Grain-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Sigh. Nothing can pull a girl's heartstrings like a good recipe for chocolate peanut butter bars. As a lifelong fan of Reese's peanut butter cups, I've always wanted to find a way to indulge my chocolatey peanut buttery cravings at home without having to succumb to mass market candy with all its not-so-lovely additives.

Enter this too-good-to-be-true chocolate peanut butter bar recipe by my fellow blogger Carol at Ditch the Wheat. She obviously understands the magical spell Reese's can hold over you, as well as the age-old struggle between trying to indulge in a decadent dessert and trying to eat better for your health.

I was delighted to discover her latest recipe book Indulge: 70 Grain Free Recipes included a recipe for chocolate peanut butter bars. Not only do these hit the spot perfectly, but the recipe is very friendly to those with allergies or anyone following a grain-free, dairy-free or paleo-style diet.

If you're trying to avoid peanut butter (for allergies or other reasons), or if you just want to give these a creative flair, you can also try making them with almond butter or cashew butter--I imagine homemade macadamia nut butter would be pretty finger-lickin' good, too!

 

How to Make Grain-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars 

(Soooo Yummy like Reese's!)

 

Crust:

• 1 cup almond flour/meal, (250 mL)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, (30 mL)
• 2 tbsp raw honey, (30 mL)
• 1/8 tsp salt, (0.5 mL) 

Filling:

• 1 cup almond butter or cashew butter (or peanut butter, of course!), (240 mL)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, (45 mL)
• 3 tbsp raw honey, (15 mL)
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, (22.5 mL)
• 1/2 tbsp raw honey or more, (7.5 mL) 

• (Check out the marketplace page to find real food ingredients online!)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom of a 4x8 inch rectangular loaf pan with parchment paper. 

• In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the crust.

• Evenly press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

• Bake for 10-15 minutes. The crust is done when it is lightly brown and firm to the touch. Let the crust cool before spreading the filling.

• In a bowl, combine the nut butter, coconut oil, raw honey. Mix and reserve about ¼ of the mixture for the chocolate topping. 

• Spread the almond butter filling onto the cooled crust. 

• Place the bars in the freezer to firm up before spreading the chocolate mixture on top of the almond filling.

• To make the chocolate topping add unsweetened cocoa powder to the reserved almond butter filling and sweeten to taste.

• Spread on top of the semi-frozen bars. Place in the fridge to firm. Store the bars in the refrigerator. 

• Makes 8 servings

Easy peasy, aren't they? If you're ready to try more grain-free, primal-friendly dessert recipes, then you'll want to check out Indulge: 70 Grain Free Desserts. You'll get:

• Over 70 + recipes that include nut free & egg free recipes
• 162 pages of content
• All recipes are dairy free and adhere to Paleo principles
• Hyperlinked table of contents makes navigating easy
• Beautiful photographs
• Trouble shooting tips
• Bonus! A printer friendly copy

Save 20% today! Order Indulge: 70 Grain Free Desserts by Jan. 31, 2013 and pay $24.97 $19.98 with coupon code HOLIDAYDTW. 

Click here to order now!

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Yummy Homemade Almond Flour Muffins

Need a nutritious, grain-free snack on the go? Try out this simple almond flour muffin recipe from Charles and Julie Mayfield, authors of the real food cookbook Paleo Comfort Foods:

Yummy Almond Flour Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and grated
1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1/2 cup coconut or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard-sized muffin pan.
2. Combine almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add carrot, apple, coconut and raisins and combine well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil and vanilla extract together.
4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix very well. The batter will be very thick.
5. Spoon the batter out into muffin pan and place on upper or middle rack of your oven for 40-50 minutes.
6. When a toothpick inserted into the top of a muffin comes out clean, the muffins are done.
7. Cool muffins in the pan for 8-10 minutes and then remove to a rack to finish cooling.

**If you are looking for variety, sub out currants or chopped dates for the raisins. You can also add a little orange zest to give them a bit more citrus flavor.

About the Authors:

What if you could cook fantastic meals similar to the heartwarming comfort dishes your grandma used to make…and have them be good for you? In Paleo Comfort Foods, Charles and Julie Mayfield provide you with an arsenal of recipes that are healthy crowd-pleasers, sure to appeal to those following a paleo, primal, gluten-free, or "real-food" way of life—as well as those who have not yet started down such a path.

Implementing paleo guidelines and principles in this book (no grains, no gluten, no legumes, no dairy), the Mayfields give you 100+ recipes and full color photos with entertaining stories throughout. The recipes in Paleo Comfort Foods can help individuals and families alike lose weight, eat healthy and achieve optimum fitness, making this way of eating sustainable, tasty and fun.

Paleo Comfort Foods Web Site: www.PaleoComfortFoods.com
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/paleocomfortfoods
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/paleocomfort

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Need a great source for real food ingredients like shredded coconut, olive oil and raw honey? Check out my Resources page!

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Video Tutorial: How to Make Real Beef Stock

photo credit

As I said in my GAPS mistakes post earlier this week, you can't overstate how healing real bone broth can be. The gelatin and minerals in authentic broth are essential for rebuilding the body and replenishing nutrient stores. And if you're doing GAPS, bone broth plays a key role in healing the gut and easing inflammation.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to find quality broth and stock on the market today. Your best bet is to make it at home yourself with good quality beef bones. This will ensure that you get the most nutrients and gelatin into your stock. The good thing is that making beef stock at home is a simple process that doesn't take too much hands-on work:

How to Make Real Beef Stock

by Ann Marie Michaels

Looking for more GAPS-friendly recipes? Check out Ann Marie's Reversing Food Allergies Class: get complete lifetime access to more than 200 GAPS-friendly recipes, 50 video tutorials, and exclusive forum support for those embarking on the GAPS diet!

Have a Question About the Reversing Food Allergies class? 

Some of the most common questions about the class include:

How can I afford GAPS?

What if I'm allergic to eggs or nuts?

What if I'm on the road a lot?

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Enrollment for Reversing Food Allergies ends on April 5th. Right now the entire class is available for $149, but the price will increase to $199 on April 6th. 

SPECIAL COUPON OFFER:  If you sign up through April 1st you can get the class for $129 with coupon code HEAL. If you are interested in this class, sign up now and take advantage of this deal.

Sign Up For the Reversing Food Allergies Class Today 

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Food Allergies: Treating the Symptoms vs Healing the Body

You have two choices when you are dealing with a health issue: treat the symptoms or heal your body. We've all come to that fork in the road when we realized conventional treatment was failing us, and we either had to succumb to a second-rate existence or seek out an alternative approach that would genuinely repair our health.

My goal for myself is to be able to eat and live in a way that brings out the best in my health, without being overly restrictive. Eating well is wonderful. Obsessing about eating perfectly and avoiding this or that for the rest of your life is, well, not wonderful. 


Heal Yourself Today so You Can Live Free Tomorrow

But sometimes we have to take temporary measures to repair our bodies, so then we can move on to better health once we've healed. If we're chronically exhausted, it may take some months of making rest a priority before we discover what it feels like to have real energy again. The same goes for food allergies and digestive issues. If you find out you are allergic to casein or gluten, this doesn't mean you can never have real milk or enjoy a slice of pizza with your friends ever again. It is absolutely possible to heal your body and reverse food allergies.

Reversing Food Allergies: An Online Cooking Class

Don't believe that you can truly overcome food allergies? Then it's time to enroll in the Reversing Food Allergies E-course! You'll learn how to feed the body so it can heal itself, restoring your natural health and vitality.

Click here to see the full class schedule.

The class is taught by Ann Marie Michaels, who understands better than anyone how the body can truly heal itself:

When I was 25, I was very sick. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The doctors said I would end up in a wheelchair.

I also suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal exhaustion, and chronic respiratory allergies and sinus infections. I was young, but I felt like an 90-year-old woman. Getting out of bed was a challenge; I was constantly getting sick. I was exhausted and miserable.

By changing my diet, I was able to reverse all my symptoms. Instead of ending up in a wheelchair, I get to enjoy my life.

Watch the Video Below to Learn More...







What You'll Learn:

• How to heal and seal your gut — improving digestion and nutrient absorption
• How to make kid-friendly chicken nuggets — grain-free!
• How to make homemade stocks that help to heal the gut lining
• How to make fermented foods that provide beneficial bacteria that will rebuild your digestive tract
• How to make delicious, yet legal desserts, from chocolate ice cream to birthday cake with colored frosting
• How to save money on food by buying in bulk and cooking from scratch
• How to save time and effort in the kitchen — I’ll teach you my tricks!

Click here for the full class schedule.

What You'll Get:
 

• 12 Weeks of Online Classes
• 50 Video Tutorials
• Over 200 Printable Recipes!
• Online Support Forum for Members Only

If you have any questions about this class, click here to go to the FAQ page.  


Get FREE Lifetime Access to All of These Resources!

This course includes lifetime access to all of the materials. You can take this class whenever it's right for you. No worrying about trying to master everything right away. You will always be able to come back and review any lesson whenever you'd like--forever.

Special Coupon Code: Ann Marie is offering a special discount to all my readers. Use coupon code HEAL to get $20 off the cost of this course.  

**Hurry! This offer expires on March 28, 2011. After that the discount will no longer be available.**

Sign up today and pay only $149 dollars for the entire course. *Use coupon code HEAL and it's only $129!* That's less than $11 per lesson, and you will come away from this class knowing everything you need to know about healing food allergies and making substantial improvements in your overall health and well being.

But hurry--enrollment ends soon! After that, the cost of the class will increase to $199. Enroll today to get the best deal and get started on your healing journey...

Click Here to Enroll in Reversing Food Allergies Today

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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