Boost Your C With No-Bake Coconut Lemon Bars - Raw,Vegan, & Gluten-Free

It's getting hot out here in TX!!! Every evening after I put the kiddo down to bed, I start craving something sweet, but I have been hard-pressed to actually make any desserts because I just can't bear to heat up the house. This is the time of year that I start whipping up my no-bake desserts to avoid using any heat. Summertime is one of my favorite times to eat all sorts of lemony treats, and lemon bars are my absolute favorite cool treat. Since it IS summertime, I also love to use coconut in pretty much everything, giving them a tropical feel. I figured this recipe needed a little tropical inspiration too! It also helps you to get your daily dose of coconut oil! If that isn't reason enough to scarf the whole pan, I don't know what is!

I'm boosting my C for a guilt-free dessert

Vitamin C is one of my favorite vitamins and I'm always trying to find more ways to get it into my diet. Not only is it an antioxidant that can help reduce free radicals in the body, but it is also great  for immune support.* While it is easy to just buy some ascorbic acid from the store, I wanted my vitamin from a whole food source to get all of the amazing benefits from the orange that you don't get from the synthetic stuff. Did you know that ascorbic acid is just one of the many chemical constituents that make up an orange and its peel. By isolating the one chemical constituent, you are missing the full benefits of the orange! I like to take a whole foods approach with vitamins and minerals and figured MegaFood's MegaFood Daily C-Protect Nutrient Booster Powder would be the perfect way to add more vitamin C into my diet. Their delicious smelling powder is made with blueberries, cranberries, and Uncle Matt's organic whole oranges! MegaFood Daily C-Protect Nutrient Booster Powder is the perfect addition to the base layer of these coconut lemon bars, helping to boost my C while eating my guilt-free dessert!

No-Bake Coconut Lemon Bars

BASE LAYER INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 2 Tbsp. hulled hemp hearts
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• fresh zest of 1 lemon
• 2 scoops MegaFood Daily C-Protect Nutrient Booster Powder
• pinch of salt

TOP LAYER INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. raw coconut butter (I make my own by blending unsweetened coconut flakes in my Blendtec blender until it turns into a butter-like texture!)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• juice of 4 lemons, at room temperature
• lemon zest for topping
• unsweetened coconut flakes for topping

BASE LAYER DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all of the base layer ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
2. Blend until completely combined, taking care to scrape the sides and top down into the mixture.
3. Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper.
4. Scrape the base layer mixture into the parchment paper lined pan, pressing down firmly to evenly spread the mixture throughout the pan.

TOP LAYER DIRECTIONS

1. In a double boiler (or a glass jar in  a pan of water), melt the coconut oil, coconut butter, and maple syrup.
2. Remove coconut/maple mixture from heat as soon as it's completely melted to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
3. Using a hand mixer, mix the coconut/maple mixture while slowly pouring the room temperature lemon juice into the mix. If the lemon juice is too cold, the mixture might not fully emulsify.
4. Pour the coconut lemon mixture over the base layer in the pan and sprinkle extra coconut flakes and lemon zest to top.
5. Put the coconut lemon bars in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, overnight preferred.
6. Alternatively, you can put this in the freezer for a half hour before cutting and serving.
7. Cut the lemon bars into 9 even squares and serve!

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.