Chocolate cravings were stronger than usual today. I saw hemp nuts, chia seeds, coconut, and blueberries sitting on the counter. These bars were in my tummy soon after – with no baking needed. How shall I describe them? Well, fruity, nutty, an easy snack or semi-sweet dessert that’s loaded with protein, Omega-3’s, and anti-oxidant cacao and blueberries. We instinctively know that pure chocolate is one of the most health-promoting, energizing superfoods on the planet. But unfortunately chocolate sweetened with sugars – even a little – becomes a toxic blood-sugar rush for me and most human beings. To avoid metabolic sugar shock, you can use one of the zero-carb sweeteners suggested.
These bars are extremely nutrient-dense, after two bars I was full. Taste the batter and sweeten to your taste. If you use cacao, you’ll need the larger sweetener amount or more. If you use carob, 1/2 cup sweetener is plenty. These bars will soften on a hot day, so it’s best to keep them in the refrigerator – up to 3 days. The recipe makes a 9 x 9 square pan, or about 24 bars depending on how you cut them.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (80 g) Hemp nuts (hemp hearts)
- 1/2 cup (160 g) pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup ground chia seeds
- 1/4 cup cacao or carob powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh is better, the pectin helps thicken the bars)
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Sweeten to taste with 1/2 to 3/4 cup Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or 4-6 teaspoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1/3 - 1/2 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
- 2 cups (200 g) shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup chopped nuts, preferably soaked and toasted (See All About Nuts)
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9-inch square pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edge like handles.
- In a food processor, add dry ingredients. Process until smooth like butter.
- Then add the wet ingredients. Mix again until smooth.
- Pulse in the shredded coconut and nuts very briefly.
- Spoon into the pan, smooth flat, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
- Lift the bars out of the pan, cut into squares and serve.
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