I love Cacao!!! Such a sweet bitter – packed with nutrients and so many possibilities for use!!

What if you could easily turn cacao into a tasty nutrient bomb?

These cacao-date treats are packed with nourishing ingredients and also with my secret ingredients – herbs!!! You can choose herbs to be added to these treats according to your own current needs or wishes (stress, anxiety, immune boosting, etc..) and enjoy a sweet way to elevate your health.

Disclaimer: Since I do not really know how to follow a recipe (not even my own..), I strongly advise you to take this recipe just a suggestion. Add, remove and revise any ingredient you wish to your own flavor. Enjoy!!!

How to make the cacao-date treats?

Ingredients:

6-10 dates (soaked overnight and drained) – adjust as sweet as you want
½ cup organic peanut butter or almond butter (can use coconut oil instead – lesser amount)
2-3 tbsp. cacao – adjust as bitter as you want
5-6 tbsp. Powdered nuts – walnuts, almonds, cashew…. – your choice
1-2 tsp of powdered herbs – one or more as wishes, not limited to: oat straw, Echinacea, elder berry (sweet sour), dandelion root (bitter), nettle leaves, raspberry leaf
Vanilla extract
½ -1 cup coconut flakes – adjust for the consistency

Preparation – In a big bowl:

Mash dates with a fork or in blender
Add peanut butter and keep mixing
Add cacao, nuts and herbs
Add vanilla extract
Add coconut flakes until mixture reaches a stable consistency to create balls
Adjust any flavors by adding more cacao or, if needed to sweeten, can add some honey
Create balls and spread coconut flakes or cacao powder when all balls are done

Why to make the cacao-date treats?

Dates

Energy packed (~sugar~). But, also contain protein, fat, copper, sulfur, iron, magnesium, potassium.

Coconut

Coconut contains fiber, fat, vitamins B, C, and E, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium.

The main fat in coconut is lauric acid, an antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral fatty acid, which is unique to coconut and breast milk. Lauric acid kills fat-coated viruses, including measles, herpes, influenza, hepatitis C, Epstein-Barr, and bacteria as Listeria, H. Pylori, and strep.

Cacao (Not Cocoa!) (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao is 100% unprocessed dark chocolate. Actually, these are the seeds that grow within cacao pods, which are the colorful fruits of the tropical cacao tree (Theobroma cacao).

Contains minerals like magnesium, iron, chromium, anandamide, and theobromine; nutrients like manganese, zinc, copper, PEA-phenethylamine, serotonin, Sulphur, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, lignin and chromium; amino acids like arginine and tryptophan; anti-oxidants like oligomeric procyanidins, resveratrol, polyphenols, catechins, epicatechins; vitamins like A, C, E, B1, B2, B5 and B6.

Along with these amazing components, cacao is also a great bitter!! Bitter stimulates digestive and helps lowering the cravings for sweets.

Walnuts

Contain Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, copper and zinc.

Almonds

Contain protein, dietary fiber, antioxidant vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc.

Oat straw (Avena sativa)

A great relaxant herb, rich in calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, silica, vitamins B. Very soothing for the digestive tract as for the nervous system. Great for nails, bones, skin….

Echinacea (Echinacea spp.)

Stimulates the production of infection-fighting white blood cells, and enables them to dispose of toxins and damaged cells.

Elder Berry (Sambucus nigra)

The berries are high in flavonoid compounds, which generally act as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunotonic agents. Used for making a syrup as an immune booster.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

A tonic herb. The entire plant is restorative and rejuvenating. The root is very bitter – stimulates the liver inducing the flow of bile. It is one of the safest diuretics. It tones the kidney and aids in proper water elimination.
Leaves are high in vitamins and minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A and C

Raspberry Leaves (Rubeus idaeus)

A very nutritive plant – high in vitamin C, iron, calcium. Leaves are stringent – used for diarrhea. And used for constipation as well. Great tonic for reproductive system. You can use the berries as well in these treats.

Nettles (Urtica dioica)

Nettle is very nutritive. Nettles provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to work properly: Magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, silica… It is tonic to the kidneys and helps encourage milk production. Nettle leaves are used in cases of seasonal allergies or insect stings.

Peanut Butter

When purchasing, look for the jar that have only one ingredient – peanut (or in case of any other nut butter – the nut itself). Preferably organic and dry roasted (otherwise it would be roasted in vegetable oil which usually goes rancid very quick). If oil is separating at the top of the jar, then you know that no sugar was added..