Chia-colate Bars

Your hormones aren’t just chemical messengers, they’re part of a delicate rhythm that flows with your body, the moon and the seasons. To keep that rhythm steady, blood sugar balance is key. But that doesn’t mean living on green juice and discipline alone. Pleasure is medicine too!

These chia-colate bars are a treat you can feel good about, a sweet sticky seed base, topped with rich dark chocolate ganache. Rich in magnesium (hello, dark chocolate), fibre, healthy fats and seed magic to nourish your hormones and low in sugar without tasting like a ‘health food’. Sweetened with dates and laced with coconut and cocoa, they’re the kind of thing you can keep in your fridge (or freezer) for when your luteal phase calls for something decadent, nourishing and a bit sweet.

Because wise women know: it’s not about cutting things out, it’s about choosing what truly feeds you.

INGREDIENTS

Base:

200g pitted dates

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4tsp salt

50g chia seeds

80g desiccated coconut

100g pumpkin or sunflower seeds

50g coconut oil

Ganache Topping:

90g dark chocolate (at least 70%) broken into small pieces

90ml unsweetened plant milk

pinch of Himalayan pink or sea salt

METHOD

1. Soak the dates in boiled water, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Drain but save 2 tbsp of the date water

2. With baking paper line a small tray , approx 20cm x 30cm (if it's smaller that's fine the slices will just be slightly thicker)

3. Add all the base ingredients to a blender with 2 tbsp water and blend/pulse till the mixture is sticky and clumps together. It should be spreadable but still with texture, not completely smooth.

4. Spread the base over your tray and smooth the top with the back of a spoon

5. For the Ganache: heat the milk in a small saucepan till the surface looks ‘shivery’, do not boil. Remove from the heat.

6. Add the chocolate immediately to the saucepan and stir to melt. This will come together to make a thick chocolate sauce that can be poured.

7. Spread the ganache evenly over the base, sprinkle a little more salt over the top and chill till firm (about an hour)

8. Slice into small squares and store in airtight container in the fridge.

NOTE: these also freeze really well. So you can store them away in preparation for your luteal phase and any chocolate cravings that arise.