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Mango bars are a decadent, oil-free treat with a simple crust and a refreshing layer of creamy mango cream on top. They’re a dairy-free treat that you can easily make gluten-free, too!
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Move over lemon bars! Make these decadent Mango bars instead! Just like my lemon bars, these have a simple flour and almond flour crust, which doesn’t need any oil. And then they’re topped with this creamy, mango-cashew mixture. You pour it over the crust, and then chill it in the freezer, so it is just about frozen to get amazing slices!
Mango squares are super creamy, super mangoey, and super delicious. They’re perfect for the summer mango crop!
You get amazing mangoes in India, and I always miss them. But you do get some great mangoes in stores in the US, as well. Look for yellow Mexican mangoes or Ataulfo mangos, or other mangos which are really sweet and not as stringy. They’re more smooth mangoes.
Or use canned puree/pulp, which is what I use in this recipe. You can find mango puree easily in Indian grocery stores. In Indian stores, I use the Kesar Mango Pulp, as it’s sweet with a very concentrated mango flavor. And I love the Kesar mango flavor.
Why You’ll Love Mango Bars
- creamy, refreshing summer dessert packed with mango goodness!
- easy and fun to make – no need to soak your cashews!
- oil-free
- gluten-free option
More Vegan Mango Recipes
Mango Bars Vegan
Equipment
- 8×8-inch baking pan or 9×9-inch
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, or use oat flour or a gf blend for gluten-free
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 flax egg, , That is 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of warm water.
- 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
For the Mango Layer
- 1 cup raw cashews, not soaked
- 2 cups of mango puree, i use canned mango puree/mango pulp. See notes for using fresh mango.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar, , optional
Instructions
Make the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176 °C).
- In a bowl, add the flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt and press and mix well to break any of the almond flour lumps. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Add in the flax egg and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix until it starts to form somewhat of a dough. If the dough is too crumbly, add in more maple syrup.
- Line and 8×8- or 9×9-inch baking dish or a brownie pan with parchment, then press this crust into the pan and even it out with the spatula. Use a fork to make holes in the crust, and then bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden on the edges.
- Once the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven, and let it cool.
Make the mango layer while the crust bakes and cools.
- Add the cashews, mango puree, salt, and sugar to a blender, and then blend for a minute. Then leave the blender and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the blended cashews to rehydrate from the moisture in the mango puree. Then blend again for a minute and let it sit for another minute and blend again for half a minute. Repeat this until the mixture is super creamy. Taste to adjust sweetness and flavor. You can add a little bit of vanilla, if you like.
Make the mango bars
- Pour or scoop this mixture, depending on how thick it is, over the baked and cooled crust, and even out the top with a spatula. Then, put the baking dish in the freezer for an hour or two, until the bars are somewhat set, and then you can slice them and serve them.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- flour – Use all-purpose or use oat flour for a gluten-free option.
- almond flour – Adds a bit of texture and flavor to the crust.
- baking soda and salt – Conditions the dough for a lighter crust.
- flax egg – This is the binder for the crust, and it’s simply a tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of warm water.
- raw cashews – No need to soak your cashews for these mango bars! For a cashew-free option, you can use a cup of coconut cream in place of the cashews.
- mango puree – You can use canned mango puree/pulp or make your own. I like Kesar Mango Puree, which you can find at Indian grocery stores. To make your own, peel, pit, and puree really ripe mangos. You can add a little splash of water, if needed, but ideally you puree just the mango flesh.
- sugar – Sweetens the mango custard for the bars.
Tips
- Make sure that when you mix in the almond flour, you break up any lumps. Almond flour loves to clump together.
- You want a pretty cohesive dough for this recipe. Add a little more maple syrup, if needed, to help the dough come together.
- Letting the blended cashews sit in the blender allows them to take on moisture and blend down smoothly without soaking!
How to Make Mango Squares
Preheat the oven to 350° F (176 °C), and make your crust.
In a bowl, add the flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt and press and mix to break any of the almond flour lumps. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Then, add in the flax egg and three tablespoons of maple syrup and mix until it starts to form somewhat of a dough. If the dough is too crumbly, add in more maple syrup.
Line and 8×8- or 9×9-inch baking dish or a brownie pan with parchment, then press this crust into the pan and even it out with the spatula.
Use a fork to make holes in the crust.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden on the edges.
Once the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven, and let it cool.
Make the mango layer while the crust bakes and cools.
Add the cashews, mango puree, salt, and sugar to a blender, and then blend for a minute. Then leave the blender and let it sit for five to 10 minutes for the blended cashews to rehydrate from the moisture in the mango puree. Then blend again for a minute and let it sit for another minute and blend again for half a minute. Repeat this until the mixture is super creamy.
Taste to adjust sweetness and flavor. You can add a little bit of vanilla, if you like.
Pour or scoop this mixture, depending on how thick it is, over the baked and cooled crust, and even out the top with a spatula.
Then, put the baking dish in the freezer for an hour or two, until the bars are somewhat set, and then you can slice them and serve them.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make fresh mango pulp, use really ripe mangoes. Scoop mango into your blender. Do not add any water or liquid and then blend it into somewhat of a pulp or a thick puree mixture.
If you have trouble blending the mixture, then you can add in a tablespoon or so of water to help move the mixture along.
The bars will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just take them out and let them sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften a little bit, and then serve.
To make this cashew-free, use one cup of coconut cream instead of cashews for the mango layer .
This looks delicious and I’d love to try it. What’s a good substitute for flax meal? Can I just skip it altogether?
Skip it
I followed the recipe exactly (I did a mix of AP flour and oat flour) but besides that and fresh mangoes. It was absolutely divine. It would be helpful to include the bars need to stay in the freezer or they go back to the soft consistency. Besides that, I am truly impressed with both the crust and the mango filling! I didn’t know cashews could be so fantastic !
Thanks I will add to the recipe.
Those look heavenly! And easy to make. On my to-do list. Thank you. 🙂
Yay!
Can you use almonds or macadamia instead of cashews?
Macadamia would work well with this.
This was really good. Taste like Weis bar. I only had problem with the crust, it’s very hard to spread. I used chia instead of flax and honey instead of maple syrup (I didn’t have flax or maple).
Warm the honey before using and that’s thicker and stiffer than maple. You can also add a teaspoon or more non dairy milk to the crust so that it’s not too stiff.
Can you skip almond flour and just use AP flour? Is there a purpose, or just for flavor?
Almond flour gives it a shortbread kind of texture without having to use loads of butter. If using just AP flour, add 2-3 tbsp vegan butter for a more pie crust like texture
So yummy! My whole family enjoyed these. I used 4 mangoes and they turned out great. Next I’ll try them with frozen mango but definitely want to try with the canned mango pulp.
So happy you liked them!