Raw Chocolate Cookies with Açai

As you scroll through my blog posts (and instagram feed) you soon realize I like making healthier snacks. A personal reason is that I got really used to homemade snacks with less sugar and I prefer knowing what’s in my food than buying processed sweets. From an Intuitive Eating perspective, it is simply what my body wants, not what I force myself to treat myself with while dreaming of something else.

Apart from that though, I see that when stressed, we are often looking for an energy boost (therefore craving for sweets), but underestimate the effects refined sugars have on our blood sugar levels. Did you know that especially refined sugars and flours in sweets can lead to spikes in your blood sugar levels? They further trigger a stress response in our bodies and lead to blood sugar imbalances. Chronic stress increases inflammation, a major contributor to lifestyle diseases. The good news is that when choosing snacks more consciously, we can even support our bodies in moments and periods of stress. These cookies are a good example of that. You can store them in the fridge for a couple of days or store them in the freezer, if you are not sure how long it’ll take you to go through them.

I will include a version of the recipe in the cookbook I am currently working on. But you don’t have to wait for that, you can recreate them this weekend already!

Recipe

Ingredients

For the cookies

4-6 medjool dates

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup of coconut milk

1 cup of buckwheat flakes

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw cacao powder

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup of buckwheat flour

For the cream filling

3 tablespoons water

1 cup of raw cashews

1 pinch of ground vanilla

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons of raw honey or maple syrup

1 heaped tablespoon dry-frozen açai berry

Note: If you do not have açai berries at hand, you can also make the cream without it, add pumpkin pie spice, maca, or any other spice or herb that you like.

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews completely covered in water for at least 3 hours. Drain.

2. Soak the dates in warm water for at least 15 minutes to make them softer. Drain.

3. Give all your cookie ingredients into a food processor and blend until you get an even dough. Remove it from the food processor onto parchment paper and roll it out. Once it’s evenly rolled out, use cookie cutters or alternatively the lit of a jar to cut the dough into cookies. Collect them on a plate and store them in the fridge.

4. Wash your food processor. First, give only the cashews into it and process until they are finely ground. Then give all the ingredients for the cream filling into it and blend until you get a smooth cream.

5. Now it’s time to get the cookies from the fridge. Spoon about a teaspoon of the cashew cream onto one cookie and top it with a second one.

A Note on Health Benefits

Buckwheat contains high quality protein and is a great source of fiber. Both slow down the sugar release into our blood, preventing blood sugar spikes and ensuring a more sustained energy supply. Moreover, buckwheat, as well as cashews and almonds, is high in magnesium which is probably the number one mineral our bodies use and need for relaxation. An essential for stress management, it is also helpful against inflammation.

The type of fiber found in dates, namely Beta-D-glucan, can lower the absorption of cholesterol and slow down the absorption of sugar. The soluble fiber also increases and sustains satiety. This makes dates a nutritious snack that even supports blood sugar management and decreases cravings. Dates, almonds, raw cacao, açai berries, and vanilla provide incredibly high contents of antioxidants, too, protecting us from cell damage due to stress. Vanilla is said to have soothing effects on the nervous system, therefore lower stress and anxiety, and even protect the immune system. Its active ingredient “vanillin” in particular can ease inflammation and inflammatory conditions.