Salted Chocolate Coconut Seed Bars
These Coconut Seed Bars are a super simple, nutrient-dense, and delicious snack or dessert. They’re gluten-free and refined sugar-free, sweetened with dates, and are easy to swap out ingredients with whatever you have on hand. The combination of fresh coconut meat, seeds of choice, buckwheat, and even a veggie thrown in the mix creates a chewy and crispy (thanks to the buckwheat) texture. This simple base is brought to the next level with a layer of dark chocolate and sprinkle of high-quality sea salt to finish.
Ingredient highlights of these bars:
- Coconut. Provides fiber and healthy fats which help with satiation, as well as contributes nutrients like potassium and folate.
- Sprouted buckwheat. Contrary to its name, buckwheat is not a wheat. It’s the gluten-free seed of the buckwheat plant which is a relative of rhubarb. It is also very easy to sprout, increasing digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients. When dried, the sprouted buckwheat is much lighter and crispier. Nutrient highlights: protein, fiber, minerals like magnesium and phosphorus, and vitamins like niacin; don’t forget phytonutrients like flavanoids.
- Dates. A whole-food sweetener so they have fiber and a wide array of nutrients – ie. potassium, calcium, iron, and B vitamins.
- 100% or other dark chocolate. High concentrations of phytochemicals like catechins and flavonoids which has been shown to improve cardiovascular health due to have anti-hypertensive, anti-thrombotic, and vasodilation effects. Other nutrients cacao is rich in – calcium, iron, magnesium. I love cacao from Terrasoul and Imlak’esh.
A gluten-free and refined sugar-free bar with a combination of fresh coconut, seeds of choice, and even a veggie thrown in the mix. Topped with a layer of dark chocolate and you have an easy, delicious, and nutrient-dense snack or dessert.
- Fresh coconut meat from a mature coconut
- Buckwheat, preferably sprouted and dehydrated
- Raw sunflower seeds, preferably sprouted and dehydrated
- Cauliflower florets
- Dates, pitted
- Seasonings of choice like Ceylon cinnamon
- Squeeze of lemon
- Pinch sea salt
- 100% or other % dark chocolate, melted
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Place about equal parts of the coconut meat, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds into a food processor. Add a few cauliflower florets, keeping in mind that the more you add, the more wet the final mixture will be.
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Process for about 15-20 seconds if you want the final bar to have a smoother, finer texture. If you want them to have more texture, put a few dates in first and then process.
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You're looking for a mixture that sticks together when pressed between your fingers, so I like to start with a few dates and then assess the stickiness after processing. Once processed for about 20-30 seconds, check by pressing the mixture between your fingers. Add a few more dates if it's not sticking together, or add more seeds/coconut if too sticky or wet.
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Once to your liking, pulse in seasonings of choice and a squeeze of lemon. Press the final mixture into a pan lined with parchment paper. Choose a pan or dish the size you want the bars. Set in the freezer to firm up.
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While setting up, prepare your chocolate (% of choice - I like 100% because the bars are sweet) either by melting bars or melting cacao butter and whisking in cacao powder.
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Once the bars are almost fully set (you want them a little soft so the chocolate adheres), pour the melted chocolate over the base. Place in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to partially harden then finish with a sprinkle of course sea salt. Place back until completely hardened.
- While I like to use fresh coconut meat, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut, or you could even leave out.
- Swap the sunflower seeds or buckwheat out for another seed like pumpkin, or use multiple. This is a simple base that allows for creativity and to use whatever you have on hand.
*For those that don't know, my recipes are made as whole and nutrient-dense as possible, but still incredibly satisfying. I share my recipes without measurements and hope they equip you to not feel confined to a recipe, but rather confident in your kitchen to be able to create something unique, nourishing, and delicious all on your own. So take this recipe as inspiration and enjoy! Head on over to my IG @noelle.parton and tag me if you try this out, or contact me if you have questions or comments.
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