RAW Ginger Chia Bars
A healthy replacement for store-bought energy bars that are filled with processed sweeteners and empty fillers, these chewy ginger chia bars are packed with nutrition from superfoods like chia seeds and sprouted buckwheat. This recipe is just a base and I encourage you to get creative and add your own ingredients! Try adding other nuts, seeds or dried fruit. To read more about the health benefits of chia seeds, check out this link and to learn about the gluten-free seed called buckwheat click here.
I was inspired to create this recipe after meeting with a client. Her kids apparently love granola bars and her goal is to limit the amount of processed foods her kids consume. Instead she would like to offer them homemade substitutions that include the most important ingredient – love! After all, it’s not just food that nourishes the body 🙂
The Recipe:
Chewy Ginger Chia Bars
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 cup sprouted, dehydrated (or toasted) buckwheat
1 tsp vanilla
8 pitted Medjool dates
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
pinch of sea salt
Raw food preparation requires a little forward thinking, but with a little practice, it becomes part of the routine. To sprout the buckwheat, start by rinsing and sorting through 1 cup of raw buckwheat groats (kashi is toasted buckwheat and will not sprout). Next, soak the groats in twice as much water for a few hours. I recommend using a sprout bag – it’s a handy thing to have for sprouting as well as making nut milk, but if you don’t have a sprout bag, a colander or sprouting jar will work too. After the buckwheat has soaked, drain and rinse the groats and pour them into the sprout bag. Hang the bag over the sink and rinse 2-3 times a day for a day and a half or so, until they sprout a tail. If using a dehydrator, spread the groats onto the tray and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 6 hours. If using an oven, spread groats onto a cookie sheet and bake at the lowest temperature possible until crispy. Now you are ready to make the bars!
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture starts to clump together. Next, pour the mixture into a bowl and using your hands, press the mixture into a ball. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then, put the ball between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper. Press down using your hands and form into one big square or rectangle about 1/2 an inch thick. Remove the top layer of paper and cut into bars. Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator. Enjoy this flavorful nutrient packed treat!