Orange Cranberry Cardamom Bars     

By the Gracious Vegan

One of my testers reported to me on this one: “One word: YUM!” Don’t let the plain brown look of these bars fool you. They are bursting with flavor. And no sugar, butter, or other processed ingredients — a win-win. The cardamom, orange, and cranberry complement each other incredibly well. These would be especially good for a healthy holiday treat. No sacrifice here.

Makes an 8”x8” pan of bars (a double recipe fits in a 13”x9” pan)

Line an 8”x8” baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Roast the quinoa, nuts, and seeds. Spread out the quinoa and pumpkin seeds in a 13”x9” or 16”x12” pan. Bake them in the oven for 7 minutes.

  • 3/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped

  • 1/4 cup quinoa

Remove from the oven and add the following ingredients. Bake for another 7 minutes. Everything should all be aromatic and starting to brown.

  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

  • 1/4 cup raw pecans, walnuts, cashews, or macadamia nuts, chopped

  • 1/8 cup hemp or sesame seeds

Make the date-flax paste. Blend the following ingredients in a small blender (I use my bullet blender) until as smooth as possible – it doesn’t have to be ultra-smooth. (Soak the dates and flaxseed for 5-10 minutes in the water beforehand if you have time.) 

  • 4-5 Medjool dates cut into a few pieces each, about 1/2 cup dates

  • 2/3 cup warm water

  • 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal

Put it all together. In a medium bowl, stir together the following ingredients until smooth.  

  • The date/flax paste

  • Zest from one orange (large orange, if possible)

  • 3/4 cup almond butter (almond butter, not flour)

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or 1-to-1 flour for gluten-free)

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten (or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for gluten-free)

  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Add the following ingredients and stir again. 

  • The roasted quinoa, nuts, and seeds

  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit of your choice)

Spread the mixture in the baking pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 22-28 minutes, until golden brown, with the sides turned a darker shade of brown. Allow them to cool completely before slicing so that they hold together better. 


Timing: About an hour

Gluten-free options

DessertLinda TylerGluten-free, Anti-Inflammatory4 Comments