Maria MarloweThis easy to make dark chocolate and nut bar recipe was inspired by the Kind bars.
This recipe incorporates an even better assortment of healthy nuts and seeds, though, and only uses maple syrup and date syrup to sweeten. Of course, it also uses high quality dark chocolate to top it off.
Your whole house will smell delicious when you’re toasting the nuts, and you’ll love these chewy yet crunchy dark chocolate and nut kind bars – they make a great on-the-go snack or to keep at the office instead of running to the vending machine.
The Benefits of this Dark Chocolate and Nut Bar
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc (they deliver 19% of the recommended daily value per ounce) another nutrient that supports clear, blemish free skin. Similar as with Vitamin A, research shows that a lack of zinc can contribute to breakouts and acne.
Walnuts make for a nutrient-dense topping that delivers protein and healthy fats, including omega-3, an essential fatty acid that aids in reducing inflammation.
Dark Chocolate: The primary issue with chocolate is the amount of sugar most typical chocolate bars contain. But, if you choose one with a high cocoa/cacao content (over 85%) and one sweetened with dates, monk fruit, or stevia, you can avoid refined sugar. Coconut sugar is another better option, as has a lower glycemic load than regular white sugar.
(Healthier!) Dark Chocolate & Nut Kind Bar
Ingredients
- Half a cup (75 grams) pumpkin seeds
- 75 grams pistachios, chopped
- ½ cup almonds, chopped
- 75 grams hazelnuts (filberts), chopped
- 75 grams walnuts, chopped
- 40 grams sesame seeds
- ¼ cup (40 grams) hemp seeds
- ½ cup mulberries or goji berries
- 160 grams maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons (60 grams) date syrup (or substitute honey)
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ½ cup (85 grams) dark chocolate bar or chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
On 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, lay out all of the nuts and seeds (except the hemp seeds) in a single flat layer. Bake for 12 minutes until just starting to turn golden.
Pour all of the toasted nuts and seeds into a large, heat-safe bowl. Then add the hemp seeds and mulberries or goji berries. Mix well and set aside. Leave one sheet of parchment paper on one of the baking sheets. Reserve the second parchment paper on the side. Set both aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, date syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
Working quickly but carefully, remove the mixture from the heat. Immediately pour over the nuts and use a rubber spatula to quickly mix. Then, lay out flat on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Use the second parchment sheet to push down the mixture into about 1 inch (2.5cm) high single flat rectangular layer. Remove the top sheet, and let the nut mixture cool and harden for 30 minutes.
Allow the mixture to harden, then cut it into rectangles.
Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler, and then using a spoon or pastry bag, drizzle the chocolate over the bars and allow to harden, about 15 minutes.
If desired, you can make a chocolate bottom first, before you drizzle the chocolate over the top. Just dip the bottom of each bar in chocolate to make a chocolate layer about ¼ inch (6mm) thick. Return the bars to the parchment paper, and then drizzle the remaining chocolate over the top.
About the Author: Maria Marlowe is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who has helped thousands of people improve their health by optimizing their diet. She has created meal plans and programs to help you lose weight, clear up acne, and spend less time in the kitchen yet still eat healthy.
She has been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, NBC, Well + Good, and more. Her first book, The Real Food Grocery Guide, will teach you how to eat healthy without going broke.
Check out her site, www.mariamarlowe.com, or follow her on Instagram @MariaMarlowe and Facebook for more healthy recipes.