Vegan Raspberry Almond Cake Bars

These vegan Raspberry Almond Bars may look like fruity blondies but are actually healthy, eggless, and dairy-free moist sheet cake cut in squares! The recipe is easy to make, highly customizable, and is brimming with sweet, tangy, and nutty flavors in every bite!

4.8 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Bars, Breakfast, Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American, German

Servings Bars

Calories 171.2 kcal

Ingredients

Cake batter

1 ½ cup (180 g) all-purpose or spelt flour or gluten-free flour*
1 ½ tsp (1 ½ tsp) baking powder or ¾ tsp baking soda
1 pinch (1 tsp) of ground vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 cup (80 g) ground almonds also known as "almond meal"
½ cup (120 g) + 1 tbsp raw cane or coconut sugar + a little more for sprinkling
½ tsp (1 tsp) salt
⅔ cup (160 ml) dairy-free milk or 1-2 tbsp more as needed
½ cup (120 g) applesauce or 1 mashed banana or 2 flaxseed eggs*
⅓ cup (70 g) oil e.g. canola, coconut, or sunflower oil
1 tbsp (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

Topping

¾ cup (100 g) raspberries frozen or fresh
1 tbsp (1 tbsp) cornstarch
3 tbsp (3 tbsp) almond flakes for sprinkling

Instructions

*Note: Be sure to watch the recipe video + step-by-step photos in the blog post above. Also, I recommend using metric measurements.

Preheat the oven to 356 °F (180 °C). Lightly grease an 11 x 7 baking pan or 8-inch square pan and then line with additional parchment paper (the previous greasing helps the parchment paper to stick to the pan).
Sift the flour, baking powder, and ground vanilla into a large bowl (sifting prevents lumps). Then add the ground almonds, sugar, and salt and whisk together. Set aside.
In a measuring cup whisk together the dairy-free milk, applesauce, oil, and apple cider vinegar.
Now pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Add the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
Toss the raspberries in the cornstarch to coat (this will prevent the raspberry juice from making the cake soggy). Then spread them over the batter. Top with almond flakes and sprinkle with a bit of sugar (this will create a nice caramelization and browning).
Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (if you want a moist cake, don't over-bake).
Let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then lift it out onto a cooling rack using the overhanging parchment paper and allow it to cool completely.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes

Flour: Instead of all-purpose and spelt flour, you can use a gluten-free flour blend 1:1. Whole wheat or buckwheat flour works too, however, you may need a little more liquid.
Applesauce: Instead of applesauce, you can also use the same amount of banana or pumpkin puree or sub 2 flaxseed eggs (2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds mixed with 6 tbsp of water, then set aside for 5 minutes to thicken).
Sugar: I used raw cane sugar for the cake batter and coconut sugar for sprinkling. However, you can use any sugar.
No raspberries? You can also use other fruit berries of your choice.
Want more toppings? Feel free to use your favorite nuts or even vegan chocolate chips. You can also fold them into the batter before baking.
Want to make it nut-free? Read my blog post for suggestions.
Storing: Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days, depending on the fruits you use, or freeze for longer storage.
Please read my blog post for additional information on this recipe!

Nutritions

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!