Apricot Hemp Seed Delight Bar
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~ raw, vegan, gluten, nut-free, Paleo ~
Did you know that Vitamin A is also an antioxidant that’s associated with healthy eyes? A diet rich in Vitamin A can help prevent nighttime blindness, eye inflammation, and dry eyes.
Just one cup of dried apricot halves contains 94% of the recommended amount of Vitamin A for the day. Granted, you won’t want to eat a whole cup of dried fruit every day. Not only that, they add a rich layer of flavor to this delightful raw bar.
So let’s talk about these bars… the beauty of this recipe is that you can dehydrate them or choose not to. I tested them both ways. If you decide not to dry them, they should be kept in the fridge or freezer for longer shelf life. I did leave one on the counter, exposed to the open air for 10 hours, and it held up just fine. It was a little soft but held together just fine.
To extend their shelf life and to make them “travel-worthy,” I recommend dehydrating them for at least 10 hours. Texture-wise and taste-wise, they were both wonderful… but now you have options! I have made this recipe several times, both in bar size and bite-size, which is fun too! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
yields 16 bars
- 3 cups dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 1 cup chopped dried prunes
- 1 1/2 cups raw hemp seeds
- 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1 tsp vanilla seeds, scraped from vanilla pods (see below for subs)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Preparation:
- Prepare an 8×8″ pan.
- I used one with a removable bottom. I lined the base with plastic wrap to aid in removing the bars with grace and ease.
- If you don’t have a removable bottom, line the pan with plastic wrap.
- To soften the dried fruit (for mixing purposes), place the diced apricots and prunes in a bowl and cover with hot water. Once soft, drain and discard the water.
- In a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, pulse together the hemp seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla to ensure that the flavors are evenly dispersed.
- Vanilla substitutes: 1 vanilla bean equal 1 tsp of pure ground vanilla or 1 vanilla bean equal 3 tsp extract or 1 vanilla bean equal 1/2 tsp vanilla nectar
- Add the drained apricots, prunes, and lemon juice. Process until the batter starts to ball up as the blade goes around. Be careful that you don’t over-process.
- Press the batter into the 8×8″ pan. Spread evenly.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of hemp seeds on top and press down evenly with a spatula.
- Place into the fridge or freezer until solid.
- Remove and cut into squares. At this point, you can enjoy them right away, or you can dehydrate them, making them less sticky and “roadworthy.” If you skip the dehydration process, store it in the fridge or freezer.
- Dehydrate – place the brownie squares on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator.
- Dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 115 degrees (F) and dry for at least 10 hours or longer if desired.
- Store in an airtight container. Shelf life? About 1 month in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- Hemp seeds don’t require soaking. Click (here) to learn more.
- Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon? Click (here) to learn why.
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, No Dehydration Required, Nut Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
By vanilla seeds, do you mean scraping out enough pods to get 1 tsp worth of the inner seeds? Thank you!
Yes, you are correct JJ… I will make it more clear up above. Have a great evening, amie sue
Hi…looking forward to trying another one of your wonderful creations! I do not have any vanilla pods though. I have vanilla powder and regular vanilla. How do I substitute? Thanks!! :)
Good morning Lori,
I really think that you will enjoy these. :) I would go with either 1 tsp of the vanilla powder or 3 tsp of vanilla extract. Keep me posted how it goes. Blessings and enjoy your weekend. amie sue
We don’t use cups much here in the uk and I’m not really sure how to use them.
Do I chop things like dried fruit before measuring, or afterwards?
Many thanks,
Helen
Good day Helen,
I would chop them prior to measuring. :) amie sue
And don’t forget to tell everyone they are nut free!
You label them as gluten free vegan! They are better than that.
I find nuts and most seeds very very hard to digest. I have no problem, at all with hemp hearts. Whole hemp seeds, with shell, in contrast, are a nightmare.
So looks like this recipe has my name on it!
Thanks Helen, I will add that into the recipe title. hehe So happy that you can least enjoy hemp hearts. :) Have a great day, amie sue
True enough Helen, I added it to the recipe title. :) I am glad that you can at least enjoy hemp hearts! Have a wonderful day, amie sue
I like them soft and warm from the dehydrator. Froze most but am leaving a few to dry out further as a test. I like the light/dark contrast too. To reward myself for making these easy to throw together delights I’m going to order dried organic Angelino Plums for the next time. I don’t care for their strong tartness but because I am on a tart kick I think they might take these up a notch for me.
Chalk this this one up to another success.
Good evening Judy… isn’t that just amazing about raw foods? You can eat the dough raw, dehydrate them, freeze them, make different shapes and sizes and they all turn out to be wonderful. :) It sounds like you are thoroughly enjoying them. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. Have a blessed and wonderful Holiday week. amie sue
Thanks. It’s interesting that there isn’t a perfect amount to dehydrate with these as they are good slightly dehydrated and good after overnight in the dehydrator where they are more candy-like. I tried them with the Angelino plums (not organic) and they are a bit more tart which I like, but the difference is just subtle. What I am finding interesting also about the bars in general is that they are deceptively simple. The amount of processing is so touchy as I want to see the parts of the whole, because it’s prettier that way, rather than have them all processed together, so less processing is better in some cases. Gotta be tuned in to do these. Also, it’s a matter of artistic choice on the shape. I like the little rectangles as you did with these.
I ordered some flavored teas to try some of the bars with chocolate next!
PS. Now that there is mention on getting adequate sleep I am pulling out all the stops, tools and tricks for myself to do the same. But that is another topic for a different category post.
Good afternoon Judy.
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and experiences. Every recipe can be so individualized, that’s for sure. Nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are so interchangeable. :) So glad to see that you are enjoying the process. And yes, don’t forget to get your sleep… it’s just as important as eating the right foods!
Blessings, amie sue