Are you one of those people who loves hot weather? Do you wish it was summer all of the time? I definitely do. You would never know that I am from Finland because I really don’t care for cold weather. I feel tight, contracted, and uncomfortable when it is cold. Granted, it is good to learn to accept all conditions in life in order to have peace of mind, but I would be perfectly content to be warm ALL year round. So, when I saw the first organic, semi-local (California) strawberries at the market, I started dreaming of summer.
And then I made these…
The recipe was adapted from 2 of amazing food blogs, Elana’s Pantry and Oh She Glows. Thanks, ladies for the inspiration. They were simple to make and super tasty. Gluten and Grain-free, vegan, Paleo, and refined sugar-free. And loaded with oh-so-good-for-you chia seeds. THIS
Dreaming of Summer Strawberry Chia Bars
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
FILLING:
- 2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 TBS pure maple syrup (like this)OR honey (I use THIS one)
- 1 1/2 TBS chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
CRUST:
- 2 cups almond flour (like this)
- 2 TBS coconut oil, melted (like this)
- 1 TBS water
- 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt (I use THIS one)
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
TOPPING:
- 1 cup pecans (or walnuts)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 TBS coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
- 1 TBS sesame seeds, raw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350′ F and line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper
To make filling:
- Place chopped strawberries and sweetener into medium pot and begin to heat on medium. Once strawberries begin to sweat a bit, add chia seeds and vanilla.
- Bring to boil then simmer on med-low for about 15 minutes
- Remove from heat, pour into glass bowl, and place in freezer to cool for 30 minutes
To make crust:
- Place all crust ingredients into food processor and process until well incorporated and beginning to stick together. Press mixture firmly into lined pan and bake for 14 minutes on 350′. Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes
To make topping:
- Place all topping ingredients, except sesame seeds, into food processor and pulse until well combined and forms a coarse texture. Add sesame seeds and pulse to combine a couple of times
To assemble bars:
- Pour strawberry filling over cooled crust and spread evenly. Crumble topping over the filling and LIGHTLY press it down
- Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350′ ( or until topping slightly beginning to brown)
- Cool for 10 minutes then place in fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours to set
- Once completely cooled and set, slice into bars
Notes
For best results, be sure that the strawberry filling is relatively cool before pouring over crust.
Chop and cook strawberries:
Make and bake crust:
Make topping:
Assemble bars:
Bake and ENJOY!!
Do you have a dessert that reminds you of summer?
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We have rows of strawberry plants that start producing in a couple of months. I look forward to trying this recipe when they’re ripe 🙂
Homegrown strawberries are the best!!!!
Do you think frozen strawberries would work in this recipe? I have frozen organic berries that I picked & froze last summer. This recipe looks delicious!!
Frozen berries would work just fine for the filling. I would probably defrost them in a strainer and strain off any moisture. This will help the “jam” filling be a little thicker. You can also simmer the berries a bit longer to get it to thicken a bit. Thanks for stopping by… 🙂
Do you know the nutritional info by chance? I just started using chia about two weeks ago and have used it almost every day since. I’m addicted 😛
sorry. I don’t usually analyze the nutritional info. I tend to just focus on nutrient-dense ingredients and healthy fats. I also love chia seeds. My favorite is chia pudding. I make it the night before (takes 3 minutes) and have an amazing breakfast ready in the morning. Have you tried this?? Thanks for coming by…
Could I substitute Stevia for the honey or syrup? Could I substitute blackberries/blueberries/raspberries for strawberries? I’m on a strict candida diet Thanks!
You can definitely use any berry that you like. As far as stevia, you could try that. Just be sure to add a titch of moisture to make up for the wet sweetener. 🙂
I made these bars last weekend for a family dinner and they were a big hit. I didn’t have almond flour so I used half of Tapioca Flour and Pamela’s Gluten Free Pancake mix. The crust was a little chalky but the bars were still tasty. 🙂 Thank you Katja for the recipe, and all your recipes.
Thanks for the kind feedback! Yeah, almond flour is really nice in crusts. If using tapioca, you have to be careful to add enough oil so it’s not dry. Glad you enjoyed them.
These look amazing!! could I use any coconut flour in place for almond flour?
You could but you would have to change the ratio. Coconut flour is MUCH more absorbent.