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I must be on a chocolate kick. Heck, when am I not on a chocolate kick? ;)
Lately, I've been trying to wean myself off having sugar almost every night. Normally I don't, but it is summer and when family visits it's kinda hard to avoid. That's why it's time to get back on track!
But going cold turkey doesn't necessarily work for me. I find myself going through with drawl if I don't have some kind of chocolate every now and then. The problem is creating a small healthy chocolate treat that's relatively low in sugar. That's where the nut balls come in!
I love making these little morsels, because they're so customizable and there are so many different flavors out there. This one's based on the chocolate chip brownie Larabar. That's my sister's favorite kind, but it has so much sugar in it! I set out to create one with at least half the amount of sugar as the original Larabar. With less dates, it's easier to taste all the chocolate-y goodness. Yum!
One of the tricky things about making "Larabars" with less dates is that they don't stick together as well. However, I discovered coconut butter and other nut or seed butters do a fantastic job of holding things together. Please, they taste delicious!
In this recipe I used coconut butter and it lends a slightly coconut-y taste, so these nut balls are reminiscent of a chocolate coconut chew Larabar (my personal favorite). If you don't want the coconut taste I'm sure you could sub with more dates. Any way you choose, these chocolate nut balls are a great way to satisfy your chocolate cravings and are great on the go!
1/2 c. dates, chopped
1 c. walnuts
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 T. coconut butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 T. chocolate chips
1. In a food processor, blitz your dates and nuts into a coarse meal.
2. Add the cocoa powder, coconut butter, vanilla, and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Form into balls or bars, then freeze for at least 20 minutes. Or, you can eat them right out of the food processor! They're best stored in the refrigerator or freezer, though.
Inquiry of the Day:
What's your favorite Larabar flavor?
I love the chocolate coconut chew, the lemon bar, the blueberry muffin, the carrot cake, the key lime pie, let's face it, the only one I don't like is the banana bread. ;)
Lately, I've been trying to wean myself off having sugar almost every night. Normally I don't, but it is summer and when family visits it's kinda hard to avoid. That's why it's time to get back on track!
But going cold turkey doesn't necessarily work for me. I find myself going through with drawl if I don't have some kind of chocolate every now and then. The problem is creating a small healthy chocolate treat that's relatively low in sugar. That's where the nut balls come in!
I love making these little morsels, because they're so customizable and there are so many different flavors out there. This one's based on the chocolate chip brownie Larabar. That's my sister's favorite kind, but it has so much sugar in it! I set out to create one with at least half the amount of sugar as the original Larabar. With less dates, it's easier to taste all the chocolate-y goodness. Yum!
One of the tricky things about making "Larabars" with less dates is that they don't stick together as well. However, I discovered coconut butter and other nut or seed butters do a fantastic job of holding things together. Please, they taste delicious!
In this recipe I used coconut butter and it lends a slightly coconut-y taste, so these nut balls are reminiscent of a chocolate coconut chew Larabar (my personal favorite). If you don't want the coconut taste I'm sure you could sub with more dates. Any way you choose, these chocolate nut balls are a great way to satisfy your chocolate cravings and are great on the go!
1/2 c. dates, chopped
1 c. walnuts
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 T. coconut butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 T. chocolate chips
1. In a food processor, blitz your dates and nuts into a coarse meal.
2. Add the cocoa powder, coconut butter, vanilla, and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Form into balls or bars, then freeze for at least 20 minutes. Or, you can eat them right out of the food processor! They're best stored in the refrigerator or freezer, though.
Inquiry of the Day:
What's your favorite Larabar flavor?
I love the chocolate coconut chew, the lemon bar, the blueberry muffin, the carrot cake, the key lime pie, let's face it, the only one I don't like is the banana bread. ;)
Um is there anything wrong with a chocolate kick?! Haha =) I'm on one myself right now. And I've been trying to get off the sweeteners... I'm eating too many dates lately. They are so tasty ;p
ReplyDeleteThese look great! Simple, yet delicious - and portable! My favourite kind of snack =)
My favourite larabar is the cashew cookie one. oh my goodness it's so good!
There is nothing wrong with a chocolate kick! I embrace my chocolate kicks and try to find ways to make chocolate treats without lots of sugar.
DeleteThe deliciousness of dates have gotten to the best of us. They're just so darn tasty! ;)
I love the cashew cookie larabar too! :D