Toasted Coconut & Peanut Butter Bars

Hmmkay. Step aside chocolate cardamom brown rice bars. Time to make way for the new decadence in town. Wait, no. No discrimination or exclusion. There is a time and place for both the dark chocolate cardamom bars as well as the toasted coconut peanut butter bars. If you haven’t already figured it out, I have a slight fascination and interest in the world of brown rice bars at the moment!

I just love them – they have such a sweet lightness while still being super decadent and delicious. It’s literally the perfect combination, in my opinion. It’s quite rare that you find or make something that is as decadent as these babies without it being super heavy or dense. And let’s be honest … peanut butter. Toasted coconut. Yes. Just yes.

Ingredients

(for the base)

• 2.5 cups puffed brown rice
•  ¼ cup jungle oats
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup/golden syrup/rice malt syrup/honey (if you eat honey)
• ½ teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon coconut oil
•  1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds
•   1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds
•  1 tablespoon toasted desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon black coffee (or milky – made with plant milk)

(for the glaze)

• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons black coffee (or milky – made with plant milk)
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil

Method

1.        In a small saucepan, bring the peanut butter, salt, syrup and 1 teaspoon coconut oil and coffee to heat (just enough to melt it all)

2.      In a bowl mix together the toasted seeds, toasted coconut, oats and puffed brown rice

3.       Pour the peanut butter mixture over the brown rice mixture and mix together until well combined

4.      Line a small baking dish or tray with parchment paper and pour the contents of the bowl into the tray. Make sure to wet your hands before pressing the bars down firmly, creating one single, firm block of peanut buttery goodness

5.       In your sauce pan, bring the ingredients for the glaze to a gentle heat (again, just enough to melt all the ingredients together and emulsify them)

6.     Pour the glaze over the base (the brown rice block) and spread it out evenly.

7.       Place in the freezer for an hour. Then take it out of the freezer and cut into bars of your preferred size. Return back to the freezer for storage.

Notes:

•  I used a sweetened peanut butter in this recipe as it was the peanut butter my family bought, although you can use unsweetened. You might have to just adjust the sweetness to your palette.

Nutritional Information

Seeds: Seeds are nutritional powerhouses. Containing an enormous amount of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Pumpkin seeds are particularly high in zinc, iron, calcium and phosphorus. They also contain high levels of vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds also have an array of B vitamins and are a great source of protein and healthy unsaturated fats which help to promote proper brain function and nourish red blood cells. Sunflower seeds are high in potassium and low in sodium making them a great food for people with blood pressure problems. Sunflower seeds are one of the best seeds you could eat – being considered a mineral-dense food (zinc, iron, magnesium and manganese as well as B vitamins are all high in Sunflower seeds, and the Vitamin D stored in sunflower seeds helps the utilization of calcium).

Peanut Butter: Even though peanut butter can sometimes get a bad nutritional wrap, it’s actually got a lot to offer nutritionally speaking. Some of the nutritional benefits of peanut butter are that it contains B6, potassium, magnesium and antioxidant vitamin E. Try to opt for organic, unsalted and unsweetened peanut butter when available.

Brown Rice: Brown rice puffs are great for your health – containing many nutrients as well as being high in fiber. They are high in zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese as well as important B vitamins. Consuming whole grains is so important as it gives you sustainable, slow release energy. Including whole grains in your diet can be very beneficial if you are trying to lose weight as they leave you feeling satisfied for longer, particularly if you eat them in tandem with a high vegetable intake and some heart healthy fats (like seeds and avocado). Grains are also well known to help balance and maintain blood sugar levels.

I hope you all find these bars as fabulous as I do. They really are a special treat. Feel free to comment below if you've tried them or if you have any questions!