Chocolate Superfood Chunks

As y’all know, my favorite way to show love to friends and family is through homemade treats and meals in their honor. So when I headed home to Kansas City last week to see my parents, I was surprised and thrilled to have the tables turned.

My mom’s friend, Marsha, whipped up a batch of her Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars to welcome me to town. Marsha is also a pastry chef, so you know that these were beyond incredible!

I enjoyed every bite of her original recipe (which you can find on my Instagram @goodnesswithg), so I wanted to use her for inspiration to create a recipe of my own. And what better way to take these bars to the next level than by incorporating more superfoods?

In addition, another part of this recipe that turned into somewhat of a beautiful disaster is the “chunk” element. I ended up cutting the bars after the chocolate was completely set, which ruined my idea of “perfect” squares.

Yet rather than becoming upset by the lack of uniformity and forcing myself to remake the recipe solely for more ideal photos, I changed my perspective. They still taste delicious regardless, and sometimes the most imperfect things end up being the best!

For the creamy bottom layer, I used my absolute favorite nut butter, Nuttzo Organic Crunchy Paleo Power Fuel. Not only is the flavor and texture incredible, but it’s also filled with several powerhouse ingredients that you won’t find in traditional nut butters. These include cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and sea salt. Talk about a solid lineup!

Along with the healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals all of the above provide, I included another superfood to this base mixture that I’ve been in love with lately — maca powder.

Maca root is actually a cruciferous vegetable native to Peru that’s become popular due to its ability to increase energy and endurance, improve mood, fight free radicals, reduce sun damage and boost sexual function. While this ingredient is absolutely optional, it’s an easy way to incorporate more healing foods into your daily diet.

As for the chocolate topping, I melted a few of my favorite bars from Evolved Chocolate. Their Signature Dark always satisfies my nagging sweet tooth, and the ingredients are simple, minimal and nutritious. As always, you can use any dark or milk chocolate that you love and have on hand for this recipe.

Not only is dark chocolate a daily must for me, but this superfood also has many proven health benefits. It has a notable amount of soluble fiber to aid in digestion and is packed with antioxidants and essential minerals including iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium.

Together these elements protect against heart disease, improve brain function and may even fight against sun damage. All the more reason to enjoy dark chocolate regularly in my opinion  .

And what’s any good dessert without toppings, of course! To really drive home the superfoods in this recipe, goji berries were a major must. These tiny, chewy superfruits are an excellent source of antioxidants that can fight aging and cancer, support immune health and increase energy.

Likewise, dried blueberries and coconut both have many advantages, including promoting skin and hair health and optimal brain function. To read up more on both of these potent superfoods, check out their appearances in 12 Beauty Foods for Skin & Hair Health and Back to School Brain Boosters.

This tasty, no-bake recipe is the best nighttime treat, pre-workout energy booster or even on-the-go breakfast to fuel you up for the day. Made with no refined sugar, gluten or dairy, all you’ll have to worry about is making sure that you packed more than one (trust me).

While superfoods can sometimes elicit an “UGH” from those who aren’t familiar, these bars might just change your mind about how easy and delicious nutrient-packed ingredients can be!