My spirits rose sky high this week, after receiving your outpouring of encouragement from my post 6 Things I Would Tell My Old Self About Healing Chronic Disease. When I hit “Publish” on that post, I felt like I had leaped into new territory, and I didn’t know where I – or the post – would land.
Your reception of that piece of my soul has inspired me to open wider this new discussion of healing on Empowered Sustenance. If that piece resonated with you, I also encourage you to follow me on instagram where I have been sharing additional pieces of the whole-hearted healing journey.
More seasonal treat recipes coming soon
In the next few months, along with discussing healing at a deeper level, I’ll be sharing a variety of grain free baked good recipes. Here in Seattle, the air turned decidedly crisp and called me into the warm kitchen to bake.
In the last week, I stocked up on my essential baking supplies: pumpkin pie spice, sweet potatoes, and coconut flour. I’ll be sharing fall baked goods and holiday treats over the next few months. I’ve focused on recipes with minimal sweetener, and also created some egg-free recipes per the requests I’ve received.
About the Ingredients in Paleo Cinnamon Roll Bars
Japanese sweet potato – You’ll find this variety of sweet potato in most grocery stores or any Asian food store. This white-fleshed variety is denser and sweeter than orange sweet potatoes, and it provides all the sweetness necessary in the batter. The only added sweetener here is the coconut sugar filling. I wanted these bars to have the rich and moist-but-tender texture of a cinnamon roll, and this ingredient proved the optimal ingredient.
Eggs – Real eggs are integral to the texture of this recipe. If you do not tolerate eggs, stay tuned for some of the treat recipes I’ve formulated without eggs in the next few months.
Baking soda and apple cider vinegar – this is the leavening agent I use in my baked goods. The acidity in the vinegar (or lemon juice) reacts with the baking soda to create lift and lightness.
Coconut flour and arrowroot flour – This grain free flour combination acts as the binder, without making the bars dry or crumbly. As I’ve mentioned before, you can get a FREE bag of coconut flour added to your Thrive cart at this link. If you haven’t taken advantage of this, do so for the holiday season.
- 1½ cups Japanese sweet potato (about 3 medium), see step 1 below
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbs. coconut flour
- 2 Tbs. arrowroot flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 Tbs. coconut sugar
- Optional: Coconut butter to drizzle, available here
- First, bake or steam the sweet potatoes. If baking, bake them (peels on) at 400 degrees until completely soft, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and let cool in the oven. Remove the peels. If steaming, peel first and steam until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a square baking dish with parchment paper, so that the parchment overhangs the sides for easy removal of the bars (as pictured). Grease the dish and parchment paper with coconut oil.
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Combine all ingredients, except the cinnamon and coconut sugar, in a blender until smooth.
- Stir together the cinnamon and coconut sugar. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Top with the remaining batter, and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until just set but still moist.
- Store leftovers (what leftovers?!) in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you want to make these bars utterly decadent, I recommend drizzling the cooled bars with coconut butter (which is different than coconut oil).
These look great, Lauren, I think I might make them next weekend!
My stepdaughter has a sensitivity to coconut, do you think I could just leave out the coconut flour and replace the coconut sugar with unrefined, brown sugar?
Thanks!
Marina
Thanks Lauren!
This recipe was easy, tasty, and it only really took a few pieces to be satisfied, so I actually had leftovers! The texture is somewhere in between a soft cookie and a pudding, and it’s just sweet enough to satisfy, especially with a cup of black tea. This morning I popped the last piece into the toaster to reheat.
I will say that my Vitamix wasn’t very happy blending it all up, the batter was very thick, so next time (and there will be a next time!) I’ll use the food processor instead.
Thanks again for all you do!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! I was aiming for something that would taste sweet, but without a load of added sweetener. Great tip about the food processor!
hi I’m marcie. I know this post is old, but I am just trying these. Mine look very thick. You said square baking dish, which is what I used. Based on the thinness of yours, did you use a 9×13 or 8×8 square? Thanks!
This recipe rocks. You are right; there won’t be leftovers. I made it with white sweet potatoes (what I had on hand), and it was perfect (texture and flavor). I did cut the coconut sugar in half for the cinnamon layer, and it was still pretty sweet to me, but to anyone not accustomed to a little-to-no sugar diet, it might be best to keep the amount as stated. This is a recipe that will bring compliments.
Excellent recipe. Reminded us of a good pumpkin or sweet potato pie. Thanks Lauren!
Love to try these…they sound delicious…but what will happen if I leave out the arrowroot flour…will it still work…if not …is there a substitute….Thankyou x