Moringa Lemon Bars
Can you really pair Moringa powder with lemon and things not turn green? Yes and No. The secret is in the crust. Incorporating Moringa into a healthy nut crust sweetened with dates allows access to the benefits of Moringa without drawing attention to the color of Moringa. Moringa lemon bars do not mimic the exact texture and taste of traditional lemon bars which are filled with a whole lot of processed (albeit, addicting) flour and sugar, but they do offer a terrific and flavorful substitute that we hope you will be enticed to create and enjoy.
The nut-based crust has a softer, chewier texture….so if you are craving the traditional flaky shortbread crust, you could experiment with your own combination of nut flours and Moringa powder. I may be trying one soon and will update if it turns out well.
The filling layer of these lemon bars are made like basic lemon bars: fresh lemon juice and zest (lemons picked off a tree if you happen to live in a warm climate), eggs and honey as a natural sweetener to counter the tartness of the lemon.
Skip the more common powdered sugar and instead opt to sprinkle prepared Moringa Lemon Bars with unsweetened coconut shreds or crushed toasted pecans…and “Wala”–enjoy a terrific and flavorful alternative to the standard lemon bars.
May we suggest you give these a try! Remember, if you decide you cannot sacrifice the typical shortbread crust, you could always use a traditional crust recipe and mix in some Moringa to add a bit of nutrition to an otherwise empty calorie dessert!
Adapted from paleo lemon bars on Popular Paleo.
- 1 cup almonds or nut of choice
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup medjool dates 6-9
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp good salt variety
- 1 tbsp Moringa powder or to preference
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup lemon juice 4-6 (depending on the size of the lemons
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1 1/2 tsp hot water
- 8 eggs
- Preheat oven to 325 F
- To prepare crust, add first 7 ingredients to food processor and pulse until mixed well but prior to becoming paste/butter.
- Add 1 egg and pulse until well integrated but still a sand rough texture.
- Press crust into a 9x9 pan or 8x8 if you prefer a thicker crust. Set aside.
- Begin to prepare the filling. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, vanilla, and honey in a high powered blender (pulse) or with a mixer.
- In a small dish, stir 1 1/2 tsp hot water with 1 tbsp arrowroot flour. It will be paste-like. Pulse or mix into previously prepared filling.
- Slowly pour lemon filling over crust.
- Place in oven. Be careful not to slosh the filling up the sides of the dish.
- Bake at 325F for 30 -40 minutes until center is firm. Bake time will vary with pan and oven.
I’m totally in the middle of preparing this and it looks like there is an error with this recipe. The instructions say to add eggs to the filling but the ingredient list doesn’t say eggs or how many – help!
Julie,
So sorry for the error! Just updated the ingredient list with 1 egg in the crust and 8 eggs in the filling.