Can’t skip dessert, even when eating clean! Here’s a unique take on the classic shortbread.
Walker Shortbread cookies these are not. And I’m positive the cookie police would give me a ticket for even calling this shortbread. But these Raw Lemon Rosemary Shortbread bars come pretty darn close to fulfilling that craving for a sweet, dense and buttery bar-shaped cookie. Plus they’re filled with wholesome and natural ingredients that you can feel good about.
One evening about a year ago, my husband surprised me on a Friday night upon my return from a long day at work. Grandma and Grandpa arrived to watch the kids while my husband ushered me to the car for a spontaneous date night. Our destination? A restaurant in Minneapolis specializing in all raw (vegan, and gluten free) food. Being fairly adventurous eaters, we were psyched to try it out. But of course we were skeptical. I mean, how good could raw tacos really taste? Well, we decided to forgo the tacos, but after 2 smoothies, a plate of nachos (upcoming post!), one Mediterranean wrap, and a “sausage” pizza, we were in foodie heaven. Minds blown. The flavor was unreal. And to top off the night, they sent us home with the shortbread dessert, which we promptly inhaled during the car ride home and then speculated like foodie geeks the possible ingredients used to make up this raw piece of heaven.
We concluded that it definitely contained shredded coconut and a natural sweetener like pure maple syrup or agave nectar and I kept that in the back of my mind for a year until just the other day I found myself in the kitchen attempting to recreate these. Turns out coconut and maple syrup are pretty much all you need. The lemon and rosemary are just bonus add-ins. But oh my, don’t leave them out! These bars are refreshing and healthy, but they retain that sweet, dense, and buttery texture of real shortbread. Enjoy this unique, raw dessert!
Question: Have you ever eaten at a restaurant serving all raw food?
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tbs pure maple syrup or agave
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary
- Zest of one lemon
- In a food processor, pulse the shredded coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and almond extract until they resemble course breadcrumbs.
- Add the chopped rosemary and lemon zest to the mixture and pulse a few times until incorporated.
- Transfer mixture to a small casserole dish.
- Using your fingers, press the mixture into the bottom of the dish, creating a flat layer.
- Cut the dough into 12 rectangles.
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 112 Fat: 9.2g Carb: 6.0g Fiber: 2.1g Protein: 1g Sugar 3.9g Sodium: 6mg
Weight Watchers Points (calculated on member website)
WW: 3 Points Plus
Interested in more Clean Eating Adventure recipes? Check these out:
- Tuscan White Bean Spinach and Quinoa Stuffed Red Peppers
- Chocolate Raspberry Overnight Oats
- Roasted 8 Vegetable Soup
- Zucchini Noodles with Kale Almond Pesto
- Tropical Island Green Smoothie
- Brussels Sprout, Sweet Potato, and Lentil Sauté
- Banana Hazelnut Breakfast Quinoa
- Cashew Nacho Cheese
- Loaded Kale Nachos
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
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