Sunny Vegan Frozen Yogurt Bars

Food can be medicine in its creation.

But, for the past few years, laughter was absent in my home. And depression and anxiety are so difficult 😞 especially when you witness it with those you love the most. It might be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to watch and endure.

Everything I have done in the past three years has been to stave the disease away. Love, therapy, music, nutrition, wellness. And yes, sometimes I forgot to look after myself. Real struggles happen to us all. Not every day is perfect. And yes we still are climbing and working towards health. After all: Happy belly. Happy mind.

How to make the best vegan frozen yogurt bark / bars

yogurt: use any of your favourite quality vegan yogurt made from oats, coconut, soy or almond. We used vegan oat milk unsweetened plain yogurt.

sweetener: maple syrup is our go-to sweetener, but you can use whatever you have on hand. A little goes a long way with this recipe thanks to the fruit.

peaches: frozen peaches are easily accessible year round. If you’re looking to get rid of some very ripe peaches, this is your chance ;)

berries: We love a good frozen berry added to this recipe. Blueberries or raspberries are a wonderful addition to a yogurt bark.

nuts/seeds: chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts…or no nuts at all if you’re serving to those with allergies. Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds. It’s up to you. We love almonds and pumpkin seeds. All nuts and seeds are best raw and unsalted. But feel free to mix it up.

extras: for some fun and sunshine, add in figs, craisins, dried apricots, vegan white chocolate chips.

Ingredients & Directions

Estimated time: 3 hours

Effort/skill: Easy

Servings: 10-12 bars

Ingredients - see notes above for swaps and options

• 650g plain unsweetened vegan yogurt (see notes above)

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 thinly sliced small peaches (see notes above)

• 1 cup of frozen berries - blueberries & raspberries (see notes above)

• 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds

• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

• 2 tsp hemp seeds

• 1/4 cup dried figs, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

• 1 small nub of ginger, finely grated

• zest of 1 lime

Directions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. I like to put mine in the freezer ahead of time, not just to chill it down, but to make sure that it fits and can balance in there evenly, before I place the liquidy mixture on it.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla together.

3. Carefully spread the yogurt mix onto the parchment-lined pan with a spatula. Spreading into the corners well.

4. Now the fun begins, place your berries, peaches 🍑, dried fruits, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds on evenly.

5. Grate the ginger over top of all ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the lime zest over top as well.

6. Freeze the tray for 2-3 hours.

7. Once solid, cut the bars with a pizza cutter, or break them up ragged if you’re serving immediately to guests.

8. Enjoy on a sunny 🌞 day.

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