Raw peanut butter and jam protein slice

Recipe - Raw peanut butter and jam protein slice

I am such a big fan of peanut butter and jam. The combination of sweet and salty is a classic and is a firm favourite for so many people on toast, in sandwiches, on pancakes.... However, heavily laden with refined sugar I now tend to stay away from conventional jam in favour of home-made healthy alternatives.

I wanted to create a recipe that used this winning combo but in a healthy snack that doesn't involve smothering it on top of carbs, and a slice seemed like the perfect solution. This recipe also doesn't use nuts in the base so it's really light in texture and on the tummy. 

Ingredients
Base
1 cup organic rolled oats
1 cup Medjool dates
4 tbsp organic peanut butter (I always choose ones palm oil free or from sustainable palm oil sources)
4tbsp raw hemp protein powder
Drizzle of maple syrup or agave
Jam Layer
250g berries of your choice (I used raspberries and blueberries)
4 tbsp chia seeds
Top Layer
1 tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp raw cacao powder
1tbsp coconut palm sugar or sweeter of your choice

Method
1. First make your jam, in a blender add all your berries and blend until broken down in to liquid consistency. pour in to a bowl and add the chia seeds, mix well and place in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to set.
2. Put the oats in a food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds or until oats have a breadcrumb consistency. 
3. Add the dates, peanut butter, hemp protein powder and maple syrup and continue to blitz.  This should slowly form a dense sticky mixture, if it's too dry add a little water and blitz again. 
4. Place the base mixture in a tin lined with baking parchment and spread and press evenly to all corners.
5. Once set, speed the chia jam on to the base and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes. 
6. Melt the coconut oil in a pan on a low heat, once melted add the raw cacao powder and coconut palm sugar and mix very well. You should have a thick liquid consistency similar to melted chocolate. 
7. Take the tin out of the freezer and pour the cacao liquid on top of the jam. You can cover it evenly or make patterns. Place the tin in the fridge for 20 minutes to all it all to set together. 
8. After it has set, take out from the fridge, cut in to squares, bars or shapes and enjoy:) 

Get your chocolate fix, superfood style…

Get your chocolate fix, superfood style…

If, like us, you’re a massive chocoholic, you may be wondering how you can get all the goodness you need while enjoying your favourite snack. The good news is that with the variety of cacao products available, it’s perfectly possible to eat chocolate and enhance your health and wellness.

Raw cacao beans, although an acquired taste, are definitely worth trying, just for their health benefits. They are categorised as a superfood because they contain so many antioxidants and micronutrients. Cacao beans help you to feel more energised, support your immune system and can do wonders for your hair, teeth, nails and skin. 

If you fancy trying something different with your cacao beans, we recommend toasting the beans in a pan. After they’ve popped, you can put the shells in a cup and pour over hot water to make cacao tea – it’s absolutely delicious! For those who prefer a rich hot chocolate, take the shelled beans and grind them into a paste before adding hot nut milk or water, along with vanilla and some natural sweetener.

Your preference may be to have something closer to the chocolate you know and love instead but without the refined sugar and dairy. If that’s the case, then you could try making your own organic raw chocolate blocks. Using coconut oil, raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, and coconut palm sugar you can create your own version of chocolate heaven, it will taste great and you'll benefit from the wide range of nutrients that raw cacao provides. You could even try adding your own flavours, from banana powder or goji berry powder to dried mulberries and pumpkin seeds.  

We really love adding blueberry powder and hulled hemp seeds, the flavour combo works really well and comes with the added benefit of the protein, omega 3 and antioxidants found in these special ingredients.

Hopefully that gives you some good ideas but if you’re a chocoholic on a superfood mission and you’ve got any recommendations, we’d love to hear from you!