Meet my newest hot weather summer dessert.
It’s cold.
crispy,
creamy,
chocolaty,
nutty,
no-bake,
vegan,
gluten-free,
and seriously hard to resist! No, make that impossible to resist.
This chilled dessert is a hybrid of two of my favourite desserts in The Oh She Glows Cookbook – the Chilled Chocolate Espresso Torte (p. 241) and my Beat the Heat Frozen Dessert Pizza (p. 269). Now that the temperatures are finally rising here in Southern Ontario (YAY), I knew I had to transform my beloved torte into something that didn’t require turning on the oven.
Because a pregnant lady, humidity, and a hot oven just don’t mix.
Instead of my nut-based baked crust, I used the no-bake chocolate rice crisp crust from the frozen dessert pizza recipe. It’s such a simple swap, but it worked so well. The crispy crust is the perfect contrast to the creamy chocolate filling. Plus, it was so much faster to make. The prep is less than 5 minutes for the crust. Fool. Proof. I will be using this crust again and again this summer. In fact, I’m already planning on serving this as a dessert option at my baby shower. I think it’s going to be a big hit!
I poured on the rich & creamy chocolate filling and let it firm up in the freezer for a few hours. All you do after that is slice it and serve with some coconut whipped cream and chopped nuts, if you wish. I had some toasted hazelnuts leftover from a previous recipe so I just sprinkled those on top. Absolutely divine!
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Double Chocolate Crispy Frozen Dessert Bars
Yield
15-18 small slices
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
3 hours
Total time
This creamy + crispy double chocolate dessert is no-bake and perfect for those hot summer days. It's meant to be served chilled, straight from the freezer just like an ice cream cake. I recommend using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec for this recipe because you'll need a machine that blends the soaked cashews super smooth. Less powerful blenders just might not cut it for this one (be sure to let us know in the comments if your brand does a good job!). Also, be sure to soak the cashews in a bowl of water about 8 hours before you plan to make this recipe. This ensures that the cashews are super soft for easier blending and it also has the added bonus of making the nuts more easily digested. Recipe adapted from Chilled Chocolate Espresso Torte and Beat the Heat Frozen Dessert Pizza from The Oh She Glows Cookbook.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 cups rice crisp cereal (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or coconut nectar syrup
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 8 hours
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup agave nectar or 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, for garnish
- Coconut Whipped Cream, for garnish (see link below)
Directions
- Place cashews in a bowl and cover with 1-inch of water. Let soak for about 8 hours until soft and plump.
- Grab an 8-inch square cake pan and line it with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one piece going each way so it's easy to lift out.
- For the crust: In a large bowl, add the rice crisp cereal and cocoa powder. Stir to combine. In a small pot, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Pour the oil and syrup onto the rice crisp and stir very well until combined. If the mixture seems a bit dry you can add another 1/2 tablespoon of syrup and stir again. Spoon the crust mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out. Grab a small piece of parchment paper and use it to press down the crust until packed and even. Place the pan in the freezer so the crust can set while you prepare the filling.
- For the filling: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. In a small pot, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Pour into a high-speed blender. Now add in the agave nectar or maple syrup and vanilla, followed by the cocoa powder, melted chocolate, fine grain sea salt, and drained cashews. Starting on low, blend the mixture until it comes together and then gradually increase the speed until the mixture is super smooth. If using a Vitamix use the tamper stick to get it going.
- Remove crust from freezer and pour on all of the filling. Smooth it out with a spatula and then place the pan back in the freezer (uncovered is fine) for about 3 hours (or longer if desired) until the filling is firm to the touch.
- Slice and serve chilled straight from the freezer with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. I like to freeze the slices, then wrap them in tin foil, and place in a sealed glass container for maximum freshness.
Tip:
If your blender is having a hard time blending the filling mixture you can try adding a bit more liquid sweetener or melted coconut oil to help things along. Adding a bit of almond milk might be an option too, but I wouldn't add more than 1/4 cup at most. To make this recipe soy-free, use a soy-free chocolate such as Enjoy Life brand. Looking for a nut-free option for the filling? I haven't tested one for this particular recipe, but you might want to try out this filling recipe using an avocado-based filling (simply swap the almond milk for a nut-free milk and the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter).
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
The added bonus is that you can make this dessert in advance, freeze it, and not have to fuss with it the day of your event. The best kind of dessert if you ask me!
I hope you enjoy cooling down with this summer treat as much as we do. Happy (almost) summer.
What could one use instead of brown rice syrup. Honey? Maple syrup?
I have tested coconut nectar syrup and that works, but I haven’t tried anything else yet. You want something fairly thick so it holds together nicely when slicing. Honey might work! It just might crumble a tiny bit more, but I don’t think anyone would complain too much. ;)
Great Angela, thanks for the recipes, I LOVE chocolate!
Oh dear me. I may just have to whip this one out. It’s been in the 90’s here and will be again next week so cool desserts sound fab-u-lous. Thanks for sharing your genius, it’s too darn hot in the kitchen, ideas. This hot flashing girl appreciates it. LOL
Mmmm looks delish!!!
glamgypsy.bigcartel.com
Could you use something other than cashews ? My mummy is allergic…
Macadamias would likely work, if she’s not allergic to them, though I think many people are allergic to all tree nuts.
Frozen chocolate bars?! Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing! It’s perfect since the weather is warming up! I still haven’t tried coconut whipped cream but it sounds delicious!
Well, these look just ridiculous, but they’re going to have to wait, because I am making myself the chocolate layer cake from the cookbook for my birthday next.
Angela, I just made the brownies from the cookbook today, and I’m wondering–what kind of brownie pan do you use? The batter was delicious–haven’t cut into the cooked product yet–but they took at least 20 more minutes to cook than they should have (I kinda lost count), and never developed the nice flaky top crust. Do you think that was because I made them in a glass casserole dish? I have checked the temperature on my oven and it appears to be accurate. Should I get a metal brownie pan? A shiny one or a dark one? Opinion??
Ok, I LOVE the way your pregnant lady brain is thinking these days! These looks absolutely fabulous. And rice crisp cereal… isn’t it the best?! I really like the Nature’s Path brown rice crisp cereal and always have one of the bulk bags in my cupboard…. for occasions like this when you post amazing desserts, of course! :)
I just read this recipe while enjoying a square of the two-layer raw chocolate brownies. (Love them so much!) But why not mix things up and try something new? Between the brownies and the cheerful chocolate smoothie recipe in the cookbook, I am getting my chocolate fix. And I AM more cheerful because of it. I will get ingredients for these bars over the weekend and happily add them to my chocolate dessert rotation. Thank you, Angela!
Thank goodness the warm weather has finally arrived here in Canada! :D
Would this recipe work with another light tasting oil instead of coconut oil?
It likely won’t be the same, since coconut oil is very solid in cold temperatures, but still good.
Wow – these look amazing – and remind me of the chilled chocolate torte with strawberry compote that I am planning to make soon! My kids will love this (as will hubby and I!) – and the almond joy looks great too – one of my sons came home telling me he likes almond joys (had never had one until a recent school trip he took). So psyched to make these!
Made the maple tempeh from your book tonight – YUM! It was a hit with everyone except my pickiest who does not like tempeh and does not try things with an open mind ;-)! Had it with roasted sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts – so delicious! And my new favorite dressing that I have been having daily is the cinnamon apple one from the kale salad in the book – you are gifted! Thank you
Oh goodness! These looks amazing! I cannot wait to make these. My birthday is coming up and I think I’ll make these to celebrate! Awesome recipe :)
I just made this recipe using my Osterizer and it blended great, came out creamy and perfect! The blender actually originally belonged to my great-grandfather, who then gave it to my grandfather and then to my dad who gave it to me! Its survived 4 generations and it is still quite the trooper.
wow that’s awesome! Thanks for letting us know :)
This looks great, pity that here in Australia, we’re heading into winter.
You asked for info on other blenders that do a good job. I have a KitchenAid Artisan blender, which here in Australia are less than a third of the price of the wet container only Vitamix, and it does an excellent job on cashews, even without soaking (though I usually do).
I’m filing this recipe away to try in about 6 months time ;-)
Looks so good!
I have to try these!!! Yum!
Its got a rich, fudgy chocolate body and a crisp base and its no-bake! I’m one happy camper! Perfect for summers!
I could have used one of these over the past few days – I can’t believe how hot it’s been! I’m certainly not complaining though. ;) Thanks for including a nut-free substitution!
angela these look amazing. i cannot wait to try these. your peppermint patty slice is one of our favourites. all of your recipes turn out perfect everytime. thankyou!
jen x
Can I replace the brown rice syrup or coconut nectar syrup in the crust with syrup? I always have syrup on hand more so than the brown rice syrup or nectar. Thanks!