Superfood Dark Chocolate Bark

A healthy chocolate treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Any sweet tooth's out there?! Me, me, me!! My sweet tooth is bad, especially during the holidays. I’m all about balance and intuitive eating but when it comes to sweets, I have zero control! I work at a university so for the past two weeks there has been at least one sweet item in the break room. When my pants started to feel a little tighter than usual, I decided to put an end to it!

To satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling guilty, I created a superfood dark chocolate bark that is super easy to make and is loaded with all the good things, sans added sugar, dairy, and gluten.

The dark chocolate base is made with only 4 ingredients: dark chocolate, maca powder, quinoa, and MCT oil. Quality dark chocolate is quite nutritious as it contains high amounts of fiber, iron, magnesium, and copper. Not only is maca powder popular for increased energy levels and vitality, it provides a sweet “honeycomb” flavor to the chocolate.

Toasted quinoa provides a nutty crispy texture to your bark while providing high amounts of protein and fiber.

MCT oil is easily absorbed throughout the body providing your body an instant source of energy that can be converted into ketones to fuel your brain. I like using this brand: Sports Research

Not only is the base full of superfood ingredients, so are the toppings! I used a random mix of just about everything but you could use whatever you have in your pantry. For example, I used bee pollen, goji berries, cashews, cacao nibs, pepitas, and coconut flakes.

This bark is rather bitter but with a honeycomb undertone. If you prefer your bark a little sweeter, then gradually add 1 Tbsp of pure maple syrup or honey until desired sweet flavor. If you do not have MCT oil, you can use coconut oil instead. Coconut oil does not replace MCT oil as far as nutrition, it just provides an oily consistency that you need when melting the bark.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Ingredients

• 1 bag (10 oz) organic dark chocolate

• ½ cup quinoa

• 2 Tbsp MCT oil (or coconut oil)

• 1 tsp maca powder

Toppings

Cashews, almonds, pistachios, goji berries, cacao nibs, bee pollen, chia seeds, coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread quinoa in a single layer.

3. Toast quinoa in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until lightly brown and toasted.

4. While the quinoa is in the oven, melt chocolate by placing the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and nuking the bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments.

5. When the chocolate is completely melted, add the toasted quinoa, MCT oil, and maca powder. Stir to combine.

6. Transfer chocolate mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spread chocolate using the back of a spoon to spread it out into a rough rectangle.

7. Scatter toppings over the chocolate while it is still warm. Feel free to get creative!

8. Place baking sheet in the fridge for up to 1 hour or until the chocolate has set.

9. Use a sharp knife to chop the slab into rough pieces.

10. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

A healthy take on the classic holiday cookies that are gluten-free and dairy-free, with a soft and chewy texture!

I immediately think of thumbprint cookies when it comes to the holiday season. Thumbprint cookies alway seem to make an appearance around Christmas, and with good reason! The fruit jam on top of a soft, pillowy cookie is all I need to get my gears going for the holidays!  Baking thumbprint cookies can also be a great family activity. The little ones can roll the dough into small balls and press their little thumbs into the dough creating a small well for the fruit preserves or jam.

My favorite organic fruit preserve is raspberry but you can choose any flavor. This recipe in particular is reminiscent of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches thanks to the almond flour, so pairing raspberry, grape, strawberry, blackberry, or blueberry preserve works great. I like using these fruit filling brands: Tiptree and Crofter’s

In addition to the almond flour, I also use gluten-free whole grain out flour. I use this brand but you could also ground your own oat flour by pouring oats into a processor or vitamix and blend until the oats turn into the consistency of flour.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour

• ½ cup GF whole grain oat flour

• ½ cup coconut sugar

• ¼ cup creamy almond butter

• ¼ cup melted coconut oil (room temp)

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp baking soda

Filling

Fruit preserve or jam of choice such as raspberry, orange, strawberry, blackberry, grape, etc.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix coconut sugar, almond butter, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.

3. Add both flours and baking soda until combined.

4. Place cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

5. Scoop about 1 Tbsp of dough and roll into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

6. Push your thumb in the center of each dough ball and dollop with raspberry preserve. Use enough to fill the well.

7. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until cookies are lightly brown.

8. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for longer storage.

Notes

1. Makes 12 cookies (1 Tbsp serving)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola and Berry Parfait

Chocolate peanut butter granola and berry parfaits are great for a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal of the day. The thought of breakfast literally gets me out of the bed in the morning! I leave the house early in the morning so that I can sit down at my desk at work to really enjoy it with a nice cup of coffee. I certainly do my best to find the joy in the little things!

Usually, I am more of a savory breakfast person. I prefer eggs, avocado toast or a breakfast skillet like my sweet potato hash breakfast skillet. Sometimes, though, you need to mix things up! What better way to “mix things up” than with layers of granola, berries, and yogurt?!

Still not convinced? Here are five reasons for you to prepare these parfaits!

1. With so few ingredients, you can easily incorporate them into your meal prep.

2. Parfaits are versatile -- switch out the ingredients depending on your mood, or season! I originally debut these on Instagram for 4th of July, hence the whole red, white, and blue theme, but you can easily make these for the fall if you do a simple switch! For example, for fall parfaits you could switch out the berries for apples and cinnamon. For the spring, use apricots with honey! The possibilities are endless.

3. Make these for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack. I won’t judge you if you make them for dinner, too.

4. They are easy to grab and take with you! Just prepare them in mason jars!

5. Impress your friends! Parfaits look adorable and most people don’t realize how little effort it takes to make them!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Chocolate peanut butter granola and berry parfaits are great for a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert! - GF/DF/Low sugar

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

• 2 cups GF oats

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

• 1/4 cup flax seeds

• 1/4 cup oily peanut butter

• 2 Tbsp cacao powder

• 1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Yogurt

• 2 cups plain greek yogurt or dairy free yogurt

• 1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey

Toppings

• Assorted berries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix granola ingredients together and spread onto a sheet pan covered in parchment paper.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy and the granola mix is dried out.

4. While the granola is cooling down, mix the sweetener into the yogurt until you reach the desired sweet taste.

5. In a mason jar or cup, do two layers of yogurt, granola, and berries. Enjoy!

Matcha and Carob Cookies

These matcha and carob cookies are sure to satisfy that sweet tooth while giving you a boost of energy without the crash!

What better way to get in that caffeine kick than in cookie form! Yup! You heard me right! These matcha and carob cookies are sure to satisfy that sweet tooth while giving you a boost of energy without the crash!If you are wanting a cookie that is naturally low in sugar then look no further. Carob powder is used in this recipe because of its natural sweetness. In fact, it is often used as a replacement for chocolate.

I know, I know -- why would you ever want to replace chocolate? Well, according to the National Headache Foundation, foods that contain tyramine may trigger migraine headaches… And what foods contain tyramine? Unfortunately, chocolate. That is why people who get migraines are recommended to avoid chocolate. Additionally, some people may avoid chocolate for other reasons, whether it’s because of allergies to dairy (certain chocolates contain milk) or because of personal dietary restrictions.

If you want to make these matcha cookies with chocolate, you can see my notes at the end of the post. Otherwise, I wanted to add this recipe to my blog to show those who avoid chocolate or dairy in their diet that it is definitely possible to satisfy your chocolate cravings using an alternative ingredient. The good news is that carob powder works really well as a substitute for chocolate… And it works really well together with matcha.

Have you ever had matcha tea? Matcha tea is actually just finely grounded green tea leaves. It is essentially a concentrated form of green tea, which means it retains most of its antioxidants. Matcha also contains a unique form of caffeine known as theophylline which sustains the energy levels without any adverse effects. So, not only does the subtle, earthy taste profile of matcha complement perfectly with the natural sweetness of carob, but the combination of the two in this recipe results in a cookie without the sugar or caffeine crash.

Fun fact: Carob powder is dog-friendly! Carob does not contain high levels of theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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These matcha and carob cookies are sure to satisfy that sweet tooth while giving you a boost of energy without the crash!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup fine almond flour

• 1/2 cup GF all purpose baking flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 Tbsp carob powder

• 1 Tbsp matcha powder

• pinch of salt

• 1/4 cup organic light brown sugar (packed)

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

• 1 egg (room temperature)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift flours, salt, soda, matcha and carob powder in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar and melted coconut oil until creamy and smooth. Then whisk in vanilla and egg.

3. Slowly add dry mix to wet mix until fully incorporated.

4. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon 1 Tbsp mixture and form into balls and press onto baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes cool on rack and dust with matcha and/or carob powder for visual presentation if desired.

NOTES

1. Best when right out of the oven with a glass of cold milk of choice and straight out the fridge!

2. For the chocolate version, just substitute 1 Tbsp of carob powder for cocoa powder, ¼ cup organic light brown sugar for ½ cup organic light brown sugar and ¼ cup organic dark chocolate chips.

Classic Vegan Truffles

These truffles are rich, creamy smooth and just melt in your mouth! Literally, as I am writing this post, my mouth is watering! 

Classic vegan truffles are to die for!

Valentine’s day is coming up, so truffles are a great safe option to make for that special someone or just for you! Truffles are great to make the day before as the flavor consistency tastes best when chilled overnight. 

As most of you know, a classic chocolate truffle includes a ganache that is composed of heavy cream and bittersweet chocolate. You can dip the truffles in chocolate or dust them off with cocoa powder.

I am lactose intolerant, so I haven’t been able to eat a classic truffle in quite some time. Through countless recipe testings, I am finally at a point where I can eat a truffle and not be sick!

While this recipe follows the traditional approach on making a classic truffle, the special ingredients that are orchestrated in these special little balls are what makes them stand out the most.

Check out below on how to make these amazing bad boys!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

These classic vegan truffles are made with ingredients that are naturally lower in sugar while maintaining the classic creamy ganache texture!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz good quality vegan dark chocolate ((60% or higher))

• 1 can coconut cream

• 1/4 cup coffee

• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, heat coconut cream, coffee, and pure maple syrup while whisking consistently. Just as it starts to boil, take the saucepan off the burner.

2. Cut the chocolate bark into pieces (can use small chocolate chips too) and place into a medium bowl.

3. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. With a spatula, fold the cream mixture with the chocolate until fully incorporated.

4. Let the mixture sit until room temperature and place into fridge to chill for up to 2 hours.

5. When the ganache is firm, use a small scooper or spoon and form the ganache into balls. Roll them in your favorite toppings like cocoa powder, coconut flakes, or melted chocolate with clean, cold hands.

6. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve!

NOTES

1. Before setting your ganache mixture in the fridge to chill, cover the top layer with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from developing as well as to keep the ganache away from dirt and fridge odor.

2. Best when chilled in the fridge overnight. If you are putting it in the freezer to speed up the "chilling process", set the ganache out until room temperature before scooping into balls. If you try to scoop when the ganache is really firm to frozen, then the ganache will fall apart and it will be hard to form balls.

3. If you find the balls are melting in your hands as you are forming them, wash your hands and keep an ice packet or frozen bag of peas at bay to lower your hand's body temperature.