This bar is a little bit special as it uses raw cacoa nibs. Most cocoa products regardless of whether or not they claim to be raw are not actually so, since the beans need to be roasted to bring out the intensity of the chocolate flavour. These bars, on the other hand, work with the subtle cocoa undertones and along with real vanilla beans, it creates a more mellow bar. The ingredients are simply blended together and packed down firmly before slicing. The other clever thing about this recipe is that it uses very few ingredients but uses them in different ways i.e whole oats plus oat flour, whole cocoa nibs plus ground cacao powder, whole dates plus date paste. Go ahead and blend the everything if you prefer to omit the chunks, I tried it both ways and it works that way too!
You can add other nuts, seeds and spices into the mix if you fancy, making sure you retain roughly the same ratio of ‘wet’ to dry ingredients….go ahead and create you very own little experiment.
Enjoy!
Recipe: Raw Cacoa Energy Bars
Makes approx 10-12 squares
Ingredients:
150g dates (made into paste)
20g chia mixed with 50ml water (to form a gel)
50g dates (cut into chunks)
60g gluten free oats (or oat flour)
½ tsp vanilla powder
15g raw cacoa nibs (ground)
Handful of cacoa nibs pressed into top- optional
Method:
In a food processor whizz half of the oats (if using whole – no need to do so if you are using the flour) and cacoa nibs to form a ‘flour’. Set aside.
Add the dates and chia mix to the processor and blend for a few seconds until a sticky paste forms.
Add the flour along with the vanilla and remaining dates, pulse to combine and breakup the dates so that they are small chunks.
Add the remaining oats and lightly pulse to combine so that the oats remain mostly whole, if the mixture is a little too sticky to handle add a few more oats or cacao.
Press into a smallish tin, lined with parchment for easy removal adding a handful of extra cacao nibs to the surface if desired.
Chill for an hour or so before slicing.
GRAB THE INGREDIENTS
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