Summer is coming, summer is coming! -happy dance-
The weather is finally getting warmer, the sun has been making appearances every other day, I’ve been able to pull out some dresses and shorts, and I scored this bag of frozen mangoes on sale at Costco the other day. This calls for a celebration!
In my dictionary, a celebration always includes food.
Such as these Mango Sorbet Bars that are vegan, gluten free, paleo, and made from only 6 ingredients. Making this a healthy celebration. No need to worry about ruining that pre-prom or bikini season diet.
Today’s flavours include mango, macadamia nuts, and coconut. This trio was just meant to be. They’re probably already well acquainted from living next tree (ahem, not door) to each other in Hawaii. Although they may have not been crowned super food of the year, their spectacular health benefits definitely make them worthy contestants!
A brief feature on our spotlight ingredients:
Mango – A favourite of mine since childhood. High in Vitamin C and A, this mega sweet summer-time fruit will help keep your immune system strong and your vision healthy.
Macadamia Nuts – One of the most coveted varieties of nuts out there, macadamia nuts (or macnut for short) is to nuts as sablefish is to fish: rich, luscious, and smooth. In particular, macnuts are one of the foods most rich in monounsaturated fat, the good type of dietary fat that helps reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL, a.k.a. artery-clogger) and improves the good cholesterol (HDL; returns excess cholesterol to liver). Monounsaturated fat is often associated with avocados and coconut oil, but macadamia nuts tops them both in this category.
Coconut – Not long ago, coconut was shunned for being extremely high in saturated fat. Even when I was a child some decade and a half ago, I was advised to minimally consume coconut products. Turns out the saturated fat in coconut is not at all like the saturated fat in butter. Coconut contains medium-chain triglycerides, which is a form of fat that is easier for the body to break down. Instead of being deposited into long term fatty storage, is transformed into fuel by the liver. Therefore, potentially helping you to burn calories! So, eat up on coconut, the dried version used here has all the benefits of coconut oil plus the fibre from the meat!
The recipe begins by making the crust. There isn’t a crust simpler than this one; blend up 3 ingredients, press into a pan, and done!
How easy was that? A crust in under five minutes! Onto the next component of this recipe…
which isn’t any more complicated. The sorbet filling is literally a 2 ingredient smoothie plus a bit of coconut oil to help stabilize the mixture as it chills. The salt and vanilla are optional as it is just for a little more oomph. Since I began with semi-frozen mango chunks, the consistency of my filling will be fluffier and more sorbet-like than starting off with fresh mango. Both types will work totally fine because the entire thing will need to be chilled (or frozen) until firm.
For the cleanest cuts, I recommend using a sturdy knife to slice the bars when they are frozen solid. Enjoy them frozen like a popsicle or slightly thawed for a soft-serve texture. Delicious either way!
These frozen sorbet bars are a refreshing summer treat that’s 100% wholesome and healthy. Absolutely no added sugars of any kind! Just a few gooey dates, a handful of fragrant nuts, and plenty of juicy mango, nature at its sweetest.
- Crust
- ½ cup macadamia nuts, toasted*
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted**
- A dash of cinnamon (optional)
- 7 Medjool dates
- Sorbet Filling
- 2 cups cubed mango (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- A pinch of pink salt
- A dash of vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup coconut chips, toasted** (for topping, optional)
- Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Alternatively, you can use a pan with a removable bottom.
- In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, chop toasted macadamia nuts, toasted shredded coconut, and cinnamon until a relatively fine crumb is achieved.
- Add pitted Medjool dates and process until finely chopped and well combined. Test consistency by pressing mixture between fingers; if it holds it's shape, it's done!
- Press crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Without cleaning out the food processor, add the mango, almond milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- With the machine running, gradually add the melted coconut oil through the feeding tube. Blend until well combined.
- Spread the sorbet mixture over the crust and top with toasted coconut chips. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
*To toast macadamia nuts, bake at 350⁰F for 7 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown.
**To toast coconut, bake at 350⁰F for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown.
Gosh these look absolutely incredible! Must try 🙂
Hi Natalie, Aren’t they something? 😉 Thank you for taking the time to comment; we really appreciate it!
I just discovered your blog on Finding Vegan and this recipe is perfect! No processed sugar, quick and most importantly – MANGO!! I have a major crush on mango so anything with it I will eat in a second 🙂
Glad to have found this blog 🙂
Hi Ana,
Thank you for taking the time to comment! We are so glad you found our blog as well, and we hope you try the recipe very soon. Let us know how the bars turn out 🙂
Yum! Can’t wait to try these! What size pan did you use and what is the serving size?
Hi Rebecca! I used a 9″x5″ loaf pan that yielded 8 squares. I’ve updated the recipe with the serving size for future reference.
Oh my!! This looks divine! Mango is such a great fruit. :] // itsCarmen.com ☼
I think I`ll try it with peaches… since we do not have any good mango here, but the peaches will be redy soon 🙂 do you think it will work out? I do 🙂 great recipie… will definately try it with different sorts of nuts and fruit
thank you 🙂
Peaches sound’s like an awesome idea! Since these bars will be frozen, I think any fruit will work well.
Hi, just made them 🙂 can’t wait to eat them 😛
I was wondering… what other fruits could suit as sorbet instead of mango? For instance I got a pineapple and I was thinking of making a pineapple version… do you think is doable?
Hi Silvia,
Definitely! Any frozen fruit will work perfectly 🙂
Hope you enjoy the bars!
I tried this; I’m not sure I’m finding mango to be my favorite thing, but I think the crust could very easily double for cheesecake. Anyhow, I took a few measurements and ended up with 80grams nuts, 20g coconut shavings, and 40grams dates (could not get medjool, by the way) and 350 grams of fresh mango. As far as I could measure, it came out to about 200 calories per fairly large 1/6th, so that’s pretty friendly (especially without the hypothalamus-numbing added sugars.)
I guess my one concern is that the ingredients aren’t commonly used for much else, so I may be stuck making several batches of this just to work through them.
Hi Joshua! Thanks for the weight measurements, I’m sure other readers will find it helpful. If you’re looking for ways to use up some ingredients, check out our recipes like Carrot Cake Truffles, Hemp Spirulina Balls, Epic Banana Cream Pie, or Deep Dish Pecan Pie that use ingredients like nuts, coconut, and dates.
Wow, these ingredients are staples in my house (mango only in summer, but still!) – you’re missing out on a whole lot of delicious food if you don’t use them for much! There are heaps of yummy recipes on this blog and I know there are HEAPS of recipe blogs that regularly call for this stuff – a quick google should help you out 🙂
This looks overly yummy (like all of your recipes) gosh, I’m salivating.. *drools*
Hi there — these look delicious! May I please ask — do they need to be kept in the fridge or freezer after they are sliced? And how long will they survive at room temperature? I was thinking of making them for an afternoon tea.
Hello Angela, sorry for the belated reply. It is best to keep these bars in the freezer and take them out 5 to 10 minutes before ready to serve. Have a wonderful afternoon tea!
Hi! Can you suggest any substitute to dates? I can’t find a store near me that sells them 🙁
Dried prunes would be the next best option, as they are also very sweet and sticky. You could also try dried figs.
Man! I made this yesterday, twas sooo good!!! thank you! Will make it again….soooo easy and soooo delicious, hey its sugar free people!!!!
Glad to hear you loved this recipe! It surely is a great summer treat!
Hi! How long do you think these will keep in the freezer? Thanks!
Hi Elsa, they are best stored in the freezer and can last ~1 month there!