Raw Cacao Energy Bites

As most of you know, the kids and I are trying to cut back on refined sugars, processed foods and snacks, so I’ve been busy experimenting in the kitchen trying to come up new and tasty snack and breakfast ideas for us to try that are made with whole food ingredients and complex natural sugars. It’s actually been really fun and I think I’ve found a new passion, making whole food snacks! Hey, maybe I’ll even have my own local cute little snack brand one day! I mean who doesn’t love a good snack, plus I’ve learned that to keep our blood sugars stable (especially in kids) we all need to have a small snack in-between breakfast and lunch, and then lunch and dinner.  So there’s your excuse to feel a bit better about snacking.

These raw cacao energy bites are the bomb, and one of our new favorite snacks to munch on! I would classify these as my WHOLE FOODS version of a brownie or energy bar, but I’m not going to call them brownies, because that would be confusing to some people for various reasons, so instead I’m going to call these raw cacao energy bites!

These raw cacao energy bites are made with the following WHOLE FOOD ingredients:

• walnuts
• Medjool dates
• cacao powder
• unsweetened coconut
• brazil nuts – high in selenium which is great for thyroid health and cancer prevention
• chia seeds – these give a great “crunch” to the bites, as well as add  fiber, protein and Omega fatty acids

These raw cacao energy bites are also; gluten-free, grain-free, egg & dairy-free, paleo, vegan and don’t contain any refined sugars, plus they’re kid approved!  

As you can see there’s nothing processed in these bites, no refined sugars, or flours. These are made with real food that mother earth created for our bodies! These bites only take only 10 minutes to make from start to finish!  Yes, I’m not lying, 10-minutes, and it’s a snack that’s actually pretty good for you, (well, better for you than any refined sugar or processed snack bar) as it’s loaded with healthy essential fatty acids (fatty acids that our bodies need, but can’t make) like Omega 3 and Omega 6, dietary fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, and minerals, so yes, these bars do provide some nutritional value and taste great to boot!

Did you know that our brains are 60% fat, and that 1/3 of our calories go to our brain, so fat is good for the brain! Healthy fats also keep your blood sugar balanced longer and prevent the spikes and swings that refined sugars can give you. Healthy fats increase our energy, satiety, and metabolic rate! Bring those healthy fats on…If you haven’t had raw cacao before, give it a try. Raw cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can consume. Raw cacao is thought to be the highest source of antioxidants of all foods and is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which is the most deficient mineral in our modern-day diet! I’ll go into the benefits of magnesium on another post, as it’s something I’ve been incorporating into my diet everyday and I’m noticing a huge changes and benefits. It’s also chock-full of minerals, excellent source of monounsaturated fats, fiber and helps to balance blood pressure!

These bites are also a great recipe that your kids can make with you! Get your kids involved in making this whole food snack and talk to them about the goodness of each ingredient! They will love these bites even more after making them with their own two hands and having that special time with you! They will also love mixing the batter together with their cute little hands and molding it into little balls or shapes, and the bonus is they can eat the batter!  It’s like food play dough!

raw cacao energy bites:

special equipment: food processor
feel free to cut this recipe in half, but I will tell you that these bites go fast!

• 2 cups organic walnuts
• 1 cup raw cacao powder – I love this brand from Navitas Organics
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan
• 16-18 soft Medjool dates, pitted –  I like the consistency of 18 dates, as the bites are moister – Make sure your dates are soft and fresh, hard dates will not work well in this recipe
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup brazil nuts, coarsely chopped – you can add in any type of nut
• 2 tablespoons chia seed – chia seeds do not add any flavor, but lend a great crunch which my kids love plus you get the extra Omegas, fiber and protein!

In a food processor, add in the walnuts and process until a crumbly texture is formed (about 15-20 seconds).Add in the cacao powder and sea salt and pulse to combine.With the machine running, slowly add in the dates, a few at a time, through the feed tube, so they can fully incorporate into the mixture.  Make sure that the dates are blended into the mixture before you add more. Process until all of the dates are incorporated into the mixture.

The mixture should resemble brownie crumbs at this point. You can test the mixture by pressing it in-between your fingers. It should easily stick together and you should be able to easily mold it into a ball, if not, then add more dates, but if you use 16-18 dates, your mixture should be perfect!Transfer the cacao batter to a medium bowl and add in shredded coconut, chopped brazil nuts and chia seeds.

You can’t use a spoon to incorporate the coconut, chia seeds and nuts into the batter, so you will need to use your hands!

Oh, but it’s fun, and a great way to get your kids involved as well.

Get your hands in there and mix everything together really well! It’s almost like playing with play dough.

BONUS: You can totally eat this batter as well because there are no eggs, so nibble away. My kids actually love nibbling on the mixture!

Now, you can do whatever you want with this batter. You can roll it into little balls, (think chocolate truffles), roll it out and use small cookie cutters to make shapes, or press it into a parchment-lined pan, and then cut it into little bite sized pieces once cooled.
You can also divide the batter in half. One time, I used half the batter for bars and then made some cute little “kid friendly” balls with the other half. I didn’t put nuts into the “kid friendly” balls. I just kept them plain and simple and then rolled them in some unsweetened coconut, as it not only adds great texture and taste, but helps with the overall presentation.

Note:  The chia seeds will not add any flavor nor will they expand, all they add is a nice crunchy texture, which is really cool, and my kids happen to love the crunch, plus chia seeds add a boost of healthy fats, protein and fiber!

I’ve done it all, but my favorite way is to take the cacao mixture and roll it into little balls.

If you want more of a brownie-like shape, then you can press it down into a parchment lined 8×8 pan. I like the height of the bites, and the fact that I can cut them into whatever size is needed. Plus it’s just super easy to take the mixture, press it down into one pan, cover and be done with it!

Line the inside of an 8-inch, or 9-inch square baking pan (or whatever size pan/dish you choose) with 2 lengths of parchment paper, positioning the sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing the excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan.

Take the cacao mixture and press it down into the parchment lined pan using your hands or a spatula.

I always top the cacao mixture with a piece of parchment when molding it into the pan, as it can be sticky.

See, it doesn’t have to be perfectly flat!

The batter will look a bit shiny due to the oil from the dates.
I always sprinkle some unsweetened coconut over the top of the cacao mixture to help with the overall presentation!  Cover and place the cacao mixture in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours, (or freezer to have them cool faster) as the bites taste better when cooled and are easier to cut.

Once cooled, lift the parchment paper and cacao mixture out of the pan, and cut it into bite sized bars or squares.Storage: Wrap the cacao bites up tightly in the parchment paper and then with a layer of tin foil, or store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bars will keep fresh for up to one week, but they won’t last that long.

These bites are SO addicting and I don’t know why I cut them into small rectangles/squares, because I always end up going back and eating more.  Maybe it makes me feel less guilty knowing that I ate 2 smallish squares rather than one larger one? Silly, but that’s how my brain works!

Feel free to play around with the batter and add different items such as pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, rolled oats, chopped almonds. I mean the list is endless. Let me know what you end up creating!If you like these cacao bites, then you need to try my gluten-free healthy cookie bites. These cookie bites are made with 100% whole ingredients. They’re dairy-free, butter and oil-free, grain-free and gluten-free, but have an amazing buttery taste and texture. They’re also totally kid approved and tested! Give them a try. They only take 10 minutes to whip up and 12 minutes to bake.

Guilt-free dark chocolate chip cookie bites! These are one of Zoe’s favorite cookies and she begs me to make them weekly!

My kids and I also go crazy for these no-bake dark chocolate peanut butter granola bars. These are sort of a Kind Bar copycat.

If you’re looking for another kid and adult approved gluten-free treat, then you have to try these brownies. I know it’s a bit presumptuous to call these “THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIES,” but to be honest, they’re the best I’ve tasted, and they also happen to be a gluten-free version of my favorite brownie ever, so you might say that I’m a bit biased, but I’m a bit of brownie and chocolate cake addict, so I happen to know a thing or two about chocolate desserts, and I know tasty brownie when I try one. If you like fudgey, chocolaty and rich brownies, then you’re going to LOVE these!

5 from 1 reviews

raw cacao energy bites

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

These bites are the bomb, they're naturally gluten-free, grain-free, egg & dairy-free, paleo, vegan and don't contain any refined sugars! They also take 10 minutes to make from start to finish, and are totally kid approved!

Author: Marin mama cooks

Recipe type: after school snacks

Ingredients

• 2 cups organic walnuts
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt or pink Himalyan
• 16-18 soft Medjool dates, pitted - I like the consistency of 18 dates, as the bites are moister - Make sure your dates are soft and fresh, hard dates will not work well in this recipe
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup brazil nuts, coarsely chopped - you can add in any type of nut
• 2 tablespoons chia seed - chia seeds do not add any flavor, but lend a great crunch which my kids love!

Instructions

1. In a food processor, add in the walnuts and process until a crumbly texture is formed (about 15-20 seconds).
2. Add in cacao powder and sea salt and pulse to combine.
3. With the machine running, slowly add in the dates, a few at a time, through the feed tube, so they can fully incorporate into the mixture. Make sure that the dates are blended into the mixture before you add more. Process until all of the dates are incorporated into the mixture.
4. The cacao mixture should resemble brownie crumbs at this point. You can test the mixture by pressing it in-between your fingers. It should easily stick together and you should be able to easily mold it into a ball, if not, then add more dates, but if you use 16-18 dates, your mixture should be perfect!
5. Transfer the cacao batter to a medium-sized bowl and add in shredded coconut, chopped brazil nuts and chia seeds. You can't use a spoon to incorporate the coconut, chia seeds and nuts into the batter, so you will need to use your hands! Oh, but it's fun, and a great way to get your kids involved as well.
6. Get your hands in there and mix everything together really well! It's almost like playing with play dough. You can totally eat this batter as well because there are no eggs, so nibble away.
7. Now, you can do whatever you want with this cacao mixture You can roll it into little balls, (think chocolate truffles), roll it out and use small cookie cutters to make shapes, or press it into a parchment-lined pan, and then cut it into little bite sized pieces once cooled. You can also divide the batter in half. One time, I used half the batter for bars and then made some cute little "kid friendly" balls with the other half. I didn't put nuts or chia seeds into the "kid friendly" balls. I just kept them plain and simple and then rolled them in some unsweetened coconut, as it not only adds great texture and taste, but helps with the overall presentation. Note: The chia seeds will not add any flavor nor will they expand, all they add is a nice crunchy texture, which is really cool, and my kids happen to love the crunch!
8. I've done it all, but my favorite way is to take the cacao mixture and roll it into little balls.
9. If you want more of a brownie-like shape, then you can press it down into a parchment lined 8x8 pan. I like the height of the bites, and the fact that I can cut them into whatever size is needed. Plus it's just super easy to take the mixture, press it down into one pan, cover and be done with it!
10. Line the inside of an 8-inch, or 9-inch square baking pan (or whatever pan/dish you choose) with 2 lengths of parchment paper, positioning the sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing the excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan.
11. Take the cacao mixture and press it down into the parchment lined pan using your hands or a spatula.I always top the cacao mixture with a piece of parchment when molding the it into the pan, as it can be sticky. The batter will look a bit shiny due to the oil from the dates.I always sprinkle some unsweetened coconut over the top of the cacao mixture to help with the overall presentation! Cover and place the cacao mixture into the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours, (or freezer to have them cool faster) as the bites taste better when cooled and are easier to cut.
12. Cover and place the cacao mixture in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours, (or freezer to have them cool faster) as the bites taste better when cooled and are easier to cut.
13. Once cooled, lift the parchment paper and cacao mixture out of the pan, and cut it into bite sized bars or squares.cacao bites cut into squares.
14. Storage: Wrap the cacao bites up tightly in the parchment paper and then with a layer of tin foil, or store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bites will keep fresh for up to one week, but they won't last that long.

3.5.3251