Trick or Treat: Homemade “Bounty Bars”

I hope all of my East Coast readers are safe and warm!

I was up all night listening to the howling winds and ambulance sirens brought on by hurricane Sandy.  This morning I’m up dark and early with a pot of tea and the TV news blasting.  Pretty scary stuff!

Please stay safe, dry and sheltered wherever you are.

Now onto some Halloween scary stuff.  Did you ever eat Bounty bars growing up?

If you live in the states, they’re basically Almond Joy without the almonds.  My grandmother loves Almond Joys so much she buys them in bulk when she goes to the States and keeps some in her bathrobe pocket for a sweet treat whenever she wants.  We have a lot in common.

To stick with the theme of healthier homemade treats, I came up with these little bundle of joys to soothe my Halloween candy cravings. Don’t get me wrong, I love my treats and keep the biggest chocolate stash you’ve ever seen, but too much sugar really affects my mood and sleep so I try to find a balance.

My friend came over Saturday night and we dug into bowls of warm veggie chili while watching Hocus Pocus and enjoyed these bad boys for dessert.

She took a bite and looked at me.  “THESE TASTE EXACTLY LIKE BOUNTY BARS.  Don’t tell me they’re healthy.”

I guess they were a success.

If you want a treat that you can keep in the fridge you can do a thinner chocolate layer with coconut oil and cacao, but I love a thicker, creamier top layer, so I make them like this and store them in the freezer.

You can trick your friends into thinking these are naughty, but they’re definitely a treat.

Feel free to play around with the recipe and add an almond or two if you like!

Homemade “Bounty” Bars

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp coconut butter
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• tbsp almond or coconut milk
• stevia to taste

For the top layer:

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond or coconut milk
• 1 tbsp chocolate protein powder (I use vega shake n go)
• 1 tsp raw cacao
• stevia to taste (I use two small packets)

1. Mix filling ingredients together and fill small cups half way
2. Melt coconut oil
3. Stir in vanilla, protein powder, cacao, and stevia to taste
4. Add nibs and berries and stir
5. Fill four little “cups”
6. Chill in the freezer for 20 mins or more