by Angie Booth
Recent large-scale studies show that chocolate is beneficial for heart health and can improve blood pressure, lipoprotein levels and insulin resistance. Chocolate is also a good source of magnesium, copper and iron.
So why make these raw chocolate and blueberry bites instead of just buying a regular chocolate bar? For me, the main reason is that I love making things from scratch so that I know exactly what ingredients are going into my meals and can change them to make them extra nutritious and tasty. For example, chocolate contains compounds that enhance the production of feel-good chemicals in the brain (most significantly dopamine and serotonin) and so can elevate your mood. Raw cacao, in particular, is very rich in these powerful compounds, whereas milk chocolate has much lower concentrations of them and they are rapidly broken down before they get to the brain. This recipe also uses coconut as the fat. One of the main fats in coconut is a substance called lauric acid which has been shown to have anti-viral properties.
Getting to know my food a little better helps me to be a little more mindful about what and how I’m eating and shopping. These chocolate and blueberry bites are easy to make with kids and they taste pretty good too! You can prepare a batch and keep them in the freezer for up to three months.
Raw chocolate and blueberry bites
Ingredients
Makes about 20
- 1 cup (120g) softened coconut oil – raw and organic if possible. If you find this too rich, just reduce the amount
- 1/3 cup (40g) raw cocoa powder
- A pinch of sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
- Dried blueberries or goji berries (soaked for 10 minutes)
- Coconut flakes (dried or fresh)
You’ll need ice cube trays or small sweetie moulds – approx 20 – and a blender.
How to make them
- Blend all the ingredients together except the blueberries/goji berries and coconut flakes.
- Pour the mix into your moulds and add one berry into the centre of each one.
- Sprinkle with the coconut flakes.
- Put into the freezer and leave them to set overnight.
More recipes
You can find lots more recipes for healthy meals, smoothies and drinks on the website – Go to recipes
