Mango-Coconut Cream Bars

During the summer, as a kid, I would make frozen yogurt bars ALWAYS. Even as a child, I understood that TEXTURE IS EVERYTHING! Nothing beats an uber creamy filling with slightly textured fruit, and a bit of crunch from a grain of sorts. These were inspired by the many, MANY Matcha drinks found on TikTok.

You can use any fruit you’d like but mango is my favorite pairing with coconut and matcha (plus, the coloorful layers scream Summer). Strawberries, blueberries, papaya, and guava would pair beautifully with this snack (for the snack you are). Always remember, the world is YOUR oyster, so customize the shit out of anything you can.

Mango Coconut Cream Bars

Yield: 9 bars

Time: 45 minutes (+ chill time)

INGREDIENTS

Matcha Oat Crust

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1/2 cups sesame seeds

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• 6 dates, soaked

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoon matcha

• 3-4 tablespoons ice-cold water

{Coconut Cream Filling}

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked overnight (or for 4 hours with hot water)

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

{Mango Swirl}

• 1 large ripe mango, peel and pit removed

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• 1 teaspoon five spice or cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

To make the Matcha-Oat Crust

1. In a food processor, add the oats, sesame seeds, coconut oil, dates, salt, and matcha.

2. Pulse until combined. Add water 1-2 tablespoons at a time until combined. The crust should begin to form into a ball when being blended in the food processor.

3. In a 9x9 square pan, coat with coconut oil and place a layer of parchment paper along the sides and bottom.

4. Pour the Matcha-Oat Crust into the pan and press down into an even layer. Set aside.

   To make the Coconut Cream Filling

5. Begin by soaking your cashews overnight. If you forgot to, you can add cashews to a pot of water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Let them sit, covered, for 20 minutes until softened.

6. Once soaked, add the cashews to a high-speed blender. I prefer to use a blender with blades at the bottom (like a Vitamix or the smoothie blender cups such as a Ninja Bullet).

7. Also add coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. Blend until a smooth, thick consistency comes to fruition. If the mixture appears to be too thin, add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch.

8. Pour over the Matcha-Oat crust and set aside in the freezer.

To make the Mango Swirl

1. Grab a large ripe mango (my favorite way to assess mango ripeness is to give a little whiff. If the mango smells like a mango ice pop you had in 5th grade, then that is YOUR MANGO).

2. Remove the skin and pit. I like to slice the mango vertically along the pit. Using the lip of a large cup, slide the mango down along the sides of the cup with the flesh side facing you. This helps remove all of the mango flesh, with minimal flesh left behind. P.S. Do NOT forget to suck the hell out of the pit for mango flesh. It is a necessity.

3. Add the mango to a high-speed blender with coconut oil and five-spice/cinnamon. Blend until smooth.

4. Spoon the mango filling into the coconut cream filling (which should still be wet). I like to create a grid pattern of mango pools. This will help you achieve a beautiful swirl.

5. Place a skewer or toothpick into the pan and begin to gently swirl together the coconut cream and mango puree. Move-in a circular motion, helping you to achieve swirls that scream “Starry Night” vibes.

6. Once your design is completed, place it in the freezer overnight. Be careful with your other contents in the freezer, as I have learned my lesson of overstuffing the freezer-resulting in a messy design for the bars.

7. Using a sharp knife, slice the bars into squares and serve.

8. Dive in!

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