Raw Apple Streusel Bars (Vegan, GF)

We found this recipe on http://vegancookbookcritic.blogspot.com/. They looked so amazing and we loved how we didn't need a dehydrator to make it. We made a few changes to the recipe and we think they turned out pretty great. If you leave them to sit overnight, the chia gelatinizes the butter so it actually stays together. We added an extra date to thicken the butter even more. We found that it needed more streusel topping, so we also added more walnuts. The original icing does not have any sweetness so we added agave/honey and vanilla to give it a richer, more "dessert" taste.


Crust:
2 cups cashews
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp agave (we used raw honey)


Grind in a food processor until crummy. Press into the bottom of a pan.


Apple Butter:
2 cups apples (choose a sweet variety such as Royal Gala)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch of cloves
3 dates, pitted
1 tbsp ground chia - important because it gelatinizes butter!
2 tsp lemon juice


Blend ingredients in food processor and spread on top of the crust.


Apple Slices:
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp lemon juice


Place slices in a single layer on top of apple butter layer.


Streusel:
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 tbsp sucanat or coconut sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon


Mix ingredients together by hand and sprinkle on top of apple slices.


Cashew icing:
1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp agave or raw honey
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
Water to thin


Blend ingredients in food processor, place in a ziploc bag and cut the corner off. Pipe in a cool design on top of streusel.


Chill in the fridge overnight.

Yummmmm!

These turned out super amazing. They taste exactly like apple pie and have the texture of being baked because the apples really soften up in the fridge. We gave a piece to our non-vegan friend and she was floored by how good these are and couldn't believe they are raw!