Quinoa Crunch Bars

Remember ‘Crunch’ bars growing up? I think they were my favourite. Crunchy and chocolatey but not too rich – yum. So here I give you… the healthy version: Quinoa Crunch Bars.

As long as you have a good food processor, these are easy to make. Quinoa is such an awesome source of plant-based protein, and so is cacao, so if you’re a veggie, you need these in your life. And if you’re not, you still need them in your life.

These started as bars because they look better in the picture but I actually cut them into small bite-sizes afterwards so that we limit ourselves (not so good at that in our house!)

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa (uncooked)
12 large medjool dates
5 tbsps nut butter of choice (I find cashew is creamiest but any will work)
½ cup almonds
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 heaped tbsp. cacao powder
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Pinch Himalayan sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put the quinoa on a baking sheet-lined oven tray and put in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until they start going golden but do not let it burn.

Put all the other ingredients into the food processor and blitz until a doughy mixture forms.

Spoon mixture into a bowl and pour in the quinoa and mix it in with your hands. Really get in there!

Line a square baking tray with baking paper and smooth the mixture down into it with your hands. At this point you can drizzle with a chocolate sauce mix or leave plain. For the chocolate drizzle use this Chocolate Truffle recipe

Put it in the freezer for an hour then remove and cut into bars or squares.