My names for these things are getting more and more hilarious as time goes on. Honestly, I get a bee in my bonnet about using a certain ingredient (this time puffed brown rice) then just throw something together and hope for this best but then struggle to give them a fitting (and short enough) name!

These beauties are raw, vegan and free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar. Potentially up there with my Cacao & Cashew Oaty Bites and Choc Chip Blondies in terms of moreishness (that’s definitely not a word).

What’s amazing about them is the slight crunch you get from the puffed rice, like those Crunch chocolate bars I used to love so much.

Anyway they’re super easy to throw together. Here’s how:

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup nut butter of choice
1 cup medjool dates
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup puffed brown rice (I use Rude Health)

For the chocolate:
4 heaped tbsp raw cacao
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup (add more if you like it sweeter)

Method

Put the hazelnuts and cashews in the food processor and blitz until they form small chunks.

Now add the rest of the ingredients except for the puffed rice and blitz until the dates are broken down and everything is combined.

Add in the puffed rice and blitz a few times just until they’re evenly distributed but not broken down.

Put a sheet of baking paper in a square baking tray and grease with coconut oil and press the mixture down with your fingers.

Put it in the fridge to chill for an hour.

Make the chocolate by melting the ingredients over a low heat. Once melted, pour on top of the cake mixture and leave in the fridge until set. If there doesn’t seem to be enough of the chocolate mixture, just add equal amounts of the ingredients.

Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Love & health,
Lauren