A Near Catastrophe and Vegan Fudge Topped Chai Bars

I had a big scare last night.  I almost had to seriously change my routine. My fitness routine, none-the-less!  (You know how I feel about my routines, especially my fitness routines!)

When I got this e-mail informing me that the gym I’ve been going to for six years (and which I *may or may not* have bought my house due its 30 proximity to said gym – that and the rosemary bush, which hasn’t been looking so hot either) would be closing for good effective immediately, you can imagine I was a jarred.  We’re at that gym six days a week.  We have our fitness routine down pat.  We have friends!  Heck, Courtney showers at that gym; his use of water might be the very reason that gym is failing!  And I think the spa in some way makes up for the fact that he doesn’t have a man cave.  While we’d already set up tours of other gyms in our area (waste no time!) the loss of routine and convenience was a total bummer.

You can imagine how relieved I was when 15 hours later I received this e-mail, assuring me that my gym would not in fact be closing, there was just some really bizarre and potentially sketchy sh*t going on causing a change in management that, for reasons I can’t fathom, wasn’t able to happen behind the scenes.  So, it looks liked I dodged a bullet.

I’m completely aware, by the way, how incredibly privileged I am for this to be the kind of thing that peaks my concern.  But I’m human, and we humans are just so dang set in our ways!

I think this somehow connects to a conversation my dear colleague Stephanie and I were having about these fudge chai bars, which I made for her birthday.  Stephanie is somewhat recently vegan, so of course we celebrated her birthday with vegan treats.  I’m not vegan, but I personally love vegan treats.  I love to eat them, and I love to make them for people who are vegan, or people who also just love to eat vegan treats.  But Stephanie pointed out that some people hear “vegan” and wrinkle their nose.  And she’s right.  Stephanie sold my vegan bars (which are delicious, by the way; Modest Mouse reporting) like a champ, but it was much harder work than selling the grocery store sheet cake we had earlier in the day to celebrate another colleague’s birthday. Personally, you would have to pay me to eat grocery store sheet cake.  No offense intended, but it’s just not worth it.  But people know what to expect when they see grocery store sheet cake and it’s brightly dyed sugary icing; they don’t know what to expect when they see vegan treats.  People like what they know, and what they associate with birthday parties of their yesteryear.  Which is how I bring this back somehow to people being set in their ways. We’re creatures of habit, and we like our routines.

Luckily, we all have different routines we’re attached to.  Stephanie and I are personally glad that many people prefer grocery store sheet cake, because it means more vegan treats for us!  And then there are the Courtneys of the world, who would happily  eat grocery store sheet cake but could also polish off an entire tray of these vegan fudge topped chai bars (I have the crumbs in my cushions to prove it!)  I don’t know how to explain those ones.

Fudge Topped Chai Bars {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

Inspired by {Never}Homemaker

Ingredients:

For Base:

• 2/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup almond meal
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons chai tea mix (dry)
• 3 tbsp. coconut oil

For Fudge Topping:

• 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk of choice
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp chai tea mix (dry)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

How To:

1. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pulse oats in a food processor until they’re a flour like consistency.  Add coconut and almond flour and pulse a couple of times.  Add remaining ingredients and process until blended.
3. Bake for ~15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
4. Mix pecans, coconut and chai in a small bowl and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, add milk and chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and melt, a couple minutes at a time – stirring each time to make sure your chocolate doesn’t burn.  Stir in melted coconut oil.
6. Spread evenly over cooked base using a spatula.  Sprinkle with nut mixture.

Makes 12 bars

Johanna