Vegan Chocolate Chunk Coconut Bars By Vegan Recipes  [11 more lists]

What you'll need:
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups oats (quick oats work best)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon canola or veg oil
1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like things)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon chocolate or coconut extract (optional)
1-3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
1/4-1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, oil, sugar, vanilla,and other extract (if using).

Add wet to dry and mix until combined. The mixture will be very thick, so add soymilk a little at a time until it holds together well.

Fold in coconut (reserving a small portion for the top) and chocolate chunks. Press into baking dish and sprinkle over remaining coconut.

Bake for 21-23 minutes

Optional (but yummy): make a glaze and spread over the top while still slightly warm. I use ~1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon black cocoa powder, 1-2 tbsp coconut milk, and a splash of vanilla extract all whipped together with a fork. You could also melt some chocolate chips and spread that over the top. Sometimes I'm even more decadent and put toasted coconut on top of the glaze!

Servings: 9 large squares or 12 smaller ones

Preparation time: 10-15 min, plus baking time