Being healthy doesn’t’ mean having to give up delicious treats but it does sometimes mean a little extra work to get them. These chocolate bars take a couple more steps than our usual recipes but are well worth the extra effort and still easy to make.
You may have noticed that we often advocate using chocolate in our recipes. Studies repeatedly show that dark chocolate benefits our health – particularly cardiovascular health, reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and platelet aggregation. In short it’s heart healthy. It’s also believed to help balance blood sugar levels – despite the sugar that’s added to it.
Good quality dark chocolate has a higher antioxidant potential than most fruit and vegetables including blueberries, cherries and broccoli. But try to buy organic chocolate. The cacao tree is notoriously hard to grow and so the cocoa bean is one of the highest pesticide-laden crops.
We like to make a big batch of these bars and freeze them so we have a good supply to hand when we feel like something sweet. The best thing is that the date ‘caramel’ stays soft even when frozen so they can be eaten directly from the freezer – no waiting time for defrosting needed.
They are always a hit after a dinner party and are a great, nutritious way to satisfy and cravings. We absolutely love the biscuit base which we also use for our chocolate hobnobs. The combination of oats, chia seeds and almonds helps keep you fuller for longer and also provides a good dose of protein and healthy fats.
The date paste can be made in advance and kept in the freezer as a healthier sweetener to have to hand as a sugar substitute in recipes. Although high in natural sugars, the paste is also rich in fibres and minerals and is much healthier than actual sugar.
- 1 tbsp ground chia seeds or ground flaxseeds
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 cup oats
- 1 heaped tbsp coconut oil or butter
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- 12 medjooll dates chopped
- 100 ml water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g dark chocolate
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- In a small bowl mix the chia (or flax) seeds with water and leave aside for 10 minutes to form a gel.
- Place the oats in a food processor and blitz for a few seconds to form a flour. Add the rest of the biscuit ingredients (including the chia gel) and quickly blitz until combined into a soft dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place between two flat sheets of baking paper. Flatten the dough and roll to a thickness of about 4mm. Using a knife cut the dough into strips of approximately 1.5cm by 5cm.
- Lay the strips on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 170 degrees celsius for 20 minutes or until golden. All to cool on a rack.
- While the biscuits are baking, heat the dates and water until softened (around 5 minutes). Transfer to a processor, add the vanilla extract and blitz to a smooth paste. Allow to cool.
- Use a knife to spread a layer of date 'caramel' over each biscuit. Once finished, cover and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and gently melt in a glass bowl placed over a pan of boiling water. Stir continuously until melted.
- Line a tray with parchment and take the caramel biscuits from the freezer. Dip each one into the chocolate using two forks until covered. Store in the fridge or freezer.
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almonds antioxidants chocolate coconut oil nut butter oats sugar gluten free dairy free kids wheat freeYou Might Also Like
