up to you where you want to draw the line (and how much $ you want to spend as truly raw foods are much more expensive in most cases).
Hope that helps!
debi
Feb 03, 2012
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Wow, these are so delicious! Hard to believe they are actually good for you!
I made them according to the recipe ...and will try them next time with raisins and some of the other suggestions above. THANKS, I love your site. I haven't hit a bad recipe yet.
I also like that you have the "no dehydrator required" recipes separated!
The Rawtarian
Feb 06, 2012
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:)
Barb
Mar 06, 2012
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I just made these and had to sample the goods before putting them in the fridge. These are awesome!! So easy and lemon yummy! I recently came across your site and I am so glad I did. Love it. :)
The Rawtarian
Mar 09, 2012
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Hi Barb! Glad you like
soyboy
Mar 10, 2012
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Hey - sounds yumm, have you thought of putting a frosting / icing on top. That is the best part of lemon bars I think, the tangy, sweet, sticky topping
The Rawtarian
Mar 10, 2012
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Mmm I like this idea, hadn't thought about it. I bet you could make a really good one either:
1. Fresh squeezed lemon juice and some lemon rind blended together - plus adding some agave nectar or dates - color would be off but would taste good I bet
or
2. A creamy topping of some kind
Jen
Mar 16, 2012
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I LOVE these lemon bars. I have made them three times now and my family loves them. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
The Rawtarian
Mar 16, 2012
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Glad you liked it and also glad you had some success with carrot cake too! :) How come I can't leave a comment on your blog?
Chinoiseries
Apr 14, 2012
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I can't wait to give these a try :-) How long do these keep (supposing they won't be eaten in one go ;))? Do you recommend refrigerating/freezing?
The Rawtarian
Apr 23, 2012
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I have never had them last very long. I keep them in the fridge. I have never frozen them. I think they would be okay in freezer though.
Sally-Anne Ryan
Apr 16, 2012
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I think these bars are amazing! Really really good and would recommend them to everybody. I put the recipe on my website blog with your link so hopefully more people will discover your great site. I also made them with orange yesterday and the were great too x
The Rawtarian
Apr 23, 2012
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Love the idea of orange bars - yum! Thanks for sharing :) Great blog, BTW!
Trackers
May 05, 2012
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YUMMMM - I just made these tasted the mixture before putting them in the fridge and look forward to having them for morning tea!!
I used Flaxseed, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds and Almonds....and instead of dates - I used pitted prunes. Seemed very smooth.
THANK YOU for sharing your recipe...
The Rawtarian
May 07, 2012
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It's my pleasure Trackers. Love your prune sub. I am loving prunes lately myself - I just got into them a few months ago. They taste like grape candy to me :)
Trackers
May 08, 2012
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PRUNES are yum....I like cooking them in water, with a cinnamon stick, a slice of lemon for about 15 minutes. Then we keep them in the fridge and eat them with plain yogurt for dessert!
BendiY
May 07, 2012
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Just found your website and LOVE it. I've shared your link on my yoga studio website :-) I made these lemon bars and they are delicious. However, your picture looks like they are about 1/2 to an inch thick and mine are really really thin. I used a 9x6 brownie pan. Should I make two batches in order to make them thicker? Or would that not be a good idea.
The Rawtarian
May 12, 2012
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I did not double the batch, I just used a smaller pan. :)
the only prob with doubling the recipe is that it might be hard to process so if u plan on doubling make one batch and then another batch right away
Isabelle
May 08, 2012
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Hello Laura-Jane,
Just tried your lemon bars and fell in love with them. The taste is amazing and consistency is perfect. Actually, I already cut it all out and wrapped each piece individually for a go-to little treat when I'm on the go. :)
The Rawtarian
May 12, 2012
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Great idea to pack them up individually, They would travel very well I'll bet.
Sherry Hoffler
May 17, 2012
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I made these Lemon Bars and they were Outstanding! I am not much on sweets, but these were fabulous. Not too sweet and the perfect texture and consistency. Thank you for sharing.
The Rawtarian
May 21, 2012
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so glad you liked them Sherry
Wendy Mortimer
May 22, 2012
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I have just recently moved towards eating more raw food and I found this recipe very easy and super delicious, thank you. I can't wait to try the brownie recipe :)
The Rawtarian
May 27, 2012
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this is a good one. Browniies are to die for. Do try if you haven't already :)
Tina
Jun 05, 2012
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Laura Jane, You are a Genius!!! My daughter and I begin our raw food lifestyle last week. So far, we've made the following; green, orange and chocolate smoothies, Alfredo with kelp noodles, tomato soup (twice), lemon bars, brownies, oatmeal, cereal, cashew milk and coconut milks. We've had Aton of fun and enjoyed everything! Thank you Soooo much for sharing your time, efforts and creativity. Thank you for truly giving us hope in becoming successful raw foodies!!! If your ears have been burning lately it's because we delightfully speak of you while we are cooking!!! Much love Tina & Tamara
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