Theses healthy and irresistible chocolate nut bars are both nourishing and delicious. If you are pregnant, postpartum or an on-the-go mama looking for a nourishing snack, this is it!
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I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with my fourth baby and this is the snack I have been making on repeat!! It’s easy to whip up, makes me feel good and gives me the chocolate hit I need (any other chocoholics out there?)
Whether you are pregnant, in postpartum or an on-the-go mama looking for a delicious and nourishing snack, this is the one, friend!
When you want something sweet but healthy, why not have both?
I am always making food that tastes both delicious and nourishing for the gut. It makes me a better person when I eat well, especially after little sleep from toddler wake ups or pure pregnancy aches and pains.
A little story that sets the scene for this recipe:
Our kids were sick for a whole week with a viral stomach bug. They have never been this sick before and took a long time to recover. Because we were cooped up in the house for six days straight, we decided to be spontaneous and go to the beach on a Wednesday (because when you homeschool, why not?!)
On the way home, we were all feeling a little hungry, so we decided to go all out and get some ice blocks and ice cream sundaes. I don’t even remember the last time I ate an ice cream sundae from McDonalds, but it’s probably been since before I had kids!
So what do you think I did? I went all out and ordered a chocolate fudge ice cream sundae. The moment I ordered it, I knew I would feel sick after consuming the delectable and sickly sweet dessert. And sure enough, I did. I didn’t regret it though, because I eat well enough most of the time to eat overly processed and artificially sweet foods once in a while.
It definitely hit the spot for about 20 seconds and then I felt my stomach churning. I will tolerate the feeling once every six months, but I can’t imagine eating that way all the time.
THE POINT IS: that while I am a sweet tooth, I am always looking for and creating recipes that are both sweet and nourishing.
So, if you are like me, then I’ve got you covered.
Tools you will need
- Food processor
- Medium sized saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Large rectangular ceramic pan (this one is great!)
Ingredients list
Base:
- Almond meal
- Cashews
- Medjool dates (pitted)
- Almond butter
- Maple syrup
Topping:
- Dark chocolate (70%)
- Grass-fed butter
Method
- Blend all base ingredients in food processor until soft and crumbly (add dry ingredients before wet ingredients)
2. On low heat, melt topping ingredients in saucepan until fully melted
3. Cover ceramic dish with baking paper and scoop the base into the dish
4. Press the base firmly until smooth
5. Pour chocolate topping over base until fully covered and smoothed over
6. Pop into fridge to set for at least half an hour
7. Once set, cut into 12-16 slices
8. Eat till your heart is content!
Notes
If you want to substitute this recipe for a nut-free recipe, I would suggest replacing the almond meal with blended oats and replacing the cashews with hemp/pumpkin seeds and the nut butter with chickpea butter (You will need to experiment with the amounts, but it should remain a similar consistency).
I initially made this recipe using blended oats instead of almond meal. When I tried it with almond meal, I found it to be so much more moist than with the oats. You can definitely try this with blended oats, but it will be more firm and less moist.
When blending the base ingredients in the food processor, pop the dry ingredients in first before the wet ingredients. I find that if you do it the other way around, the wet ingredients are likely to get stuck to the food processor and not blend in as seamlessly.
When melting the chocolate and butter, I have suggested melting it on low heat to err on the safer side, but most times I actually turn it up to low-medium heat, as it melts faster and I don’t have to wait around as long. I find that dark chocolate is good at not burning as much as milk chocolate. I’m guessing because of the lower sugar content. So don’t stress if you are in a rush and need to turn up the heat a little!
When you place it in the fridge for setting, feel free to take it out a little less than the half an hour mark. For me, I love when the chocolate is still slightly creamy and not hard and set. I end up returning it to the fridge and eating it when it’s set, but it’s really delicious when it’s softer and creamier. You could even microwave it for 10-15 seconds for that smoother consistency.
The benefits of each ingredient
If you are pregnant or postpartum, this is a great nutrient-rich snack.
Nuts are great blood sugar stabilisers and a great source of fat (yes, some fat is good for you!)
Dates are a wonderful way to incorporate natural sugar into your body. It’s also been shown that if you eat at least six dates a day consistently from 35-36 weeks pregnant, it can help to naturally induce your baby.
Dark chocolate is a great source of magnesium.
Butter (grass-fed is best) is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D3. It’s also a great source of saturated fat.
Want to try some of my other recipes?
Simple and delicious pizza scrolls
Healthy and delicious nut free apple crumble
The tastiest chocolate mineral milk
Healthy and Irresistible Chocolate Nut Bars
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Rectangular ceramic pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Almond meal
- 1.5 cups Cashews
- 8 whole Medjool dates (pitted)
- 1 cup Almond butter (or peanut butter)
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 300 grams Dark chocolate (at least 70%)
- 125 grams Butter
Instructions
- Combine all the base ingredients: almond meal, cashews, dates, almond butter and maple syrup to the food processor and blend until soft and crumbly.
- Heat and stir the dark chocolate and butter on low heat in a saucepan until fully melted
- Add baking paper to ceramic dish and scoop out the base ingredients into the dish
- Press the base ingredients firmly and smoothly until nice and flat
- Pour the melted dark chocolate over the base and smooth out until covered
- Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
- Once set, cut into 14-16 slices and serve
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