These must be the best sweets I have ever made! They are so incredibly fudgy, chocolatey and wonderfully decadent without being sickly sweet.
The buckwheat groats also add a really nice crunch and the dates give them a subtle caramel flavour.
Apart from being so delicious and satisfying they are also a powerhouse of goodness. Buckwheat ( not to be confused with normal wheat) aside from being naturally gluten free is also packed with minerals like manganese, copper and magnesium and it’s an excellent source of fibre. To keep your skin healthy glowing I have used ground almonds, rich in vitamin E which helps maintain the collagen level in your skin and pumpkin seeds which are a great source of zinc, proven to help healing acne and keep skin spot free.
These bars are ideal for a sweet snack on the go as they are totally portable, I love having one after a work out (they are also high in protein) or when the 4 pm slump hits. They are also a definite crowd pleaser, I have made them few times for office birthdays and most importantly for the gorgeous ladies of Star in a Bra and every time they have proven to be a total winner!
Ingredients: make about 12-14 bars depending on the size
¾ of a cup of ground almond
½ cup of raisins
1 cup of buckwheat groats
2 cups of pitted medjool dates
4 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
For topping:
A handful of pumpkin seeds
A handful of goji berries
Start by preheating the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
Spread the buckwheat grouts into a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes shake them around so they all get evenly toasted. Take them out when they start to turn golden brown. Leave them on one side.
In a food processor place the pumpkin seeds and blitz until they are fully ground. Add the ground almond and raw cacao powder and blitz for few seconds. Add the pitted dates, the melted coconut oil and the cinnamon and blitz again until you have a sticky and smooth dough.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the toasted buckwheat and the raisin. Combine all the ingredients together. The dough will be quite sticky so I personally find easier to use my hand to mix everything together.
Cover a baking tin with some parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and goji berries and press them gently onto the dough with your fingers.
Place the tin in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Remove from the fridge and cut into slices and enjoy! Store them in air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.