Choco sunbutter bars with sweet potato

Choco sunbutter sweet potato bars

Easter is coming up and I'm thinking chocolate! Of course, my Easter treat has to be whole grain plus free of eggs, soy, nuts, dairy, sugar, corn, potatoes and gluten. That seems like a pretty tall order but I think I created a keeper, at least for me. My choco sunbutter bars include a crust made from black quinoa, amaranth flour, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut and cacao nibs. The filling is a blend of sweet potatoes, sunbutter, cocoa powder, cacao nibs and coconut. It's yummy slightly frozen.

Choco Sunbutter Bars with Sweet Potato

Ingredients for Crust:

1. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground into coarse flour in a coffee grinder
2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
3. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
4. Pinch of sea salt
5. 1 T. cocoa powder
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
8. 1 T. cacao nibs
9. 3 T. olive oil
10. 1/4 cup + cold water

Ingredients for Filling:

1. 2 baked and peeled large sweet potatoes
2. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
3. 2 T. cocoa powder
4. Optional: 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
5. Optional: 1 T. cacao nibs
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 cup unsweetened, plain hemp milk
8. 2 T. ground flax mixed with 5 T. hemp milk
9. Pinch of sea salt

Directions for Crust:
Grind the black quinoa into a coarse flour in a coffee grinder. Toast the seeds in a large skillet. Once the seeds are cool, finely grind them in a food processor. Add the cacao nibs and coconut and continue pulsing to grind. Add the flours, stevia, cocoa powder and blend. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup of the dry mixture for the topping. Put the rest into a large bowl. Add the oil and water, and mix with a fork until combined. Pat the mixture into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or so in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Remove and cool.

Directions for the Filling:
Microwave the sweet potatoes until tender. Allow to cool and peel. Put the sweet potatoes in the food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sunbutter, cocoa powder, salt, ground flax mixed with 5 T. hempmilk, 1 cup hempmilk,  optional coconut and cacao nibs, and blend until smooth. 

Pour the filling into the pan with the cooled crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the reserved flour/cocoa mixture on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30+ minutes until a fork inserted comes out fairly clean.

Once the bars are cooled, cut into squares. Extras can be stored in the freezer for several weeks or more. And they are quite tasty slightly thawed out.