I’ve been experimenting with cacao butter recently, and after making the SunButter Bars, I wanted to create a non-chocolate, cashew variation. Here’s my current favorite, made with raw cashews, cacao butter, and sweetened with a couple tablespoons of honey. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Strawberry Cashew Bars
Ingredients
for the cashew base layer:
- 1 cup raw cashews 140 grams
- ¼ cup cacao butter 52 grams (Navitas Organics)
- 2 tbsp honey 40 grams
- 1 tbsp coconut oil 14 grams
- 2 pinches sea salt
for the cacao topping:
- ¼ cup cacao butter 52 grams (Navitas Organics)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tbsp freeze dried or dehydrated strawberries, ground into powder North Bay Trading Company is a good resource
Instructions
for the cashew base layer:
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Place the cacao butter, honey, and coconut oil in a small saucepan and melt over low heat or in a bain marie. Let cool a few minutes while you prepare the pan.
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Line a 9x4-inch loaf pan with a 9-inch sheet of parchment or wax paper such that the edges extend up and over the long sides of the pan forming a hammock. I use small binder clips to hold the paper edges against the pan so that the paper doesn't fall on the surface of the bars. Use a dab of coconut oil on your fingertip to grease the two short edges of the pan.
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Place the cashews in a powerful blender (Vitamix) or food processor. Pour in the melted cacao butter mixture and add the salt. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times.
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Scrape into prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Set pan in refrigerator to cool 20 minutes.
for the cacao topping:
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Place the cacao butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan and melt over low heat or in a bain marie. Whisk in the powdered dehydrated strawberries and pour over the cooled base layer. Let cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes then set the pan in the refrigerator to chill before slicing, at minimum one hour but overnight is best.
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When cool, carefully lift out the slab by holding the paper edges. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes to minimize shattering of the top layer when cutting. Cut with a sharp knife, wiping after each cut for a clean edge.
Optionally wrap each bar in parchment or store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes / Tips
- Fruit variations: use freeze dried or dehydrated blueberries, raspberries, or other dehydrated fruit in place of the strawberries. Whisk into the melted topping or sprinkle on top before the topping has hardened.
- Matcha variation: use 1 teaspoon matcha powder in place of the dehydrated strawberries.
