Cool Off With Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert Bars!

 

Photo taken by Kampus Productions

Summer is here!  Time to make memories with family and friends.  Many occasions will be enjoyed with delicious summertime foods, but if you, or someone you know is sensitive to dairy or are lactose intolerant, enjoying food can be difficult. For those who can't have dairy,  I've included a recipe that is not only dairy-free, it's so creamy and delicious that everyone will enjoy it!

Frozen Cheese Cake Dessert Bars

11/2 cups raw cashews (cover with water & soak overnight in frig)

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/3 cup maple syrup*

1/4 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon sugar substitute (I used chicory root fiber sweetener)

3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2-1 tablespoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dark chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips (melt for coating)

Next day, drain cashews. In a large powerful blender, add cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, raw honey, sugar substitute, coconut oil, lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.  Pour into ice cream bar molds. Insert ice cream sticks.

Options: After blending cheese cake mixture, if prefer a cheese cake fruit bar, blend in berry juice and/ or fresh berries.  If you don't have any berries, sugar-free jams or jellies may also work. *For a lower-glycemic cheese cake bar, reduce maple syrup to 1/4 cup and add a sprinkle of stevia, to taste. If  you are like me and want to reduce sweeteners further,  you can omit maple syrup and increase sugar substitutes, to taste.

   

After freezing bars, remove from mold and dip in warm (not hot) melted chocolate. Place back in the freezer until coating hardens before eating.  Store in freezer.

Tip:  If you are making dairy-free ice cream and it is not creamy like dairy ice cream, here is a suggestion. Add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum while simmering 11/2 pints of ice cream mixture.  Add while it is warm for it to dissolve completely.  If I add too much xanthan gum it becomes slimy, but if you put in just the right amount, it works great!  If you don't have a favorite dairy-free ice cream recipe, the "Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream"  in "Treat Your Health" turns out just as delicious by replacing the dairy cream with coconut cream and the dairy milk with oat milk.