These bars were designed as a transitional dessert, moving away from conventional options laden with dairy and refined flour. They have developed a devout following among those aiming to phase out nutrient-devoid sweets and progress to healthier options.
Tip: Sticky situation
These guys are really sticky, so don’t skip the parchment paper. Lining your baking pan will make it easy to remove the baked bars and cut down on your cleanup.
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups brown rice flour
⅓ cup organic dark brown sugar
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup vegan butter
Pecan Topping
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 ½ cups organic dark brown sugar
⅔ cup coconut nectar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp vegan butter
2 tsp pure rum extract
¼ tsp sea salt
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 13 x 9 x 2 in baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 in overhang on 2 sides.
To make crust:
In large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Use pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into prepared baking pan and press down evenly and very firmly, making sure to press crumbs all the way to edges of pan.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until firm and very lightly browned. Let cool on rack.
To make topping:
Spread pecans evenly over crust. In medium saucepan, heat brown sugar, coconut nectar, cornstarch, butter, rum extract and salt, stirring, until just bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in almond milk. Pour over pecans, making sure topping is spread evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool on rack, then refrigerate overnight. Remove from pan and cut into 15 bars.
