Crispy Chocolate Chews

This recipe is a complete hit at every function I've taken it to.  It was one of the healthy sweets I offered at our clinic open house this past weekend and people were all over this.  Some couldn't believe they weren't baked and didn't require hours of prep work! This treat is truly a healthy option  to have at home or even take with you to a function as a hostess gift. It's also a great nut-free snack to pack for kids to take to school.

As I mentioned in my previous posts I'm not for deprivation. I love food and like to enjoy my food and so does my family. But I'm also conscious of the food we are consuming.  Unfortunately we're living in a time where we have to be.  We need to read labels and ingredients, because packaged goods contain many ingredients that are actually harmful to us.

So during this time of plenty, plenty of gatherings with plenty of food, I thought I'd offer my friends and family a healthy treat.  This is sweeter than I normally like but it's soooo good! My hubby and kids have been gobbling these up this past week.

This recipe is a combination of dates, sunflower seeds (which make them school lunch friendly), raw cocoa powder, chocolate chips and brown rice crisps (I like the one from Natures Path).  It's super simple to make and the best part is that there's no baking required.  You need a food processor and some elbow grease to flatten them out. These can also be rolled by hand into individual balls which can save you time.

These are on the sweeter end of the spectrum but they're also packed with nutrients coming from the dates, sunflower seeds and cocoa powder. The dates are high in fibre, specifically soluble fibre, source of B6, potassium, manganese,  magnesium. Sunflower seeds  are a good source of protein, 29g in 1 cup. They're a superstar when it comes to vitamin E, a fat soluble antioxidant, a whopping 82% of DV in 1/4 cup. Vitamin E is anti-inflammatory, shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. It's also a good source of thiamin (43% of DV), B6 (28% of DV), folate (20% of DV), copper (70% of DV)  selenium,  manganese, phosphorus, magnesium all between 28 - 34% of DV.

You can eat these guilt-free and feel good about serving them to family and friends!

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Crispy Chocolate Chews

Yield: 8 large squares

Author: Lara

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Crispy,chewy and oh so chocolaty! These are simple to prepare and simply delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates tightly packed
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice crisps (natures path)
• 2 tbsp raw cacoa powder
• 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Place dates in food processor and pulse until broken down and sticky.
2. Once dates fully broken down, remove from food processor and set aside (you'll know they're completely broken down when they collect together and form into a ball in the food processor)
3. Place sunflower seeds in food processor and pulse until broken down into coarse flour like texture
4. Add processed dates and all other ingredients outside of the rice crisps into the food processor and pulse until fully incorporated
5. Place mixture into large bowl
6. Add rice crisps to mixture and fold by hand until fully mixed
7. Place mixture into flat baking dish and flatten completely, pressing down with your hand until firmly pressed
8. Cut into desired sized pieces
9. Place in fridge for 15 min to allow them to firm up further
10. Remove from fridge, remove cut squares and place in airtight container
11. Store in fridge until ready to consume

Notes:

Try to choose soft dates to allow for easier processing. If your dates are tough it will help if you soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before you place them into the food processor. Strain them completely from the hot water and pat them dry before processing to ensure the mixture isn't too soggy, otherwise the rice crisps won't be so crispy. 

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