No-Bake Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Bars

Looking to satisfy a sweet tooth over the holidays? With a texture similar to cookie dough and a mixture of sweet and salty flavors, these chocolate-drizzled no-bake bars are a perfect way to enjoy a treat.

If you don’t have any tahini on hand, feel free to substitute with 1 ½ tablespoons of almond butter and a ¼ of a teaspoon fine sea salt.

Ingredients

1 serving Vanilla Vega® Essentials
or 1 serving Vanilla Vega® Protein & Greens
1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats, ground into flour in a food processor
2 tsp chia seeds
1/4 cup natural almond butter
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp tahini
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup Silk® Original Unsweetened Almondmilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp each chopped shelled pistachios and dried cranberries
Chocolate Drizzle:
2 Tbsp vegan chocolate chips
2 tsp coconut oil

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the Vega® Protein & Greens or Vega® Essentials, oat flour and chia seeds.
Add all remaining ingredients except the pistachios and cranberries. Stir well until the mixture has a dough-like consistency. If it seems too dry, add one tablespoon of almond milk at a time. You don’t want the dough to get too wet, and may find that it’s easier to mix it with hands than a spoon.
Stir in half of the pistachios and cranberries.
Press the dough into an 8×4″ baking dish lined with parchment paper. Leave a little parchment paper hanging over the edges of the dish for easy removal, and use the back of a flipper or bottom of a glass to make the layer as even and flat as possible.
Press the remaining pistachios and dried cranberries into the top of the dough, then put the dish in the freezer for one hour.
Remove the dish and lift the dough out using the parchment paper as handles. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into eight bars.
In a small saucepan, melt the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once smooth and runny, pour the mixture into a small jar for easy pouring. Drizzle it on top of the bars.
Put the bars back in the fridge or freezer for at least 20 minutes and allow the chocolate to harden.
Serve immediately, or wrap the bars individually and store them in the fridge or freezer.