Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With 6 Ingredient Raw Candy Bars

*Courtesy of Running On Veggies

Whenever I’m creating a new dish or dessert, I usually need some sort of inspiration to start. It can be from pictures I see on social media or even unhealthy dishes that I think have potential to be healthy! The other day I was telling my friends the need for inspiration so they started throwing out some names of their favorite candy bars… Snickers, Twix, Butterfingers were a few to say the least. The following night at 10 PM, I found myself rummaging through my cabinets looking for candy bar ingredients. I wanted to make something yummy and delicious but healthy.

I started with almonds. Most candy bars have nuts or nut butter so starting with almonds was almost a given. And I was stocked with more than enough! I also used raw cacao which is chocolate in its natural, purest form. I love using cacao because you can control what sweetener you use in your dessert. It’s definitely a staple in my cabinet and actually a really healthy source of natural fats. If your sweet tooth is craving chocolate, you can indulge without the added sugar and junk. The chocolate coating I created is slightly bitter but works so well with the sweetness of the dates in the middle layer.

Related: Make Your Own Protein Bars

I trusted my gut with this recipe and just went for it. I think the results paid off! Yes this is healthy, but it is also naturally sweet and naturally high in fat. So it goes without saying a small square goes a long way. It’s super rich and decadent, but it’s hard to stop at just one!

Do not be overwhelmed by all the steps! It’s not that complicated. You only need 6 ingredients–dates, almonds. nut butter, coconut oil, cacao and pure vanilla extract.

6 Ingredient Raw Candy Bars

Base layer:

• 1 cup raw almonds
•  1 cup of dates
•  1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1. In a food processor, process dates, almonds and vanilla extract until a doughy ball forms.
2. Line an 8 inch pyrex with parchment paper. Press your almond and date mixture into the pyrex. Note: I didn’t fill the whole pyrex but I used 3/4 of it. You want a this layer to be thick.

Middle layer:

• 1 tablespoon of nut butter
• 1 tablespoon of organic coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 chopped raw almonds

1. In a small bowl combine nut butter and coconut oil.
2. Drizzle the mixture over your base layer.
3. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the middle layer.
4. Place your pyrex in the freezer for around 20 minutes to set.

Chocolate coating:

• 3 tablespoons organic coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
2. Take your pyrex out of the freezer and cut into 15 evenly sized bars.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Dip each bar separately into the chocolate mixture coating each side. This might get messy.
5. Place each square on prepared baking sheet. You can top with additional nuts or coconut at this point.
6. Place your baking sheet with chocolate squares in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until chocolate hardens. You can leave it as is or cut them in half. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Be sure to keep them frozen or the chocolate coating will melt.

Related: No Bake Almond Cookies