Raw Cocoa Bars

Many months ago I had seen a copy of The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite, after it had just come out. I had a chance to read the book again and adapted the Cocoa Bar recipe on page 191. I used Medjool dates even though it called for regular ones (hey, I happen to love Medjool dates!) and used less Agave syrup. Easy to make and very delicious. I cannot keep Walker out of the bars, he has been happily snacking away!

As for the book it is a cross between a guide on what to use instead of traditional ingredients and a cookbook. It contains a number of ways to take traditional recipes and reinvent them to accommodate a vegan or a heart healthy lifestyle, along with as mentioned recipes ready to go. I am overall comfortable with making substitutions to recipes but for a cook just starting out the book shows how easy it can be!

Raw Cocoa Bars

Ingredients:

• ½ cup raw pecans
• 18 Medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch fine sea salt ( Pinch Dash Smidgen Measuring Spoons )
• 1-3 Tbsp raw agave syrup

Directions:

Grind the pecans in a food processor until chopped small. Add in the dates, cocoa powder and sea salt, process on high until finely chopped. Add the agave, 1 Tablespoon at a time and process until a ball forms. I used 1 Tablespoon as Medjool dates are quite sweet on their own.

Line a bread loaf pan with plastic wrap, drop the date mixture in and with a small piece of extra wrap pat it down smooth and compact. Cover over and chill for a couple hours, then unwrap and slice up. Keep refrigerated for best results.

~Sarah