Kesar Pista Bars (Saffron Pistachio Cream Bars)

sliced saffron pistachio bars on a white plate

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Kesar Pista Bars (Saffron Pistachio Cream Bars)

Luscious saffron, cardamom & pistachio cream layered over an almond crust! These gluten-free Kesar Pista bars secretly pack 7g protein. Perfect for Diwali or any other holiday meal! (soy-free, dairy-free)

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Chilling Time2

Total Time2 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Indian Fusion

Keyword: kesar pista bars, saffron pistachio bars

Servings:

Author: Vegan Richa

Equipment

8x8" baking dish
parchment paper

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 cup blanched almond flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup or more, if needed

For the Saffron Cream

8 to 10 strands saffron
1/4 cup warmed coconut milk or other non-dairy milk
1 cup raw cashews soaked in warm water for at least 15 minutes
15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons raw pistachios , optional

For Filling/Topping

4 tablespoons or more chopped raw pistachios divided

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the crust.

Preheat the oven to 335° F (168° C). Line an 8 x 8” or 7 by 9 inch or similar size baking dish with parchment. In a bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca starch, salt, baking soda, vanilla powder (if using), and cardamom. Mix really well. Press and mix to break up any almond flour lumps.
Mix in the coconut oil and maple syrup. Use your hands to mix, so that you can check if the mixture is just starting to come together. When you press the mixture, it should kind of stay somewhat together and not be very crumbly. Combine it until it becomes a dough. If it is too crumbly, add in some more maple syrup until the mixture is a soft dough.
Press this dough into the lined baking dish, and keep pressing it with your hands to spread it around on the bottom. Use a fork to make some holes in the crust, and then bake it for about 11 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Take the crust out of the oven.

While the crust is baking, make the saffron cream.

Activate the saffron by crushing the saffron between your fingers and adding it to the warmed non-dairy milk. Mix it and let it sit for 5 mins. This will help the saffron release the flavor into the warm milk. (You can also just blend the saffron directly into the cream, if you don’t want to do this extra step)
Into a blender, add the soaked and drained cashews, coconut milk, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, sugar, cardamom, the 2 tablespoons of whole pistachios, and the saffron milk. Blend for a minute. If the mixture is too thick, add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk or water, and continue to blend. Blend for a minute, let that sit for 3 to 4 minutes, and then blend again for a minute. I usually blend it about 3 times, so the cashews are blended in really well and are absolutely smooth.
Then, add the saffron cream mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, and then stir after every few seconds. The mixture will start to bubble up, then it will start to get slightly lumpy around some edges, so just mix it really well. Once the mixture has thickened evenly, about 4 to 6 minutes or so, switch off the heat. Taste and adjust the flavor. If you want it sweeter, you can add some more sweetener at this point. Add more cardamom, if needed, as well, and mix it in. Swirl 2 tablespoons of the chopped pistachios into the mixture.

Assemble the Kesar Pista Bars

Drop this mixture over the crust and spread it evenly with a spatula. Top it with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios.
Chill the kesar pista bars for a couple of hours, so that the bars set, then slice and serve. I like to chill it in the freezer for about 1 hour, then shift it to the fridge. That just makes the process quicker. Then, you can slice the bars after they have sat in the fridge for another hour or so, and they're perfectly nicely set.

Video

Notes

Storage : Kesar pista bars will store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These are also great in the freezer. Slice them, separate them with parchment, and place them in the freezer. Grab one from the freezer, and you can eat it as is, like an ice cream sandwich, or microwave for about 5 seconds so that they soften a little bit. They're just amazing.

Substitutes: If you don't have saffron, you can skip that flavor, add some more cardamom, and add a pinch of turmeric for color, if you want. Add some vanilla for extra flavor, and that'll be a great flavor profile along with the pistachios, as well.

You can also use roasted unsalted pistachios, if you can't find raw. That flavor also works out really well. Just don't use salted, because it'll just add too much salt to the dessert.

These saffron pistachio bars are naturally soy-free and gluten-free. Alternate crust: Unfortunately, you can't make them nut-free, because pistachios add so much of the flavor. If you need to make it almond-free, though, you can replace the almond crust with an all-purpose flour-based pie crust recipe.

Nutrition