Recipe: Cacao Protein Bars

3pm & need a little somethin’ to get you through the afternoon?  These Cacao Protein Bars should hit the spot. They’re super easy to make… & a considerably cheaper option than store-bought (PLUS you actually know what’s in them…no nasties!) Feel free to customise this recipe; mix ‘n’ match different flavour combos to create YOUR ultimate protein bar!

What you need:

2 cups sulphur-free coconut threads

2 cups dates

1 cup cacao powder

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup cacao butter

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup goji berries

4 tablespoons protein powder of your choice (you may want to add more/less depending on what type of protein powder you use, & how it affects the flavour of the bars. I used collagen hydrolysate)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

10 drops peppermint oil (again, more or less, depending on how ‘minty’ you like your bars)

 What to do:

Unless you have a supersized food processor, you’ll need to make these bars in batches. I like to combine all dry ingredients first, then halve the mixture & add the wet ingredients to each half.

1 Set up a double boiler & melt down the cacao butter & coconut oil.

2 Put the coconut threads, cacao powder & protein powder in a food processor & blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3 Add goji berries, raisins, vanilla & peppermint oil to the mixture & continue to process for a minute.

4 With the machine still running, add in the dates – a few at a time – & the melted cacao butter & coconut oil. Blitz some more, until all ingredients are combined.

5 Line a large baking tray with plastic wrap or alfoil, & pour the mixture in. Use a palette knife or the back of a large spoon to press the mixture into the pan.

6 Put the pan in the fridge to set (or, if you’re impatient like me, put it in the freezer to speed up the process).

7  When set, cut the mixture into bars. If it’s too hard to cut, simply leave the mixture out on the kitchen counter for 10 or 15 minutes to soften.

8 Enjoy! Store in the fridge or freezer.