Last night I experimented with a new energy bar. Not that I’ve fallen out of love with my cookie dough bar, I just got inspired by a peppermint patty delight I came across from Oh She Glows. For those of you not familiar, Angela is pretty much the goddess of no-bake. I adapted her recipe to make mine a little less sweet. As usual, these bars are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and raw. Plus, no added sugars (just the sweetness of the Medjool dates).
These bars will fulfill your need at 3pm for something a little sweet, a little crunchy, and a little chocolate minty. Peppermint is my absolute love, so I was excited to experiment using some raw, no-bake ingredients.
Here’s how you make them:
You need a food processor for these bars, no doubt. The recipe is pretty simple, just throw the ingredients (see recipe below) into the food processor and pulse/process until you create a sticky, pasty consistency. I forgot to photograph the actual mixture, but below is what they look like after processing and transferred to a baking pan to freeze.
Place mixture into a parchment lined baking pan, flatten with your fingers, and sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes.
Freeze for about 30 minutes, then slice and store in the fridge or freezer.
The raw cocoa nibs lend a slightly bitter, yet chocolate taste.
You can see the big walnut bits in each bar, the nuts provide a lovely crunch.
I like mine straight from the fridge, but you can store them in the freezer, too!
Here’s the recipe:
Enjoy!!
Healthy Chocolate Mint Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed pitted Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs
- 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract or to taste
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup almonds
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus some for the top
Instructions
- Ready a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Using a food processor, process the pitted dates first until chopped, then add in the hemp, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, shredded coconut, salt, peppermint extract, and coconut milk. Process until well combined. You may need to scrape down the side of the bowl and add some more coconut milk if not processing well. The final product should be sticky. Scrape mixture out into prepared baking pan and press into the pan with your fingers, then sprinkle with shredded coconut. Freeze for about 30 minutes then slice into whatever size bar you desire! You could also make these into balls and then freeze.
