Simple Chocolate Energy Bars for Brooke -- 5 ingredients (not including water, vanilla, or salt)

Kim and I came up with this simple, 5 ingredient recipe. Super easy.

If I look at a lot of my recipes with an objective outside perspective, I can see that many are complex and involved, with a whole lot of ingredients. Sure, they are delicious, and good for you. But not everyone has as many ingredients in their pantry as I. So, I shall be making some simpler recipes. I am looking at my life with the desire to simplify and eliminate unnecessary items. And with that simple desire in my heart, I offer you this simple recipe. Mixed mostly by hand. And made with loving kindness.

ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup hot water

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional!!!! delicious without. But I love vanilla)

2 cups almond meal or ground almonds

1/4 cup ground chia


directions

1. pulse the dates in the food processor until paste
2. mix dates and hot water in a bowl
3. add the coconut oil and let it melt
4. mix in the cacao, salt, vanilla bean
5. mix in the ground almonds
6. mix in the ground chia
7. press into a silicone pan, using parchment to flatten it nicely
8. cut using the edge of a metal spatula before chilling
9. chill in freezer
10. remove from pan and store in an airtight container in the fridge

Updated Peanut Butter and Date Fudge

So far I know two people who don't like peanut butter who are now thoroughly addicted to these little delights. Delectable delectable delights. You can use ground vanilla bean or none, and just jump on the extract band-wagon. Either is groovy. They are not the same, but both have the wonderful property of being terrific. And really, how bad can it be if it's terrific. I can't keep them in the freezer, to put it simply. So, for a powerful wholesome bite, check 'em out. And if you love peanut butter already, you may just know what I'm talking about. Rock on.

ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup ground chia
1 cup hemp hearts

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup dates

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup water


directions:

1. put the coconut, ground chia, hemp hearts, ground flax, sea salt, and ground vanilla bean into the food processor
2. process until completely pulverized and homogenous
3. add the dates and pulse until completely processed, but be dainty about it and don't over process
4. add the peanut butter and pulse until fully combined, adding the water as the food processor is running to form a thick dough
5. press into 2 square silicone baking pans, and then cut into bars with a dull instrument (before or after freezing)
6. (this is the after version) when firm, turn onto a cutting board and cut into small bars -- I do 8 by 4, resulting in 32 pieces per pan
7. store in the freezer!

Colin's Favourite Vegan Fudge

Colin loves this. Now, with more chia and no flax. You know. I use the term fudge loosely. This bears no resemblance to condensed milk and corn syrup. It's a dense, lovely, sweet, delicious, rich, chocolate concoction that will uplift your spirit and entrance your taste buds. You'll think you're eating candy. You'll think you're dancing with the devil. But you won't be. You'll be feeding your body and your spirit with good real food that truly grows on this amazing planet of ours. Namaste.

Loads of vanilla and cacao do something fancy with coconut oil, dates, shredded coconut, and chia seeds. That might make it sound like something you eat for breakfast, but you'll swear you're eating something decadent and naughty. Amazing.


ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup cacao

1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp stevia powder optional

1/2 cup ground chia seeds


1 cup dates

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp vanilla extract


directions:

1. put coconut, cacao, salt, vanilla, stevia, ground chia in your food processor
2. process!!!
3. add 1 cup dates -- pick them over to make sure there are no pits or you will definitely regret it.
4. process!! pulse!!!
5. add 1/2 cup coconut oil
6. pulse!
7. add  1/4 cup water and vanilla and whirl until smooth
8. scoop into 2 square silicone pans and press flat
9. score into pieces
10. chill
11. break apart and store in an airtight container. I like it in the freezer, but that's just me.

Date and Almond Energy Bars -- raw, vegan, sugar free, hot to trot ...

Brand new energy bars fresh off the press. These ones focus on date, almond, and vanilla, so they have a wonderful mellow flavour, all the richness you want in an energy bar, and will provide a satisfying snack for those who don't want chocolate. Which, for some reason, includes my chocolate loving husband right now. I'm not sure if body-snatchers should be implicated or not ...

Colin says these give him a hit of caramel, and he loves the way the different flavours emerge one by one. He's gone through most of the batch in just a few days ...

ingredients:


1 cup raw almonds
2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup ground flax
2 tbsp ground vanilla
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
3/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut oil


directions:

1. combine the almonds, coconut, hemp hearts, flax meal, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt in a food processor and process until sand-like.
2. add dates and pulse until evenly ground
3. add coconut oil and pulse until evenly combined
4. press into 2 silicone square pans and score into bars
5. chill or freeze, then break apart into pieces and store in airtight containers. we like 'em frozen, but chilled is also good!!!!

Someone is playing around with my energy bars ... Chocolate Energy Bar Variation

I wonder what would happen if .... 

That is how my brain works. Now I know.

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat grass powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the  pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge


Can you spot the difference? These bars are fantastic. I love the change!!!!!!

Old-School Chocolate Energy Squares -- vegan, raw, nut free

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat grass powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the  pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

I won!!! I won!!!! -- EVERYONE loves chocolate energy bars

Upaya Naturals Contest Winners


For a couple of years I have been making various versions of energy squares -- nutritionally dense combinations of raw ingredients that make perfectly snackable and awesomely delicious results.

The combination of such things as dates, raw nuts, and raw cacao means there's nothing in there a little kid shouldn't eat, and he's getting all kinds of good stuff to fuel his body and his brain.

One of my favourite online sources for high quality ingredients is upayanaturals.com, which is based out of Barrie, but has a local pick up in Toronto. They carry almost exclusively organic raw and natural ingredients such as raw almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpin seeds etc at truly excellent prices. Every month Upaya Naturals holds a contest to create a raw vegan recipe using ingredients they sell. When the ingredient was Raw Cacao, I decided to submit Zephyr's Favourite Energy Bars. And guess what? I won!! If you haven't tried these goodies, please check 'em out. My own favourite energy bars are the fruity superfood ones with goji berries and golden berries, but if you are a chocolate lover, the other ones may be your cup of tea. Ooh, and the chocolate peanut butter ones. Oh, and the chocolate and peppermint or chocolate and orange ones ... oh boy!! At any rate, I now have a shiny gift-certificate to spend on more ingredients, which will definitely lead to more recipes .... so, prepare to be annoyed.


Zephyr's Favourite Chocolate Energy Bars

Chocolate Energy Bars for School

Fruity Superfood Energy Bars

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Energy Bars

Superfood Energy Bars for School

School Chocolate Energy Bars -- no nuts!

Seeing as he is a raging chocolate addict, these little morsels please my son tremendously. The versions I make for home -- with almonds or almonds and peanut butter -- are verboten for school. However, the substitution of such goodies as pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts gives us super foods aplenty to replace our longed for tree nuts.

Now that I'm upping my game to contend with the school snack programme, I'm trying to bribe my son into forgetting the taste of the jam sandwiches he was given everyday at school without me knowing ... 

Call me crazy, but I just don't think kids need to eat junky food everyday for snacks. I don't think it fuels them, and I don't think it does them any favours. 

Now, I'll stop this post before I type out en entire dialogue between a chocolate energy-bar and a jam sandwich ...

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

More School Superfood Energy Bars -- no nuts!

I just found out they have a snack programme at my son's kindergarten. Yay. Unfortunately, in addition to fruit or vegetables, they are given jam sandwiches, cream cheese sandwiches, melba toast, and sugar laden yogurt. Control-freak, helicopter mother to the rescue. I send these with him as an alternative to the sugar, sugar, and more sugar offerings they are provided with. P.S. isn't it  kind of weird that they've been feeding my kid for a month without telling me?

ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic sesame seeds

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup wheat grass

1 tbsp maca powder

2 tbsp hemp hearts

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon (if you don't have ceylon, skip this part, because saigon or korintje won't work)

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp carob powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup golden berries

1/4 cup sesame butter (tahini)

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut butter

directions:

1. in a food processor, combine the raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, sesame seeds, flax meal, wheat grass, vanilla bean, ceylon cinnamon and sea salt

2. turn on and process until it resembles sand

3. add the dates, goji berries, and golden berries and pulse and then process until ground up

4. add the coconut oil, and pulse

5. add the coconut butter, and pulse

6. divide between 2 square silicone pans, score into pieces, and freeze

7. when fully chilled, break along the score lines, and store in airtight containers in the fridge.

School Superfood Energy Bars -- raw, vegan, gluten free, nut free, sinful delightful deliciousness

These are a great little lunch box addition -- or breakfast!! -- the will keep your little darling going through the whole school day. They have no nuts so they can be consumed at school. Yahoo.

ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic sesame seeds

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup wheat grass

1 tbsp maca powder

2 tbsp hemp flour (high fiber protein powder)

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon (if you don't have ceylon, skip this part, because saigon or korintje won't work)

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup golden berries

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut butter

directions:

1. in a food processor, combine the raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, sesame seeds, flax meal, wheat grass, vanilla bean, ceylon cinnamon and sea salt

2. turn on and process until it resembles sand

3. add the dates, goji berries, and golden berries and pulse and then process until ground up

4. add the coconut oil, and pulse

5. add the coconut butter, and pulse

6. divide between 2 square silicone pans, score into pieces, and freeze

7. when fully chilled, break along the score lines, and store in airtight containers in the fridge.