Hello Witches!!! These nutrient-dense, earthy, toasty, lightly sweet and salty adult snacks satisfy the dark and mysterious nature of the season. Make a batch and keep them in your freezer, ready for you at a snacking moment’s notice. They are delicious with green tea, toasted rice tea, or matcha. This recipe was inspired by Teriann Carty’s “Nut-Free Tahini Granola Bars” and the many seeded bars recipes in Amy Chaplin’s book Whole Food Cooking Everyday.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 C pumpkin seeds, heirloom pumpkin seeds give very witchy vibes
1/3 C black sesame seeds
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C hemp seeds
1/4 C ground black chia seeds (a spice grinder works beautifully)
2 tbsp psyllium husk, ground into a powder (a spice grinder works beautifully)
1/2 C medium shred coconut, unsweetened
1/2 C rolled oats, (gf if desired)
1/4 C hemp protein powder (optional)
1/3 C cacao nibs
1/2 tsp high mineral salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 C black sesame tahini
1/2 C maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp high quality olive oil
Dark Chocolate Tahini Topping
1/3 C black tahini
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
black salt to finish
PROCEDURE
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine all wet ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk with a fork. If the tahini is clumpy, gently heat the bowl over a small pot of boiling water and then whisk with a fork until completely smooth.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and combine thoroughly with a sturdy rubber spatula.
5. Transfer the mix into the parchment-lined pan, pressing it firmly and evenly into the pan. Place an additional piece of parchment over the top of the mixture and use your hands to smooth out and press the ingredients firmly together, working the mixture all the way to the edges and corner of the pan to ensure a clean edge.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the mixtures gives an enjoyable nutty aroma. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
7. While the bars are cooling, melt down the dark chocolate, using a bain marie method, a simple stainless steel bowl over a small pot of boiling water.
8. To top the bars, spread a thin layer of black tahini evenly over the surface of the bars. You can do this while the bars are still warm, as this helps the tahini spread evenly. Next, spread the melted chocolate over the tahini and smooth with a spatula. You can swirl the chocolate and tahini together if you like for a dark marbled look. Finish with a generous garnish of black salt.
9. Place the bars in the freezer for a minimum of 45 minutes. When you are ready, remove the pan from the freezer. Lift the parchment paper and entire bar out of the pan and place onto a flat cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cleanly slice the bar into 4 sections of approximately 9” x 3.25” , then slice each row into smaller bars, approximately 1.5” x 3.25”. You’ll have roughly 24 bars.
10. Store the bars in a sealed glass container in the freezer for up to 3 months, although I doubt they will last that long.
Enjoy!