I'm excited to share a fantastic recipe I created a couple of weeks ago when I came home from work one evening with no desire to cook. The thing is, I'm a long-time vegan who enjoys mostly salads or soup for my evening meal, and my husband is a vegetarian kickboxer who requires a much more hearty dinner. I'm very grateful to have a partner who no longer eats meat—he whole-heartedly supports my ethics and stopped eating meat soon after we started dating—but I'm still left with the challenge of preparing two separate meals each and every night. Good thing I like to cook, right?

Well, sort of. It's really only when I don't have baking or raw dessert-making on the brain, which, in truth, is a rare occasion. So there are some nights when, by the time I'm finished prepping and cooking my husband's dinner, I have no desire to make my own. But, as you can see, my time can be spent creating something even better. Who needs dinner when you can make these?


These raw almond fudge bars were born after experimenting with layers of my favourite textures and flavours: a raw almond crust, soft chocolate fudge, and crunchy granola. I really liked how these came out. Actually, I loved them. And I hope you do, too!

Just like my St. Lucia muffins, these bars also happen to fit into the guidelines for this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge, which features coconut oil. Enjoy!

Raw almond fudge bars
Bottom layer:
2 cup raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours
1 cup oat groats or raw oat flakes, finely ground in a spice grinder
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flax meal
1 1/4 cup chopped dates + 1/4 cup soaking water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1. In a small bowl, soak the dates in warm water for about 10 minutes.
2. In a food processor, process the almonds to a coarse meal. Add the ground oat groats, coconut flakes and flax meal and process until well combined.
3. Add the soaked dates, soaking water, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to the food processor and process until well combined. You might need to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl a few times. The mixture should look like wet cookie dough. If it seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of water.
5. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with plastic wrap, making sure it hangs over the sides. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for the top layer and press the remainder of the mixture in the bottom of the pan, using the back of a spoon to press it down firmly and evenly.
6. Carefully lift the pressed layer out of the pan by pulling up the sides of the plastic wrap and place it on a dehydrator tray. Remove the plastic wrap and dehydrate the layer at 110 degrees for about 1 hour.

Top layer:
1/2 cup reserved bottom layer mixture
1/4 cup raw oat flakes
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

1. In a medium bowl, combine the reserved mixture from the bottom layer with the raw oat flakes and coconut flakes. Crumble it using your fingers.
2. Spread the mixture evenly on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 110 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Middle layer:
1 1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/3 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw carob powder, sifted
1/3 cup raw cacao powder, sifted
1/3 cup coconut oil
pinch of salt

1. In a food processor, process the almond butter, agave nectar and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add the carob powder, cacao powder, coconut oil and salt, and process just to combine. It should resemble a thick fudge consistency.
3. When the bottom and top layers have finished in the dehydrator, return the bottom layer to the pan and spread the fudge layer over top, carefully spreading it evenly with the back of a spoon. Then sprinkle the top layer over the fudge layer, pressing it firmly in place. Place the pan in the fridge for 1 hour to set before cutting into squares. Store the squares in a tightly covered container in the fridge.