While I know Easter isn’t about the food (I mean what holiday originally is?) it’s still something I can’t help but look forward to.

My family usually always puts together a big feast, filled with all sorts of seasonal, spring dishes. This year my job is to bring the dessert, and because my mom is the QUEEN BAE of desserts I knew I had to bring it.

Enter in these Lemon Pie Dream Bars, which taste just as good as they sound and are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan with zero refined sugar. While that may sound so healthy it’s kind of lame, I can personally assure you they are intensely creamy, just the right amount of sweet and rich in flavor (i.e. a small piece goes a long way).

And if you don’t believe me, just ask the ever-picky MLH (meat-lovin’ hubby). Let’s just say after making a test batch I had to hide them from him to make sure I had some leftovers for photos.

Consider bringing these dream bars to your Sunday gathering (especially if you know there’ll be people there with food allergies/sensitivities), or if you don’t celebrate Easter, they make a satisfying, non-bloat-inducing, “just because” treat.

Lemon Pie Dream Bars

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A no-bake dessert so rich, intensely flavorful, dreamy and creamy no-one will guess it’s gluten, dairy and refined sugar free.

PREP TIME:	TOTAL TIME:
02:00 Hours	04:00 Hours

• Author: Lauren Chambers

• Servings: 8

• Recipe Type: dessert

• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For The Crust:

• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

For The Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours (okay to skip, but helps to make dish creamy)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1/3 cup cacao butter, grated or finely chopped (can find in baking section of most stores)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or 5-10 drops pure therapeutic grade lemon essential oil (I love doTerra)
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 5 dates pitted, chopped and soaked in warm water for 10 minutes (this helps them mix better)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Instructions

1. Lightly grease a 9′ inch baking pan or pie dish with coconut oil and set aside.
2. Combine all crust ingredients together in a food processor until evenly mixed. Use your hands to press the crust mixture firmly onto the base of the greased pan, until fully covered and even in height. Place in the freezer to chill for 15-30 minutes.
3. While base is chilling, heat a double boiler over medium-low heat on the stove. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a stove top and keep the heat very low (you want to avoid burning the cacao butter). Once warm, add cacao butter and stir vigorously until melted. The goal is to get it melted just enough that it will mix well with the rest of the filling ingredients without scorching/burning.
4. Once gently melted, add to a high-speed blender or food processor with the rest of the filling ingredients and blend until smooth.
5. Pour the filling mixture on top of the chilled crust and place back in the freezer to chill for 1-2 hours. Remove and keep refrigerated.
6. Try topping with fresh lemon zest or coconut whipped cream.

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