Mango bars are a decadent, oil-free treat with a simple crust and a refreshing layer of decadent mango cream on top. They're a dairy-free treat that you can easily make gluten-free, too!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour (or use oat flour or a gf blend for gluten-free)
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 flax egg (, That is 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of warm water.)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup

For the Mango Layer

  • 1 cup raw cashews (not soaked)
  • 2 cups of mango puree (i use canned mango puree/mango pulp. See notes for using fresh mango.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (, optional)

Method

Make the crust.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (176 °C).
  2. In a bowl, add the flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt and press and mix well to break any of the almond flour lumps. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
  3. Add in the flax egg and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix until it starts to form somewhat of a dough. If the dough is too crumbly, add in more maple syrup.
  4. Line and 8x8- or 9x9-inch baking dish or a brownie pan with parchment, then press this crust into the pan and even it out with the spatula. Use a fork to make holes in the crust, and then bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden on the edges.
  5. Once the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven, and let it cool.

Make the mango layer while the crust bakes and cools.

  1. Add the cashews, mango puree, salt, and sugar to a blender, and then blend for a minute. Then leave the blender and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the blended cashews to rehydrate from the moisture in the mango puree. Then blend again for a minute and let it sit for another minute and blend again for half a minute. Repeat this until the mixture is super creamy. Taste to adjust sweetness and flavor. You can add a little bit of vanilla, if you like.

Make the mango bars

  1. Pour or scoop this mixture, depending on how thick it is, over the baked and cooled crust, and even out the top with a spatula. Then, put the baking dish in the freezer for an hour or two, until the bars are somewhat set, and then you can slice them and serve them.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.