I Wouldn't Do Anything for a Klondike Bar....

but this Raw (Vegan) Ice Cream Sandwich is so freaking awesome, I mowed the lawn in the heat of the day just so I could enjoy this to the fullest!

There are 3 steps to this delicious treat, and you have to be a little patient on the wait time, but it is a FROZEN treat so cut me some slack.   I didn't actually wait for this bar to be refrozen completely after assembly so it is a bit melty in the pic... I had just mowed the lawn, remember?

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds, raw organic
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1 scraped vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla)
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 oz dates

8 oz coconut milk (one full fat can, or make your own)
1/3 cup raw honey (or maple syrup, or sweetener of choice)
4 scraped vanilla pods (or one Tablespoon extract)

First Step:  Tasty outer "cookie" crust.

Line a 9 by 13 baking dish (I used a large glass casserole dish) with parchment paper, about twice the size of the pan.


In food processor, pulse almonds (raw, organic), cocoa powder, salt, and finely ground buckwheat (I use a coffee grinder for this).  Buckwheat is not a grain, but a flowering herb, used in Acadian pluots.  If you can't find it near you, finely grind some raw gf oats until powdery as a substitute.  Process this all together until fine and powdery.  Don't just let it go forever though, because the almonds will start to cream into butter.  Add vanilla and dates, one at a time.  I actually use the dates to scrape the inside of the vanilla pod, so I get all those little delicious specks of vanilla goodness into the food, and not left on a butter knife.  The batter should pull away from the sides of the food processer and stick together when formed into a ball.  Spread this in a thin layer in the parchment lined pan.  I tend to lay a big piece of parchment down and fold it over the top to smooth out this cookie layer.  Stick this in the fridge while you make the filling.

Second Step:  Coconut "Ice Cream" Filling.

Mix coconut milk, sweetener and vanilla in the blender and blend.  That's it.  The longer you blend, the more air in the mixture.  I did it for about 5 minutes.  Then I took out the cookie layer pan and poured the milk on top.  Set it it the freezer for about 3-4 hours.

Third Step:  Assemble.

Remove from freezer.  Lift parchment and place on cutting board.  If you are anal, measure the rectangle and cut exactly in half.  I found a serrated bread knife did the best job on this frozen treat.  Fold one half over the other to make the sandwich.  Cut into 2 inch squares and kind of smoosh them together to remove the ice cream seam.  Wrap in waxed paper and refreeze an hour or so to set.

You don't actually have to do physical labor in the heat of the day to enjoy these, but you know your garden needs weeding and the walkways need sweeping, or the car could use a good vacuuming.