Nut free vegan fruit slice is a healthier treat option with a bit of a festive feel! Gluten free and dairy free with loads of natural sweetness from dried fruit, bananas and coconut flour.
1tspbaking powder(ensure this is gluten free if required)
1/2tspsalt
1/4cupmelted coconut oil - 60 mL
1/4cuptahini- 60 mL (I use hulled tahini)
1/4cupbrown rice syrup- 60 mL
2tspvanilla extract
3tbsphot water
1 and 1/2cupsdried fruit*if you are using goji berries I recommend soaking them first, see notes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 160 C and line a square baking tin with baking parchment. I would recommend either a 20cm or 22cm square tin.
Combine the coconut flour, brown rice flour, flaxseed, spices, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly until you get a thick puree and then stir in the melted coconut oil, tahini, brown rice syrup and vanilla.
Combine wet and dry ingredients; the mixture should be very thick. Fold in all of the dried fruit. As you're mixing, add 3 tablespoons of hot water to help the mixture form a wet, sticky dough.
Scoop the mixture into the baking tray and press down so the top is even and there are no gaps. (Dampen your fingertips and use them to press the slice down!)
Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until the slice has started to turn golden brown on top and the edges are darkening.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing. Store the slice in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for a longer life. (I've found the slice will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature, too.)
Notes
*if you are using goji berries in the slice I recommend pre-soaking them, as they're quite often fairly hard and dry. Simply pop them in a heatproof bowl, pour over boiled over and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Then drain and use the softened berries in the recipe.*if you don’t need to avoid using nuts in this recipe you can substitute the tahini for almond butter.*you can add more spices into the slice if you like! try adding a teaspoon or two of ground ginger, or a pinch of ground cloves or ground nutmeg.*you can also add some seeds to the slice for crunch - pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds work nicely!*p.s. the images of the slice in this blog post are topped with coconut yoghurt, pumpkin seeds and rose petals.
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!