If you are looking for a chocolaty treat you can enjoy without a ounce of guilt you are going to LOVE these mulberry pecan raw cacao bites with popped amaranth!
They are just sweet enough to satisfy that sweets craving with a nice little crunch that is oh-so-satisfying.
They are also so full of good stuff your body will thank you for indulging 🙂
Here’s what you’ll need to make these scrumptious raw cacao bites:
- half a cup of dried mulberries
- half a cup of pecans
- 8 ounces of raw cacao paste
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- half a cup of popped amaranth
- coarse Hymalayan salt (optional)
You’ll also need a food processor, something to melt the raw cacao and either a silicone mold or a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
A quick note about melting the raw cacao paste. The best way to preserve the raw state of your cacao paste is to melt it in a food dehydrator. This takes about an hour more or less so make sure to plan ahead if you choose this method. If you do not have a food dehydrator, no worries. I melted my raw cacao paste using the traditional bain marie method –I place my cacao paste in a glass bowl which I then place over a pot of hot water.
Notice I say hot not boiling water.
This is extremely important as the key to preserving the raw nature of the cacao paste is to not heat it higher than 43 degrees Celsius. This in turn means that the temperature of the water itself should not exceed 55 degrees Celsius.
Patience is the name of the game. Keep your water at a slow simmer and you will be just fine.
If you like your chocolates to have a nice shiny finish you’ll want to use a silicone mold.
If you don’t have one a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper will do just fine. Your chocolates will be just as scrumptious without the shine.
I like to add a sprinkle of Himalayan salt to the bottom of my mold to bring out the flavors of these chocolates but it is purely optional.
This recipe makes about 24 one and a half inch raw cacao bites. They keep well for at least a week in the refrigerator if you don’t gobble them up sooner 🙂
Enjoy!
Mulberry Pecan Raw Cacao Bites with Popped Amaranth
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried white mulberries
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 8 oz raw cacao paste
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup popped amaranth
- Himalayan salt optional
Instructions
- Melt raw cacao in a food dehydrator or in a glass bowl set over gently simmering water.
- In the meantime place white mulberries and pecans in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped then transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add maple syrup to melted cacao paste and stir until well blended
- Pour melted raw cacao paste over chopped mulberries and pecans.
- Add popped amaranth and mix until combined.
- If using salt, sprinkle into silicone mold or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Pour raw cacao paste into molds or cookie sheet.
- Press to set.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool.
- Pop out of silicone mold or cut into bite sized squares and enjoy!
- Keeps well for a week in the refrigerator.
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