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.
Wowzers!! This looks FAB! Always on the look out for nobake delights!! Thank you!
my mom made these for us the other day- they all disappeared within 24 hours. it’s amazing. ugh craving them now….
i made these this past weekend and they were incredible. they were a huge hit with my husband and guests. thanks for the recipe.
I made these and brought them to a barbecue this past weekend and they were a big hit! Thank you!
I’ve made my second batch already. So yummy! Thank you! These are superb for the summer heat of Phoenix. I notice with the rather small brown rice crisps cereal I used I might increase the amount of cereal a little so the crust is a bit thicker. The first time I made this recipe I soaked the cashews (which had already been soaked and dehydrated previously) for only about 5 hours. My high speed blender seemed to struggle a little. The second time my blender had an easier time because I soaked the nuts for the full 8 hours, and they had not been previously soaked and dried. I highly recommend this recipe.
Angela these look incredible! I love using rice krispies in my recipes too to add that crunch. Your recipes never fail to make me hungry :)
xoxo Sarah Grace, freshfitnhealthy.com
I made these last night and they were AMAZING! I haven’t found a recipe of yours that me or my meat eating husband hasn’t absolutely loved. Your recipes are staples in our household. Thank you!
Wow Amazing recepie and Gluten free. Exactly what I was looking for with chocolate and nuts. Can’t wait till I try it tomorrow :)
Sorry, I can’t seem to find where you say to replace the nuts with the avocado. Do you mind sending to me? Thanks.
You’re recipes seem great – just bought the cookbook but there are a lot of nuts in your recipes! I can’t eat nuts, but everything else seems great. Can’t wait to try some of your recipes. :)
never mind – just found it!
Just made these – one word: YES!!!
I have tried blending the cashew nuts after soaking in my nutribullet blender and it has worked a dream
I made these for my husband who is allergic to all processed chocolate. After 25+ years of searching, I finally found Enjoy Life semi sweet chocolate chips and raw cacao which he can eat!!! On to the good part…
This is one of the best deserts I’ve had in YEARS and I mean YEARS! Of course I had to taste it just to make sure it wasn’t poisonous (it took me two tries, just trying to be thorough!). I just have to say, we do not have an ice cream maker and this is the closest we’ve ever come to making our own ice cream like substance! The crust was fantastic and a perfect accompaniment to the luscious filling (I’m salivating just thinking about it!). I didn’t have any hazelnuts so I had planned to toast some almonds, but never got around to it.
As far as the coconut whipped cream, the can I’d had in the fridge just waiting for the perfect moment had expired and it took me another day to get another one chilled. I don’t have a glass or ceramic bowl that’s deep enough to make whipped cream so I went for a heavy plastic one that I figured would be okay. As I was putting it in the freezer to chill, something else in the freezer rebelled and sent it flying. I figured that was the second message telling me not to do it so I left it as is!
This was so delicious! My husband ate the final piece last night and is already mourning its absence. Thank you SO much for this recipe, yum!
Hi Marcia, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it so much!
This filling is AMAZING! So rich and yummy. I haven’t eaten a frozen bar yet (still setting in the freezer), but after tasting the filling from the blender I can’t wait to have some of this. Just hope my kids don’t devour it all before I get one. Love your blog! Thanks!
hi!
I am super excited to try and make this this weekend! I do have a quick question though. You say to melt the coconut oil on low heat, what if it’s already melted prior? Do we still have to put it over the low heat then?
Thanks!!
Katie
Nope, only if it’s solid before you begin :)
Also, how much water would you recommend soaking the cashews in? I’ve never soaked them before
Just a bowl full of water (cover the cashews by around 1 inch or more of water)
These bars were great. I have a stash in my freezer and take them out of the freezer for about 20 minutes and then enjoy whenever I need something a little bit sweet. Next time I might grate some dark chocolate on top for some added chocolate punch.
So good!!!!
Absolute perfection. Will make again and again :)
I just made this recipe exactly as listed using the suggested nut-free option (avocado based) for the filling. Sorry, I lied; I used cornstarch instead of arrowroot.Otherwise I followed your instructions precisely. It came out perfectly.It is wonderfully creamy, not too sweet and bursting with chocolate (my favorite). We served it to friends with fresh strawberries on the side and all four of us loved it. No one could tell there was avocado in it. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Made these last week and they are already gone. Decadent and delicious.