It’s been difficult for me to contain my excitement about these Blueberry Coconut Bars ever since I nailed the recipe a few weeks ago. They check all the boxes: easy/no-bake, gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free/not too sweet, fun to put together, and so so delicious. It’s the perfect recipe for those wanting to hold on to summer with all their might.
These bars are made up of three complementary layers: there’s a crumbly, no-bake ‘shortbread’ crust, followed by a rich coconut creme layer, which is then topped with a juicy, no-cook blueberry chia jam. The combination is truly heavenly, especially since this is a lighter dessert that won’t weigh you down. You can see all the steps of the cooking process in the video we made above (P.S. We have a Youtube channel with lots of cooking videos, you can subscribe here).
These bars are a definite, universal crowd pleaser – absolutely all the friends and family that have tasted them genuinely loved them. They would be the perfect, easy yet impressive dessert to bring to a gathering. Or just make the bars for yourself/your family for the week ahead, they’ll keep well in the refrigerator.
Hope you’ll give these a try :)
- 3 cups frozen blueberries - thawed (do not use fresh, non-frozen blueberries for this recipe)
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons chia meal (ground chia seeds)
- ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 12 Medjool dates - pitted and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 can full fat Thai coconut milk - refrigerated overnight to separate fat from water
- ½ cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- splash of vanilla extract
- Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until the chia seeds have bloomed and the mixture resembles a jam-like consistency. Mash the berries partially with a potato masher, leaving plenty of them whole.
- Put the oats in a food processor and grind them into a flour. Drain the dates and add them to the food processor, along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until you have a well-combined dough that sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
- Prepare an 8" x 8" baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, extending the paper up the sides of the dish. Press the shortbread into the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Set aside.
- Scoop the separated coconut fat from the top of the can of coconut milk into a food processor (use the leftover coconut water in smoothies, soups, porridges or lattes). Add the shredded coconut, maple syrup and vanilla extract to the food processor and process until well combined. Be careful not to over-process, as the coconut fat can separate and 'curdle'.
- Spread the coconut creme over the shortbread in a thin, even layer.
- Take the blueberry jam our of the refrigerator and spread it on top of the coconut creme in another even layer. Place the dish into the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, for the shortbread and coconut layer to set.
- Once the shortbread and the coconut layer have set, lift out the bar from the dish onto a cutting board, using the extended edges of the parchment paper. Cut into 16 squares or any size/shape of choice. Keep refrigerated.
Pierre says
Hello Anya,
I allow myself to publish a comment, because, out of shyness, I never do, although having followed your blog for a long time now. Those bars seem to be astonishing and wonderful, just as everything you create is ! I will certainly make them not later than tomorrow, with all the more delight as it is cashew-less (big allergy…).
Let me just thank you in a more general way, your creativity and always-shiny mood really is a ray of light in my life, and, it may seem silly, but I feel this kind of enlightenment has always its effects beyond just cooking.
anyway, thank you for those magnificent bars, and just know that your work is loved !!
A loyal french reader :)
Anya says
Hi Pierre,
Thank you so SO much for your kind words! Sometimes it feels like I’m just sending these posts out into a void, and it’s so great to hear from someone that reads them and finds them useful/enjoyable :)
Hope you enjoy the bars.
<3
Anya
Olga says
Hello Anya, these look delightful! Do you think I can bake the crust – it’s just I’ve never tried ‘raw’ oats/coconut flour. If not, do you think oats can be substituted with hemp seeds? Many thanks!
Anya says
Hi Olga,
Thank you!
I’m not sure about baking the crust, as I’ve never done it myself. You can try, but I have a suspicion that it will turn out too dry. I’m also not sure about the hemp seeds, though it probably is possible, but you would have to change the ingredient amounts and the whole recipe along with them. That being said, rolled oats are not raw, as they are steamed when rolled, and coconut flour is just ground coconut pulp, so it’s all perfectly safe to eat! Either way, let me know what you end up doing and hope you enjoy them :)
Olga says
Thank you for educating me on the rolled oats, Anya – I didn’t know that. Will attempt these soon!
diana botero says
hello! i have chia seeds but not meal, and blend 3 tablespoons seems difficult. can i put them just whole too? like 6 tbs of chia seeds? let me know, otherwise ill blend a cup and save the rest.
Anya says
Hi Diana,
I think you can get away with using just chia seeds without the meal!