Recipe ReDux Post # 12 Mini Oatmeal Raisin Bar Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

The recipe ReDux challenge for April is “The Cupcake Conundrum” and we were urged to create our own “ReDux-ed mini-cake version”.  But I was excited to see an exception that allowed all non-cupcake fans to come up with their own “favorite hand-held dessert” instead.  I chose the latter.  It’s not to say that I dislike cupcakes, but I think they are indeed a bit overdone lately and I am sooo into bar desserts these days, as well as my home made protein bars!  I think an up and coming trend in the dessert arena is ice cream sandwiches and a mini-version would be quite cool (no pun intended). So I took a recipe for no-bake oatmeal raisin bars that I have been working on, froze it and then added ice cream in between and voila- my trendy little dessert creation was complete! (And if you don’t want the ice cream, then I say make the bars anyway, they have all the yummy-ness of soft oatmeal cookies without the eggs, flour AND baking fuss!)  Also, check out all the other mini-cupcakes and desserts created by the talented ReDux blogger group.

Ingredients:

1 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick)(*use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
½ cup creamy or crunchy unsalted natural almond butter (I used Trader Joes Raw Unsalted Crunchy)
¼ cup pure maple syrup  
4 tablespoons raisins
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

a dash of sea salt (optional, and recommended if you are using unsalted almond butter)

1 cup reduced fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Wax or parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and almond butter and mix well.  Stir in the oats and raisins and mix some more. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Chill in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours, until very firm. Cut into 16 squares and sandwich 2 level tablespoons of ice cream/frozen yogurt in between 2 squares for a total of eight mini-sandwiches and serve immediately (if you cannot wait!) Otherwise for best results, wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and freeze again for 30 minutes to an hour

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe, 1 mini ice cream sandwich  Calories 200 Protein 5 g Carb 23 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 14 g Fat 10 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 15 mg

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe, 1 oatmeal raisin square by itself  Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 19 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg

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