Gluten-Free Apricot Tea Squares

I rarely bake with apricots but I saw a gluten-free recipe that sounded amazing and one I had to test out asap.  In fact, I think this is the one and only apricot recipe on Lemon Drop to date.

These Apricot Tea Squares are simple to make, use wholesome ingredients and get this - contain NO SUGAR or sugar substitutes!  The apricots and natural sweetness of coconut is all you need. That, my friends, is a winner in my book.

The other great thing about these squares is the easy preparation. Everything comes together in minutes with your food processor then you simply press the dough into a prepared pan.

Ok, so sure, they come together easily, they are sugar-free, but do they taste good?  Ask my son who refuses to eat apricots or coconut but devoured 2 of these squares while still warm.  As these also support my own personal clean-eating plan I had to indulge too.  Yum!  They have a great chewy consistency, are not overly sweet and the flavors of both the apricot and the coconut come through in leaps and bounds.  I especially love their crunchy, golden edges.  These would be fantastic topped with some cream cheese too.   Lastly, they are perfect any time of day, especially mid-afternoon with a lovely cuppa Earl Grey but would even be a super breakfast treat.

If you like baking with almond flour and enjoy the benefits of a Gluten-Free diet, then this cookbook is for you:
 

It is food-processor time!  Let's get to it.

RECIPE:
*slightly adapted source recipe:  Apricot Tea Squares, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup dried apricots ( you want the fat, plump ones - leave out the harder ones)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
SPRAY a 8" square pan with cooking spray
LINE the bottom of the pan with parchment paper

IN FOOD PROCESSOR,  pulse together apricots and coconut until you have a crumbly texture with no large bits of apricot remaining
ADD in all remaining ingredients and pulse until combined
PRESS batter into prepared pan
BAKE for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown

REMOVE pan from oven and place on cooling rack
LET cool 1/2 hr before slicing into bars

ENJOY !


6 comments:

  1. These look delicious! I love that they don't have any sugar. Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday:)

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  2. What a great recipe! Must try it!

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  3. Wow, I've had that cookbook forever and have never seen this recipe... fail on me! I LOVE apricots and love that there isn't a lot of sugar in these. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Linda,Very delicious looking tea squares!!! have to share them on FB Yummy!

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  5. I like to have a batch of these around for breakfast: one or two will keep me going for a while. I also like to make these for new moms or people recuperating from surgery because they are yummy and healthy and easy to snack on. (A little marmalade on top is delicious!) I lost my copy of this recipe (even though it is so easy I could almost remember it)so thanks for posting it. Everyone who tries these wants the recipe.
    I also am going to try this as a gluten-free base to my grandmother's recipe for Half-Way bars with layers of apricot jam, chocolate chips and meringue.

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  6. Dressed up bars, with thin layer of marmalade, thin layer of soy-free chocolate chips, and then 2 egg whites beaten until peaks, with 1/3 cup brown sugar added, then sprinkle of sliced almonds, are fantastic! If they make it to the bake sale, they will be a hit as the only gluten-free offering (and very low sugar).

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Thank you for your comments!

Linda @ Lemon Drop