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No-Bake Yummy Chocolate Salty Bars!
Hey there, busy mom!
As always we’re wishing you’ve had a great week so far!
We’re sharing with you a healthy dessert that kids will absolutely love, and the best part is there’s no need to bake these yummy chocolate bars. This is another quick snack that you can easily whip up in your kitchen or even make with your kids. We are going to use cocoa powder and no sugar, so you can enjoy these without worrying about unhealthy ingredients.
Cocoa is most popular for its role in making chocolates, but did you know that it also has a lot of compounds that can benefit your health? Yup, you read that right. Let’s go over some of the health benefits of this wonderful ingredient.
1. Rich in polyphenols - Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, which contain antioxidants. These reduce the risk of having heart diseases and cancer.
2. Can help lower blood pressure - The flavanols contained in cocoa powder can lower blood pressure by improving the nitric oxide levels in our bloodstream.
3. Reduces bad cholesterol - Since the flavanols in cocoa improve blood flow, it inevitably reduces bad cholesterol and improves our heart health.
4. Improves mood - Cocoa has an impact on the brain, which also improves our mood and even combats symptoms of depression. No wonder that we see lots of people in movies consume chocolates after a long, stressful day. There are several studies showing that frequent intake of chocolates is associated with reduced stress and improved mood levels.
5. Combats diabetes - Yes, that’s right. Cocoa does in fact have anti-diabetic effects thanks to the flavanols contained in it. We just need to be mindful when consuming chocolates because most store-bought chocolates contain sugar, too.
Now that we got the amazing benefits covered, let’s start!
You’ll need:
A large bowl
Coconut oil (melted)
½ cup of peanut butter
Honey (about 2 scoops)
2 tsp of vanilla
Milk
Cocoa
Oats
Pan
Parchment paper
In a large bowl, add some melted coconut oil. We will use this to help keep the ingredients intact, and it also does wonders for our health! It contains a lot of healthy fat and encourages the body to burn more calories.
Add in half a cup of peanut butter and stir.
Scoop out about 2 large spoonfuls of honey (we used one with a mint flavor in it) and continue to stir the mixture. You can ask your kids for help on this part. Keep stirring, and let’s slowly add in our sweeteners. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla, some milk to reduce the thickness in the consistency, and 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder.
Make sure that it’s not too thick because our next ingredient will do that right away. Stir, and slowly add in your oats. Feel free to add as much as you want until you reach a really thick consistency. Keep stirring to make sure that all the oats are covered with that chocolate goodness.
Put your parchment paper in a baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, scoop out the mixture from the bowl and into the pan. Flatten it out and make it even.
All that’s left to do is to put the pan in the fridge and wait a few hours to let it harden. Take it out, and slice it into bars. Serve them on a plate and let you and your kids enjoy these irresistible bars! You may also add a little sprinkling of salt on top for a burst of flavor.
We hope you loved this recipe, because we definitely do! Feel free to watch the full Meal Monday video here. See you again next week!
- Micah from Mom Training