Raw Grasshopper Bars - nom nom

 

http://www.fragrantvanilla.com/raw-grasshopper-bars/

This recipe taken from the above page, author is down the bottom.

Raw Grasshopper Bars

Whenever I would order a malt as a kid it was always grasshopper.  There was just something I could not resist about the cool mint and rich chocolate combination.  I was thinking about those delicious malts last week when I was really hot in the kitchen at work and how refreshing they were when I began to crave one.  

Then I started to daydream about the chocolate mint combination more and I imagined some delicious grasshopper bars with a crunchy cookie crust, smooth mint mousse filling and dark chocolate glaze.  They sounded pretty amazing and so I decided that they needed to happen.  I bounced the idea off of my boyfriend Eric and he seemed quite excited about it so on Sunday I got to work creating them.  

I wanted the filling to be creamy but I wanted to try making it without young coconut meat or cashews for once so I settled on avocado.  I figured it was already green and richly textured.  It ended up being perfect in the filling with a little spinach for color and once it was sweetened with coconut nectar and set up with coconut butter you could not even tell what it was made from.  I thought the bars were amazing, but I have a feeling Eric loved them even more since he devoured quite a few right away.  

Raw Grasshopper Bars (chocolate mint bars)
Makes 16 bars

Crust:
2 cups raw walnuts
2 cup finely shredded dried coconut
1 1/2 cup buckwheat, sprouted and dehydrated (or additional coconut)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
24 soft medjool dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them until they are and drain them)

Cream:
4 cups ripe avocado, diced
2/3 cup raw coconut nectar or raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp sea salt
seeds of one vanilla bean, or 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp mint extract
a handful of spinach
1 cup raw coconut butter

Chocolate glaze:
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup raw coconut oil
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or raw agave nectar
a pinch of sea salt

For the crust, combine walnuts, coconut, buckwheat, sea salt, cacao powder, and dates in the food processor and process until fine crumbs and starting to hold together when squeezed. Press the mixture into a foil lined 9 inch square pan , and set aside in the fridge. 
To make the cream, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a food processor and process until smooth.  With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more.  Pour the cream over the crust and place in the freezer until firmed up, about an hour. 
Meanwhile, to make the chocolate glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, then pour enough of the chocolate over the cream to make a thin layer (you may not need it all).  Place in the freezer just until set, about 5 minutes, then cut into squares.  They cut easier if you warm the knife in warm water, wipe it dry then cut a slice (to soften chocolate). 

About the Author

I am a vegan girl who loves to make healthier desserts and dishes with lots of veggies. Recipes are meant to be shared, that is why I started blogging!