When you follow me on Instagram you might know that I have spent the last 3 weeks getting lost in the wilderness of Western Australia to get a break from the world, to swim in waterfall pools, to hike narrow gorges and get as close to nature as possible. Eating loads of Australian produce was pretty high up on the agenda too. The best thing about roadtripping for a foodie like me is to stock up on fresh veggies and fruits at roadside farmers stalls – this is where you buy the freshest amazing produce Australia has to offer.
Since it was the beginning of spring I was really disappointed – no fruit and veggie stalls apart from a couple of orange and lemon stalls. Still I stopped at every damn orange stall to get a big bag! They were to die for. So without a good supply of farmers goodies I had to rely on what was available at the supermarket which is still pretty good in OZ. Plus I needed something nutritious to munch on to keep up the good mood during those 12hour drives. So I stumbled upon the fact what a fantastic combination dates and salted roasted peanuts are. That salty and sweet combination just did if for me.
Peanuts and dates would not only keep me full during long road trips but I enjoyed every little bite of it. Now that I am home I wanted to make a bar that reminds of those times so the salted date and peanut bars were born. Adding the raspberry layer makes it fruity and fresh at the same time. To thicken up the raspberry mixture I used basil seeds! Have you ever used basil/sabja seeds? They are similar to chia seeds – meaning they thicken up everything perfectly (expand 30 times of its original!). They have a very subtle taste and a long list of health benefits. The seeds contain adequate amounts of vitamin K, protein, iron, important minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, calcium, folates, and magnesium.
Covered in my all-time fav raw chocolate from Ombar, this bar makes my mouth water whenever I look at the photos. Makes me think of Australia and adventure. Wishing you all an adventurous week!
Salted date and peanut base (makes one brownie pan of bars)
- 4 1/2 cups roasted peanuts
- 30 soft dates (pitted)
- 5 tbsp vanilla essence
- 4 tbsp salt
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla (ground)
raspberry layer
- 40 raspberries
- 6 tbsp basil seeds (you can also use chia)
- 7 cups water
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Xylitol
- pinch of ground vanilla
- 1 sp dragonfruit powder (by Just Blends)
- 2 tsp guar gum (sifted)
chocolate coating
- 2 cups Ombar chocolate melted at 40 degrees in the oven in a heatproof dish
- decoration: freeze dried raspberries, fresh raspberries, chopped peanuts
If you are recreating my dishes I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment or tag me on Instagram or Facebook @nic_whensweetbecomeshealthy so I don’t miss it ♥