This week I wanted to have a snack on hand that would be healthy, energizing, filling, and easy to take on-the-go. These paleo salted chocolate coconut cashew bars are the perfect solution!
I looked through the recipes in my post of 12 Homemade Larabar Recipes, and they all look amazing, but none of them used the combination of ingredients I wanted to use. So, I decided to make my own recipe!
I love how these Paleo Salted Chocolate Coconut Cashew Bars turned out! They have a perfect amount of sweetness thanks to the dates and coconut, with a perfect amount of crunch from the chia seeds and cashews, with a delicious chocolatey flavor thanks to the cocoa powder.
These bars make an amazing dessert with no sugar, or a snack that will give you energy and keep you full for a while! I keep them in the freezer since they can get a little sticky at room temperature. And I like to wrap them in parchment paper when I want to take them with me on the go.
They’re a lot like Larabars, which are fruit and nut bars you can buy in stores. However, Larabars can be pretty expensive at about $1.20 per bar. My estimation is that homemade Larabars can cost at least 40 cents less per bar than store-bought ones! Those savings add up quickly!
These Chocolate Coconut Cashew Bars are gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and vegan! They’re also Whole30 compliant, and an awesome allergen-free snack for a lot of people (unless you’re allergic to nuts).
Here are some of the health benefits of the ingredients:
- Chia Seeds: high in antioxidants, fiber, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids
- Cocoa Powder: great source of magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, and fiber, as well as antioxidant flavonols
- Coconut: high in fiber and healthy fats, and a good source of protein
- Pink Himalayan Salt: a much healthier alternative to table salt, read about pink Himalayan salt’s health benefits in my post
If you’re unsure where to buy any of the ingredients for these bars, you can find all of them on Amazon (click the images)!:
Here is the recipe for my “homemade Larabars,” Paleo Salted Chocolate Coconut Cashew Bars.
These energizing, filling, and delicious Paleo Salted Chocolate Coconut Cashew Bars are a lot like Larabars, and they're paleo, Whole30, and vegan.
- 15 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 cup cashews, plus more for sprinkling
- splash of water
If you are using whole cashews, add them first to a food processor and blend until crumbly. Then add all other ingredients, except the water. (If you are using cashew pieces you can put all ingredients in together at the beginning.)
Blend all ingredients in the food processor until it is forming a dough. If the dates are too crumbly and the ingredients aren't mixing well, add a splash of water.
Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper. Press the dough into the pan, smoothing it with a spatula or with your fingers. Optionally, sprinkle additional salt, cashews, and coconut over the top. I pressed the cashews into the dough a bit.
Place the pan in the freezer for an hour or until firm enough to slice. Cut into squares or bars, and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
