Coconut Cream Snack Bars

Coconut Cream Snack Bars! Homemade whipped coconut cream with strawberries and bananas sandwiched in between Van’s Banana Bread Snack Bars! What could be better?! and they’re gluten free!

Last week, my kids and I visited the Allen Centennial Garden here in Madison. We went because I was on the hunt for these tacos and other food truck eats. It was the perfect summer day, the weather was nice, we threw our picnic blanket on the grass, ate tacos, a fabulous pork crostini from Underground Butcher and sipped on watermelon agua frescas.

It was the perfect afternoon.

I’m often running from one activity to the other in the summer. Usually running late and running out the door trying to make it somewhere on time. Picking up the kids from camp, taking my daughter to math tutoring, trucking the kids around to the library, park or play dates. We are always in the car going from one place to the next.

If you know me, you know I keep snacks in the car and in my purse. I like to snack on little things throughout the day and find that keeping them with me helps me not eat an outrageous amount of food at dinnertime. Plus, I don’t think it’s even possible for me not to eat something every few hours.

We’re talking almonds, energy bites, or my latest obsession, these bars.

Van’s Banana Bread Snack Bars!! These are my favorite! My kids love the chocolate chip snack bars. Van’s gluten-free, whole grain snack bars and sandwich bars pack a nutritious punch without packing in a lot of calories. These guilt-free treats have no high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, hydrogenated oils or GMO oils, and offer 10 grams of whole grains.

All Van’s snack foods are certified gluten-free but still tasty enough for the whole family to enjoy regardless of dietary restrictions. We can’t even tell these are gluten-free. These are wholesome, delicious foods and are great for busy, active adults and kids alike.

Lately I’ve been making a lot of homemade coconut whipped cream. I always have a container in the fridge because I’ve been eating this with everything!

So, one day we decided to take these snacks bars up a notch! Don’t get me wrong, these are delicious on their own.

But with the homemade whipped coconut cream and the fruit? This is not only the most requested snack to have now, it can also serve as dessert!

We hope you give these snack bars a try and definitely try making these Coconut Cream Snack Bars! You won’t be disappointed!

Coconut Cream Snack Bars

 

Print Recipe Card

Note the overnight refrigeration time. Makes 4 coconut cream snack sandwich bars.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Snack or Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the coconut whipped cream:

• 1 14-ounce can, full fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup powdered sugar + more if needed

For the snack bars:

• 8 Van’s Banana Bread or Chocolate Chip Snack Bars
• Fresh sliced strawberries
• Fresh sliced bananas
• Homemade coconut whipped cream

Instructions

For the coconut whipped cream:

1. Chill your coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight, being sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage separation of the cream and liquid.
2. Remove the coconut milk carefully from the fridge and remove the lid. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind (reserve for use in smoothies).
3. Place the hardened cream into a cold mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until creamy and smooth, for about 1 minute. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
4. Use immediately or refrigerate - it will harden and set in the fridge the longer it's chilled. The coconut cream will keep for up to 1 to 2 weeks.

For the snack bars:

1. To assemble: spread or dollop some homemade coconut whipped cream onto one of the banana bread snack bars and spread. Top with fresh sliced strawberries and bananas. Dollop some more homemade coconut whipped cream on top of the fruit if desired and top with another banana bread snack bar.
2. Repeat until all of the snack bars have been made. Enjoy immediately!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Van’s Natural Foods. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting me in working with the brands and products that I use, love and trust.