Superfood Bars With Chocolate Coconut Frosting
Enjoy these protein-packed superfood bars for breakfast, a healthy anytime snack, or even dessert (the chocolate frosting is irresistible!). The wholesome, nutrient-rich ingredients in these chewy, nutty bars make one delicious bite that satisfies hunger!These energy bars are simple to make and are the best healthy snack for at home or on-the-go! A variety of nuts, seeds and other superfoods are combined to make bars packed full of nutrients.Why You’ll Love This Superfood Energy Bars RecipeEasy and Adaptable! Super simple to put together, this recipe can also be customised to your preferences, cut into squares or even rolled into bite-sized balls. Full of the Best Superfoods! Even though these bars already contain many amazing nutrients, you can also add/swap different superfoods or powders. Making them at home with whole food ingredients avoids the preservatives in store-bought protein or energy bars. Amazing Texture! Nuts and seeds give this recipe incredible crunch while the binding ingredients make these bars so deliciously chewy! Naturally Sweetened! You will love the natural sweetness from the dates in this recipe! Plus they contain antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins to support brain, digestive, and heart health and protect against disease. You don’t get that from sugar – nothing to see there but empty calories.The Chocolate Coconut Frosting is to die for. Its smooth, creamy, delicious and packed with coconut flavor, perfect for topping cakes, brownies or piping onto cupcakes, cookies and even ice cream! This frosting holds up at room temperature, and yet is semi-soft when right out of the refrigerator. It is the perfect balance of creamy, smooth, firm and spreadable. Its nice to have a batch already made in the fridge so you can put a dollop on EVERYTHING.I often make healthy snacks like homemade superfood bars or energy bites to have on hand for when I'm on the go. They go great with Greek yogurt or piece of fruit.This recipe is a super healthy treat, the perfect pick-me-up for long lasting energy. You and your family will love them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds, walnuts, pecans or a mix
- 1 1/2 cups dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Coconut Frosting
- 1 cup coconut butter, store bought or recipe below in notes
- 1/2 cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8” baking pan or dish with parchment paper on the bottom and sides leaving some overhanging to act as a handle to get the bars out easier for cutting.Place almonds (or nut mix) into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates, coconut, seeds, cocoa powder and vanilla and continue to process until mixture is only just combined. Be careful not to over process as you want the texture to still be chunky with larger pieces of nuts in it to add texture and different sized “bits” in your energy bars.Press the base mixture into the bottom of your pan or dish evenly. Refrigerate while you prepare the frosting.
Chocolate Coconut Frosting
- To make the frosting, you need the coconut butter and coconut oil to be slightly warmed. Not melted but just soft enough to mix with the other ingredients.You can partially submerge the jar (with both coconut butter and oil) in warm to hot water. If you have a microwave, you can put it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time (please be aware that the fibers in the coconut butter can scorch very easily). Or, you can wrap the jar in a heating pad and let it melt slowly.Then simply mix all frosting ingredients together in a small bowl or dish until smooth and spread evenly onto chilled bars.Place pan back into the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the frosting has set.Remove pan from freezer and lift the parchment paper to remove the bars. Using a sharp knife, cut into 10 bars or 9 squares or smaller portions if you prefer.Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months and eat cold for a frozen treat.
Notes
For the homemade coconut butter recipe go here: Coconut Butter
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
