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Today please welcome Kristina from Spabettie!

I’ve been following Kristina’s blog, Spabettie, for a loooong time, and have always been in awe of the creativity and versatility of her recipes (not to mention her amazing photos)! Kristina has a knack for creating recipes that marry sometimes unexpected ingredients, textures or colors, always resulting in a sum that is greater than its parts. To see what I mean, take a peek at her Tomato Basil Pasta with Kalamata Cream Sauce, Apricot Rosemary Cheesecake, Raspberry Jalapeno Chocolates, Spicy Thai “Totchos,” or Raw Caramel Apple Cobbler (are you drooling yet?).

Kristina and I connected years ago over social media, but it wasn’t until last year’s Vida Vegan Con that we finally met in person. And she is just as warm, funny and sweet in person as she appears on her blog! Not only do we both love flavorful vegan food–we also both have two fur babies that occasionally show up on our pages. Well, no wonder her recipe looks totally at home on this blog! I’ll let Kristina herself tell you about it. . .

Honored and excited am I, to be here for Ricki today! I have been an avid follower of Ricki and her pups for quite some time. Having met Ricki at Vida Vegan Con, and worked with her as a fellow Attune Ambassador, I have gotten to know Ricki better over the last year. She is such a positive presence, and really fun.

When Ricki asked for a guest post, I wanted to be around Valentines. Not only is it one of my favorite days of the year, I just happen to love desserts. I know Ricki does too, and immediately this recipe started forming in my head. These bars are soft but hold up very well, have just the right amount of sweet, and are the perfect red for Valentines.

Simple, yet so yummy. Happy Valentines Day!

Print This!

Strawberry Hazelnut Bars For the base: 1 cup (240 ml) raw hazelnuts

8 Medjool dates (1 cup–or use prunes for an ACD-friendly version)

2 tablespoons coconut flakes

1 tablespoon water, if needed For the top layer: 3 cups (15 oz or 425 g) dried unsweetened strawberries

2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown rice syrup (for ACD, use agave nectar) Line an 8×8 inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts to a dry meal. Add dates and coconut, and continue to process until blended. If mixture is dry, add one tablespoon water to bind. Spread this mixture in an even layer in prepared pan. Set aside. Rinse food processor. Pulse berries and syrup into a paste. Spread in an even layer over hazelnut-date layer. Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours or up to overnight. Once set, remove from pan by lifting sides of parchment. Place on flat surface. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut into small squares. Makes 16-22 bars, depending on how large you cut them. Suitable for: ACD Maintenance, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, vegan, raw.



Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll get recipes as soon as they’re posted, plus cookbook updates and news about upcoming events! (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)

And if you’re looking for more healthy Valentine’s Day recipes, don’t forget that Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free has more than 100 of them! How about chocolate mint truffles, chocolate layer cake, decadent Dalmatian cheesecake brownies, or heart-shaped chocolate shortbreads for your sweetie? And everything in the book is sweetened with low glycemic sweeteners like coconut sugar or stevia. Get your copy here.

Kristina is better known online as spabettie , where she shares vibrant plant based recipes, stories of her two dachshunds, Basil and Rosemary, and life in Vegan Mecca Portland Oregon. Find her on twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, as well as on spabettie.com.







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