Sunshine Bars (vegan + gluten free)

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About these vegan sunshine bars

Three Tropical Layers – These sunshine bars have three irresistible layers, each of which could stand on its own! The base is made of a coconut cookie crust with a hint of lemon zest. Next is a coconut date caramel, followed by a light and vibrant mango whipped cream.

Naturally Sweetened – No refined sugars or syrups necessary! These sunshine bars are sweetened with fruits – namely, dates and mangoes.

Keto-Friendly – no added sweeteners means that these mango sunshine bars are low in refined carbohydrates. The coconut adds a good amount of medium chain saturated fatty acids to the dessert. These particular fats are easier to absorb and can more rapidly be converted into ketones to provide energy to the brain. Easy to Make – Just blend, layer, and chill!

Ingredients for sunshine bars

Coconut Cookie Crust:

• Coconut flour – a naturally gluten-free, vegan, and keto-friendly base ingredient with a light, sandy texture.
• Coconut flakes – get unsweetened flaked coconut to keep this recipe free of refined sugars.
• Sea salt – enhances the flavor of the crust by balancing the sweetness of the other layers.
• Lemon zest – adds a refreshing citrus aroma and taste to add interest to the cookie crust.
• Dates – for natural sweetness and to help bind the crust together.

Coconut Caramel

• Dates – medjool dates give the caramel sauce its thick, gooey texture and characteristic caramel flavor!
• Coconut water – strain the liquids from a can of coconut milk to achieve a coconut-inspired flavor and smooth texture.
• Coconut flakes – to round out the coconut caramel layer, adding texture and a lovely, tropical coconut flavor.

Mango Whipped Cream:

• Coconut cream – creates a luscious, dairy-free whipped topping.
• Mango – the star of the show! Fresh or frozen mango will both work. I personally love champagne mangos, you can find them at whole foods most months of the year. The generous amount of mango adds natural sweetness, and a pop of color while enhancing the creamy texture and contributing to the tropical flavor profile.
• Lemon juice – balances the sweetness with a touch of acidity and brightens the flavor profile.

How to make sunshine bars

Coconut Cookie Crust

Add the coconut flour, coconut flakes, salt, pitted medjool dates, and lemon zest to a high speed food processor and blend until the mixture resembles soft sand and sticks together as one when grabbed and squeezed by the handful.

Add water one tablespoon at a time, as needed, until the dough sticks together

Press the dough into an 8×8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper. Press firmly to make one even layer.

Bake the crust in the oven at 350 for 8 – 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Coconut Caramel

Add the liquids from the can of coconut milk to a small hob and add the medjool dates.

Bring the dates and coconut water to a simmer and hold, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the dates have softened considerably.

Add the warm mixture to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Toss in the coconut flakes and pulse a few times to incorporate (careful not to over-mix at this point!)

Mango WHipped Cream

If using frozen mango, let the mango thaw slightly so that it blends more easily

Carefully open the canned coconut milk. Scoop out the top layer of thick, white coconut cream. Only use the cream, be careful not to get any of the liquids.

Add the coconut cream and mango to a blender along with the juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Blend until smooth.

Pour the mango cream in an even layer over the cookie crust.

Expert Tips

Mangoes

Although you can use frozen mango in this recipe, I recommend look for fresh champagne mangos in the produce section. If you can find them, I consider these to be the best quality in terms of flavor. Choose a mango that’s heavy for its size and soft when pressed.

Coconut Cream

Chill the can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge for several hours (or several days) before starting this recipe. We need the coconut cream to separate from the liquids, which doesn’t always happen at room temperature. Pop it in the fridge just to be sure you’ll have a clean layer of coconut cream to use. 

Ingredient Substitutions

Canned coconut milk – we really just need the cream from the can. You can find cans of just the coconut cream in the international foods aisle. 

Coconut butter – follow the instructions in the recipe card to make this from scratch, or substitute coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio. I prefer homemade coconut butter because it is slightly thicker and the fiber is retained, but coconut oil will work equally well in this recipe. Alternatively, you can use unsweetened cashew butter for a lovely, more caramel-forward cookie crust. 

Coconut flour – use almond flour in place at a 1:1 ratio for the coconut flour (but you’ll sacrifice some of that tropical flavor!). Substitute oat flour for up to 1 1/2 cup of the coconut flour, but you will need to use at lease 1/2 cup of the coconut flour or almond flour to prevent the dough from crumbling apart.

Recipe Card

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