Raw Superfood Energy Bars

New York Times doesn’t just slap a Best-Selling honor on any old book. No, Julie Morris earned that credit with her stunning book Superfood Smothies, and she is back with what is sure to be another winner: Superfood Snacks: 100 Delicious, Energizing & Nutrient-Dense Recipes. To show us just how she combines healthy ingredients into snackable taste sensations in this new title, Julie has offered these superfood energy bars (also known as Chocolate Cherry Goji Bars) as a sample recipe. Each sweet but wholesome bite is spiked with dried cherries, goji berries and cacao nibs.

Thanks to her job as Executive Chef for Navitas Naturals, Julie knows the ins and outs of “superfoods”, including their health benefits, how to use them, and how to combine them for both optimal nutrition and taste. So not surprisingly, the first section of Superfood Snacks is a fun, informational who’s who of healthy ingredients. Though it’s tempting to jump right into the recipes, I recommend starting from page 1 – it’s an easy and educational read, and with an author as radiant as Julie, I definitely want to know what she knows!

Once you’ve got all that knowledge under your belt, then you’ve earned the right to move on to all of those unique and enticing recipes in Superfood Snacks (all plant-based and dairy-free!). Like the Rainbow Superfruit Popsicles with coconut water, maqui berry, camu berry, spinach and loads of fresh fruit. Or the Kombucha Float with homemade Cacao Ice Cream. On the savory side, you’ll find fulfilling bites like Hemp Seed Cheese, perfect for serving on Chia Thins, and Cauliflower Ranch Dip to accompany crudites.

Beautiful photographs are randomly interspersed throughout Superfood Snacks. Though there isn’t a picture with every recipe, there is certainly enough eye candy to keep you turning those pages.

Still not sure? Try these raw superfood energy bars first! They’re a classic from Julie’s kitchen, made “Larabar” style, but spiked with antioxidant rich goji berries, cherries and cacao nibs.

Special Diet Notes: Raw Superfood Energy Bars

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian and paleo.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Raw Superfood Energy Bars

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Cherries and goji berries are soulmates in the dried-fruit world—I often make trail mixes that pair these two red beauties. Here, they’re friends again in these wholesome, cacao-nib-accented raw bars. Packed with all kinds of antioxidants, these bars appear to be “only” sweet treats, while undercover they are anti-aging workhorses.

Author: Julie Morris

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8 bars

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw almonds
• ½ cups raw walnuts
• ½ cup dried goji berries
• ¼ cup Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine the almonds and walnuts, and process the nuts into the size of small gravel. Add the goji berries, dates, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder, and process until the mixture forms clumps and begins to stick together. Add the cherries and cacao nibs and process briefly to incorporate the ingredients, but leave some small chunks for texture.
2. Place the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Press the dough into a compact rectangle, then wrap it tightly in the plastic, compacting it even more. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a ½ -inch-thick layer.
3. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 8 bars or smaller bites, as desired. These superfood energy bars will last several weeks unrefrigerated and covered, or keep them in the freezer for long-term storage.

Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission from Superfood Snacks by Julie Morris. A Sterling publication, 2015.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 153 Fat: 10.2g Saturated fat: 1.3g Carbohydrates: 14.3g Sugar: 7.3g Sodium: 1mg Fiber: 3.1g Protein: 4.8g

3.5.3229