Lime-Hemp Coconut Candy

Get prepared for St. Patty's Day (or any day) with these healthy and delicious lime dessert bars.  I love how the hemp gives these ample nutrition AND green color, making lime the perfect flavor!  It's raw, gluten-free, sugar-free, anti-candida friendly, low-carb, paleo, and just plain GOOD.   When I began experimenting here, I was originally inspired by the use of hemp in this recipe from Diet, Dessert and Dogs.  I really like how it seemed to complete the bars along with the coconut.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup almonds
juice from 1 lime
2 tbs ground flax
stevia, to taste
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Place coconut, hemp seeds and almonds in a high-speed blender and, using tamper, blend until smooth.

Add the lime juice, flax, stevia, salt and optional vanilla extract.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

Place either in a 9x9 pan or loaf pan lined with wax paper.  Use a spatula to smooth mixture out evenly.  Sometimes I wrap the wax paper over it and use that to help press it evenly across.

Place in the freezer for approximately an hour, or until it's quite set through to the middle.  Take out and cut to desired sizes with butter knife.  If it has hardened too much in the freezer simply leave it on the counter until it softens slightly.  I store this in the freezer and serve soon after as it will start to almost melt if it becomes too warm.  The oil in the coconut helps hold it together since it firms up at cooler temperatures.  It makes great bars that way --- function, flavor and nutrition!  See what else is crackin' at Wellness Weekend, February 21-25.