If you’re looking for a good or the best raw food bar recipe or have had problems making bars in the past, here is the best way to make raw food bars. When I first starting making raw foods many years ago, I had a problem finding the right consistency when trying to make raw bars. They were either too sticky or wouldn’t hold together. They would fall apart and be nothing like the bars you buy. I wondered what the secret was.
After trying dozens of recipes with disappointment, I did my own experimenting and found the best proportion of ingredients. Using nuts and dates to find a basic recipe, this one holds together nicely. Part of the secret is in a 2 process mixing.
I used Brazil nuts and cashews. Brazil nuts are hard nuts so should be ground to a finer grind to protect your teeth.
This easy recipe is quick although you’ll want to refrigerate it or put it in the freezer for awhile before you take the bars from home.
One of the problems in the consistency is that your dates may be different sizes. I use medjools but even those vary in size. So you may have to make some adjustments if they don’t turn out perfectly. But I’ve made these many times and they have always turned out great.
For my best raw food bar recipe:
Ingredients: 2 cups raw Brazil nuts, 2 cups raw cashews, 8 medjool dates, sea salt and lemon juice.
Put 1 1/2 cups of the raw Brazil nuts in a food processor and pulverize or grind into very small pieces, about the size for pesto. Does not have to be perfect. They will be different sizes and some will be very fine. This is good because it’s a hard nut. Then add 8 pitted medjool dates, they must be medjools. The fresher the better. Older dates may be drier. Then mix in the dates to form a dough but don’t overmix.
Then add 1/2 cup more of Brazil nuts and 2 cups raw cashews. Cashews are a softer nut and can be various very small chunks and some fine. No big chunks. Add a pinch of sun-dried sea salt and a squirt of fresh squeezed lemon juice and grind for a few seconds until mixed. The cashews should be ground fairly fine with some chunks. Feel the dough or mixture to see if it holds together. It’ll be a little sticky and it’ll set up in the refrigerator.
Now you can also add goji berries or other dried fruit if you like or a little shredded coconut just until mixed in. Don’t overmix.
Spread the dough into an 8, 9 or 10 inch square dish or 10 inch corning ceramic dish, depending on the thickness you want. You can also form the dough into balls. Place in the freezer for an hour or the refrigerator for a couple of hours or more. When set, slice into bars or into smaller pieces for a quick snack.
When eating Brazil nuts you don’t want to overindulge. Brazil nuts are high in selenium. Selenium is good for us and absent in the soil in many countries. But too much selenium can cause a toxic overdose. You can make and eat these whether you’re on a raw food diet or not. So go easy on the best raw food bars and don’t eat them all at one sitting. You’re sure to enjoy my best raw food bar recipe and make it over and over.