mocha dream bars | hot for food by Lauren Toyota

source: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2015/09/29/mocha-dream-bars/

These mocha dream bars got their name for a reason… they really are a dream! They’re similar to an ice cream sandwich, but have three different chocolatey layers that’ll keep you reaching for a second one! They’re vegan and gluten-free with no sacrifice for taste and creaminess.

I used instant espresso powder to get a strong coffee flavor, but you could also use a double shot of espresso if you’re one of those fancy-ass peeps with a home machine. Or brew up a very strong batch of your favorite coffee and use 1/4 cup of it in the filling. Make sure to keep these sugar babies in the freezer between snacking so they don’t melt on ya!

mocha dream bars

It’s your coffee and cream all in one deliciously cool bite! Try this easy and healthy frozen dessert for a sweet treat this summer.

Ingredients

crust

1 C raw almonds8 pitted medjool dates2 tbsp raw cacao powder1 tbsp melted coconut oil1/2 tsp sea salt

filling

1 1/2 C raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water2 tsp instant espresso powder1/4 cup warm water1/3 C maple syrup1 1/4 C coconut cream*

topping

1/3 C melted coconut oil1/2 C raw cacao powder1/4 C maple syrup1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Place the raw almonds in a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb consistency is formed. Add in the remaining crust ingredients and pulse until a sticky dough forms that can be pinched together and still has visible pieces of almonds in it. If your dates are a little hard, you can soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain from the water and pat dry before adding to the food processor.Line a 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper and dump out the crust mixture evenly in the pan. Press the crust in an even layer on the bottom and out to the edges of the pan. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.Drain and rinse the cashews from the soaking water and place in a high-powered blender.Dissolve the espresso powder in 1/4 cup of warm water. Then add to the high-powered blender along with the maple syrup and coconut cream. *Ensure you refrigerate 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk overnight so that the thick cream separates to the top of the can. Alternatively, if you can find cans that are entirely coconut cream that’s even better!Blend the filling on high until very smooth. Pour this mixture on top of the crust in the pan and freeze for at least 2 hours.After freezing, prepare the chocolate topping by melting coconut oil with raw cacao, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a small sauce pan over low heat. Once just melted, remove the sauce pan from the heat and whisk until very smooth. Immediately pour this on top of the now frozen mocha cream layer. Let this freeze for another 20 to 30 minutes before removing and slicing into bars. You can also leave this in the freezer for longer until ready to serve.Let the pan sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before lifting the solid piece out from the pan with the edges of parchment paper. Cut into bars while it’s still fairly solid, then allow the bars to sit at room temperature for another 10 minutes before serving to get a perfect ice cream consistency.Peel the paper from the edges at the bottom of the whole slab. Then using a sharp knife, cut the whole slab in half down the middle and then cut bars or squares across each half. Store any extra bars in the freezer in a container between layers of parchment paper, they will melt fairly quickly.

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