This is the time of year we eat sweets. Whether it’s from Halloween, for celebrations or just to uplift your mood. Why not indulge with pure and delicious Clean Crunch Chocolate Bars? Keep it simple and clean, and enjoy every bite, read along and I’ll teach you how easy it can be to make these.

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The Past

Let’s start off by talking about my past. Some of you may or may not know this about me, but in my past life (a.k.a before I become health crazed) I studied with a French Chocolatier and learned to make the most outrageously delicious truffles and chocolate creations. I then started my own little business and made and sold chocolates. I used very decadent ingredients (not always so healthy) and my favorite part of the process was decorating them. It was as if each chocolate was a gem or jewel and had its own design.

Of course when making your own food, or desserts you know what is in them, so these are not so bad. However they do have sugar, unhealthy fats, and some flavoring and coloring. As well these are super super time consuming. Keep reading because I promise my Clean Crunch Chocolates are the exact opposite of that.

Why Chocolate

Before I share this incredibly easy and delicious recipe of my Clean Crunch Chocolate Bars I want to talk about the star ingredient – CHOCOLATE. Did you know chocolate is actually pretty healthy for us, if we eat the right kind. Probably most of use enjoy candy bars and chocolate coated treats. Sorry to break it to you, but those are not the healthy kind. I’ll tell you why and how to choose a better kind.

High quality chocolate is packed with antioxidants, can lower risks of heart disease, and has a high nutritional content. It is high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and copper. The key is to find the best quality chocolate with a high cacao content, and watch for the rest of the added ingredients.

How its made

Chocolate is made from the cacao bean. It is harvested, and beans and pulp are removed. then it is left to dry and ferment , which gives it it’s magical flavors we know and love. The beans are then dried completely in the sun. Usually they are then sent to factory for roasting and to be ground into a paste known as chocolate liqueur. This liqueur is pressed to separate the cocoa butter (the natural fat) and what is left is a dry substance (the chocolate). From here every manufacturer has their own recipe on how to make their chocolate, some using vegetable fats and others using the cocoa butter as well as sweeteners and flavorings. Please forgive me but I am summarizing the process in short, as it is a lengthy and technical process.

How to choose best chocolate

Like everything else we eat, ALWAYS read the ingredients. Real good chocolate only needs 3 ingredients: cacao, some kind of sweetener and some kind of fat. That’s it, that’s all. However if you look at the chocolate bars out there most will have sugar as first ingredient. Also many have milk or milk products, and flavoring. This is a no no. A good quality chocolate should have cacao (a.k.a chocolate) as first ingredient or chocolate liqueur. I mean how can you make chocolate without chocolate right? Remember the higher the cacao content the more nutrients you get. Try to stick to minimum 70%.

Next you may see some kind of sweetener, since cacao is very bitter so we need to balance the flavor. I stay away from sugar so I look for chocolates with no sugar and add my own, or coconut sugar or stevia. There are several brand out there like Hu Kitchen, Lily’s and Green & Blacks.

Fast forward to today….

Fast forward 8 years, I have a super healthy and clean chocolate bar to teach you today, my Clean Crunch Chocolate Bar. There is no refined sugar, no processed oils, no chemicals and no dairy. Nothing inflammatory, no crazy sugar highs, and super easy to make. You can even make them with your kids and switch up the “crunch” part with your own creations. Make them for your family or as gifts for the holiday season. The only thing you need to buy in advance is a mold if you want perfect little bars, I used this one. Otherwise you can make little mounds or discs on a baking sheet, still delicious. Happy Cooking!

Be sure to check out other delicious treats on Kitchen Thyme Blog:

Cookies N’ Cream Pie

Ooey Gooey Banana Muffins

Guilt Free Babka

Recipe: Clean Crunch Chocolate Bars