This weekend Irving and I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead—it was my valentine present from Irving—I promise, I asked him for it! Basically, the main “character” Joe goes on a 60 day juice fast and loses a whopping 70 pounds! By rebooting his system he was able to get off of all of his medications and had a fresh start. It was so inspiring.
Well, I don’t think a juice fast is what I need right now, but I did make a commitment to stick to some clean eating for a few weeks. However, I know that if I “deprive” myself of all treats I will cave and then over splurge. So today I tinkered around in the kitchen and made these yummy treats. They are sweet, rich, and chocolately, but without any of the guilt!
Chocolate Espresso Bars
1 c walnuts
1 c coconut + more for sprinkling
1 T coconut oil
2-3 T cocoa powder
1 t instant espresso
1 t vanilla
sprinkle of salt
400 g dates (about 20)
Place walnuts in your food processor and pulse until they are small and broken up. Add all other ingredients. Run the food processor until the ingredients come together into a thick dough.
Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper running in both directions (make a cross) for easy removal of the bars. Press dough into prepared pan and spread out. Flatten dough as best as you can with your fingers. Sprinkle 1-2 T of coconut over the dough and press down firmly. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up before cutting. I cut mine into 32 triangles (cut into quarters, quarters into quarters, and then squares in half).
Enjoy! If you like these, you will also like my Coconut Crème Lara Bars—they are the basis for this recipe!
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