Tahini Cashew Chocolate Bars
With just a handful of simple pantry staple ingredients: cashews, dates, tahini (sesame seed butter), coconut, vanilla and chocolate, these bars come together in no time, are no-bake, and are about as healthy as a chocolate bar can get. Favorite part? They happen to be DELICIOUS and addictingly good. Bold statement I know!But the consistency, texture, flavor, the balance of salty/sweet/tahini/chocolate – the whole deal. It works! These simple bars are a breeze to make and are totally suitable for snacking but still delicious enough for dessert. I love the toasty tahini flavor, the familiar vanilla, and the creamy coconut. Healthy fats have become popular with the keto movement. No longer is eating a mouthful of fatty goodness frowned upon. After decades of playing the villain, humans once again embraced healthy, real food fats. Incredibly healthy foods with fats like tahini and coconut join forces in this soft, salty-sweet slice/bar recipe. No baking or cooking needed, made with wholesome ingredients and so darn simple to make.Coconut is one of the ingredients in this recipe as it is considered the most nutritionally complete food source in the world, making it a wonderful addition to your healthy eating. The world is going coconuts. Following the popularity of coconut water, a broad spectrum of foods derived from the humble coconut are available. It now comes in a variety of forms from water to milk, cream, sugar, butter, oil, flour, dried and shredded allowing for a variety of creative ways to add coconut to a healthy diet. Coconut contains a unique type of medium chain saturated fat called lauric acid that research shows raises HDL or "good" cholesterol levels, which lowers overall heart disease risk. As a plant food, coconuts also contain disease-fighting phytochemicals or antioxidants. Research suggests that coconut products helps boost metabolism which is helpful if excess body fat needs to be lost. Just one scoop of coconut oil delivers a wide-range of healing properties and when you pair coconut with the other nutritional powerhouse tahini and you have a match made in heaven. The little sesame seeds that tahini is made from are certainly not small fry when it comes to packing a nutritional punch.Tahini (aka liquid gold) is made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. It's smooth, nutty and rich, with a slightly bitter finish and a mouthfeel similar to almond or peanut butter.Tahini contains all the essential amino acids, making it a high quality protein, plus it is rich in lecithin, vitamin E and calcium. It is easily digestible because its high alkaline mineral content and because of its non-acid nature, tahini is an ideal protein source for people with weak digestive systems, invalids and young children, and is an excellent source of quick energy for active people and athletes.This Tahini Cashew Bar recipe has a luscious texture that melts in your mouth. It’s creamy and rich with just enough sweetness, plus a hint of saltiness and so chocolatey - a nutrient-dense, satisfying treat. They passed the test of some of the hardest dessert critics (my family!). Most said that their chewy texture reminded them of a chocolate caramel bar.I know it’s hard to believe, but don’t doubt this recipe. It’s so good, and every bite feels like it’s a sinful dessert you’re sinking your teeth into. In reality it’s probably healthier than your lunch (…depending on what you ate, of course).Here is my tip. Make these tonight as a healthy dessert. But…double the batch so you can have a healthy chocolate bar on hand for snacks throughout next week. These will last1-2 weeks when kept in the fridge and they are SO prefect for planning your snacks/desserts ahead of time.
Servings 16
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted cashews
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 3/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Coating
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Optional Toppings
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chopped nuts or dried fruit
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 cashews and coconut into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates, tahini, and vanilla and continue to process until mixture is sticky and well combined. Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture and different sized “bits” in your bars.Press the base mixture into the bottom of your pan or dish evenly. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Chocolate Coating
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in small dish and microwave at 50% power with 30 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Remove the bars from freezer and lift out of pan using the parchment paper handles and cut into 16 bars or more smaller squaresSkewer each bar or use 2 forks to hold each bar and dip into the melted chocolate, then place on a rack to dry. Dip twice for extra coating.Top with toasted sesame seeds, or chopped nuts or dried fruit.Let the chocolate firm up, about 10 minutes. Keep stored in the fridge.
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
