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It’s time for another round-up, the last one was soup and that was months ago!  Well, this one is all about the snacks – nutty, raw and often chocolatey.  

I thought of this the other afternoon when I had just three Brazil nuts in my bag.  Now I have nothing against Brazil nuts. Indeed I really love them – full of magnesium which we often don’t get enough of and essential for good health. But I have taken to having my Brazil nuts with a couple of squares of my favourite Green and Blacks 85% Dark Organic Chocolate.  But I’d run out the night before and so I just had the three sad (but large) nuts.  Nice but well, just nuts.  So that led me to start thinking that I need to make something a little more tasty and that lead me to thinking about a round-up.  Get them all in one place instead of all over the blog!

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Raw bars, don’t you love them? They are so tasty, yummy nutty little numbers that are just the right size for that wee bite or two of flavour.  A pure energy pick up that is healthy and so guilt free.  

To make it all super easy, I’ve gathered all my raw bars and bliss balls in one post.  And I am so good that you don’t need to pop out to each page, but can print them all off from here.  No need to search all of Paleo with cream looking for them, handy!

Now shall go I polish my halo???


First up are these delicious three ingredient recipe are from  my primal hero Mark Sisson over at Marks Daily Apple – Dark Chocolate & Citrus Macadamia Balls.  Nuts, chocoalte and the surprising zing of orange zest!

Dark Chocolate & Citrus Macadamia Balls from Marks Daily Apple

  • Servings: 10 balls
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Mac-Choc-Citrus-Balls

  • 1 ½ cups raw, unsalted macadamia nuts (225 g)
  • A pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup/ 90g 85% dark chocolate – chopped
  • Zest of 1 orange

Blend the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor just until the nuts are smooth and have the consistency of dough.
Stop processing before the nuts take on a looser, butter-like texture.  Set the macadamia dough aside and wipe the food processor out.
Blend the chocolate chips until they are broken into tiny pieces, similar to chocolate sprinkles.
Shape the macadamia dough into balls. If the dough isn’t holding its shape, refrigerate it for 30 minutes first.
Roll each ball in orange zest, then chocolate. Store in the refrigerator.
Read more at Marks Daily Apple.

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Nutty Chocolate Raw Bars.  Just posted the other week.  Coconut and coconut oil, plus two types of nuts make up these raw bars.  And if you don’t like the shape, then roll them into balls.  I haven’t tried these dipped in melted chocolate, but I think that could we an awesome refinement!

Nutty Chocolate Raw Bars

  • Servings: 12 bars
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Raw Bars

2 tbsp Coconut oil – melted
3 dates chopped
2 tbsp Cocoa or Cacao
130g Macadamia Nuts – Raw
1/2c Brazil Nuts – Raw
1/2c Dedicated Coconut

Soak the dates in the melted coconut oil to soften for 1/2 hour.
Place both oil and dates with all the other ingredients into a food processor.
Whizz until mixed together.
Spread mix into a container 21cm x 13.5cm (8in x 5in) and line with baking/parchment paper.
Smooth and flatten.
Place in fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Slice into 12 pieces.
Store in the fridge.

paleowithcream.com


Chocolate Macadamia & Coconut Bliss Balls, well there is nothing complicated about these.  Try swapping out the Macadamia nuts for say Pecans and see what happens.  Well that could be another bliss ball post coming up!

Chocolate Macadamia & Coconut Bliss Balls

  • Servings: 12 balls
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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1 cup Macadamia nuts – raw
1 1/2  cup Coconut – threads or desiccated – depending on your coconut preference!
2 tbsps Cocoa
1 tbsp Coconut oil
3 or 4 dates, chopped

• Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the mixture forms into a clump.
• With damp hands roll large spoonfuls into balls (it helps to squish the together in the palm of your hands)
• Place in the fridge to set.
• Wrap and go.

Each ball has 1.8g Carbs, 16.8g Fat of which 7.4 is Sat-Fat, 2g Protein
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You can see I do have a thing about coconut!  Nutty Apricot Coconut Balls rolled in desiccated coconut, they could be just as tasty rolled in chopped pistachios or grated chocolate!

Nutty Apricot Coconut Balls

  • Servings: 10 balls
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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3/4 cup dried Apricots – – read the ingredient list on the packet as some brands add extras.
1/2 cup raw, Macadamia nuts – unsalted
1/2 cup raw, Cashew nuts – unsalted
1/4 cup desiccated Coconut plus 1/4 cup for coating
1/4 cup Coconut flakes
1/4 cup Chocolate – 85%, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp melted coconut oil

• Place macadamia, cashews & desiccated coconut in a food processor and blitz until chopped
• Add apricots, Coconut flakes, chocolate and continue to blitz until slightly clumpy
• Add vanilla and melted coconut oil and continue to blitz until mixture starts to form clumps.
• Shape  balls and roll in the extra coconut.
• Place in the freezer or fridge to set.
• Wrap and go or eat.

paleowithcream.com


Chocolate Hazelnut Balls, so I can’t claim the fame for these balls either. You’ll know exactly what these balls are a copy of, if I had wrapped them in gold foil.  Thanks to  Caroline O’Fee for creating them.

Chocolate Hazelnut Balls

  • Servings: 8 or more
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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1 cup raw hazelnuts (toasted and skins rubbed off with a towel).
8 Medjool dates (softened in 1/4 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes)
40g cocoa or cacao powder
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp/15mls maple syrup (organic pure with no added sugar)

Optional coatings
75g 85% dark chocolate (organic)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut

• Preheat oven to 180c/350f.
• Place hazelnuts in oven dish and roast uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and place in a tea towel, roll up and rub the skins off.
• Place in a food processor.
• Soak dates in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften, drain, then chop roughly, discarding the pits and add to the food processor along with cocoa/cacao powder, vanilla extract and maple syrup.
• Process until the mix becomes paste like with some largish chunks of hazelnuts.
• Roll teaspoons into balls – easier to have your hands damp to do this.
• The balls are ready to eat but if you wish you can coat them.

Coconut & Chocolate Coating
• Place half of the balls in the coconut and roll to cover.
• To coat the other half of the balls in chocolate.
• Place the other half in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the freezer.
• Chunk your chocolate and in a microwave proof bowl melt on medium high for around 45 seconds, stir, then if necessary continue to melt on medium high in 10 second bursts until melted.
• Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler – or a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water, taking care not to get any water splashed into the chocolate.
• With two forks dip each ball into the chocolate.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge – if they last long enough to get there!

paleowithcream.com


Coconut Chocolate Squares.  Very similar tasting to Bounty bars these are my favourite chocolate coated bars or squares.  They taste great without the chocolate coating too!

Coconut Chocolate Squares

  • Servings: too many not to share
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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12 medjool dates, quartered, pits removed
1/2 cup water
3 cups desiccated coconut
50 g ground cashew or macadamia nuts
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
pinch of salt
200g Dark Chocolate, 85% (or 70% if you prefer)

  • Soak prepared dates in water for at least 20 minutes to soften.
  • Process dates and water, oil and vanilla essence until they become a smooth paste
  • Add coconut and cashews previously mixed
  • Continue to process until well combined – you may need to scrape the sides down a couple of times.
  • Remove from processor and shape into a large square, place this onto a tray then cut into smaller squares.
  • Or if you prefer round truffle shapes instead then roll the mixture into balls.
  • Place in the fridge for at least two hours, then place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Coating

  • Break chocolate into a bowl and microwave on medium high a minute at a time, stirring each time.
  • Once melted dip each cold coconut square into the chocolate using two forks.
  • Place onto cooking/parchment paper to set.
  • Store in the fridge.

paleowithcream.com


Finally the last in this round up is one of the most popular.  Macadamia, Cashew & Apricot Bars – make them long or roll them up.  Super tasty!

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Macadamia, Cashew & Apricot Bars

  • Servings: 18 pieces
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

1 cup raw, Macadamia nuts – unsalted
1 cup raw, Cashew nuts – unsalted
1/3 cup desiccated Coconut
1 1/2 cups dried apricots – read the ingredient list on the packet as some brands add extras.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp melted coconut oil – you may need more depending on how dry the mix is. You can get away with not using this if you shape them into balls.

• Place macadamia, cashews & coconut in a food processor and blitz until chopped
• Add apricots and continue to blitz until slightly clumpy
• Add vanilla and melted coconut oil and continue to blitz until mixture starts to form clumps.
• You can now shape into bars or balls – whatever your fancy is. I have found that balls hold their shape better.
• Place in the freezer or fridge to set.
• Wrap and go or eat.

paleowithcream.com


Well that’s it!  I hope these inspire you to make your own raw bars.  Who would want to buy yukky processed bars full of unreadable ingredients when you can have your very own home-made with only a little effort and a good food processor!