If you want to give a nice twist to your usual cereal go-to snack, this is the recipe you are looking for. You will have an instant, delicious and full of nutrients chocolate-y treat.
They are really easy to make and take no more than 15 minutes. You just need a few simple ingredients:
- Walnut tahini (I used Theia’s tahini)
- Honey
- 100g sugar-free dark chocolate (I used a mix of Gaio and Harmonica)
- Puffed spelt/rice (I used DM Dinkel gepufft)
- Melted coconut oil/ghee
- Vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
These crispy bars do not require any baking, so all you need to do is mix and refridgerate. You can find detailed information about the ingredients and the method on the bottom of the page.
Why is it important to have nutricious snacks ready?
According to latest statistics, 24% of adult’s total daily calories are consumed when snacking. For some individuals, snacks can provide a significant proportion of their daily energy intake.
If you are one of those people who loves snacking, it might be reasonable to think about nutritious options. Otherwise, snacking on junk food may cause weight gain and other additional health issues (Gonzalez 2020). Preparing your own snacks gives you the opportunity to control the quality of the ingredients you use. However, be cautious of the portion sizes.
Snacks can be very beneficial in one’s diet (Gonzalez 2020):
- they increase one’s nutrient intake
- they sustain energy levels
- they help the body recover post-workout
- they can improve one’s diet quality
Nutrient-dense snacks may help an individual meet his/hers recommended levels of nutrients. Moreover, snacking can be useful in people with blood sugar issues since they prevent one’s blood sugar from dropping too much in between meals. This is very important in people with metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance or diabetes (Aguilar 2015). However, snacking options should be balanced, which means that they should provide all macronutrients- carbohydrates, protein and fats. This will prevent any fluctuations of blood sugar levels since the digestion process will be slow and steady.
As said above, snacks can also help athletes replenish energy stores and speed up muscle recovery. In professional athletes, it is vital to consume a snack/meal with a carbohydrate and protein source 15-30 minutes after a workout to have the best results (Rosenbloom 2011).
And last but not least, I want to mention that having go-to snacks available may prevent one from getting too hungry and binge eat on fast junk foods.
References:
GONZALEZ, M., 2020. The Benefits to Healthy Snacks. [online]. Findlay, OH: Blanchard Valley Health System. Available from: The Benefits to Healthy Snacks (bvhealthsystem.org) [Accessed 29 March 2021].
ROSENBLOOM, C., 2011. Snack Attack: Evaluating and Rating Snacks for Athletes. Nutrition and Physical Activity Journal, 46(3), pp. 106-115.
AGUILAR, A., 2015. The importance of snacking when you have diabetes. [online]. Michigan, USA: Michigan State University. Available from: The importance of snacking when you have diabetes – MSU Extension [Accessed 29 March 2021].
| Prep Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Passive Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Servings |
portions
|
- 70 grams walnut tahini Theia's tahini
- 2 tbsp honey or other sweetener of choice
- 50 grams puffed spelt/rice
- vanilla essence
- a pinch salt
- 100 grams dark chocolate melted
Ingredients
|
|
- In a small bowl, put the tahini and honey and mix until well-combined.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Melt the coconut oil/ghee and add as well.
- Pour the mixture on top of the spelt puffs, and mix until evenly coated.
- Press into a square pan that is lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled.
- Put in the freezer while you melt your chocolate.
- Melt the dark chocolate.
- Take the pan out of the freezer and pour the melted hot chocolate on the top. Spread it evenly.
- Put in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until firm.
- Slice into bars and enjoy!
- You can keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight contained for up to a week.
English 
Bulgarian