Raw Pumpkin Energy Squares

Hey it's been a minute! I couldn't post a new recipe last week (damn, I hate to put my blogging tasks on hold) but I'm back with a really nice (and healthy) sweet snack that will help you kick those late afternoon cravings right in the butt.

These energy squares are a powerhouse of energy, packed with superfoods like chia, sesame and pumpkin seeds, sprouted oats, maca and carob powder. A lot of goodness in just one small bar...and most importantly: they taste super good!

I'm eating one of them right now as I'm typing this post, it's my treat of the day after a pretty intense core workout and I love their pumpkin taste and how well they combine with the carob flavor. I'm really into carob these days, it smells so good! That nutty and sweet aroma drives me crazy (almost as much as pure chocolate...almost!).

Next time I'll add some carob powder to the dough to give these energy squares a chocolaty flavor.

Have you ever tried cooking with carob powder before? Which are your favorite recipes? I need suggestions! 

¡Receta en español en la web de El Granero Integral próximamente!

Raw Pumpkin Energy Squares

(Yield: 16 squares)

Ingredients

10 Medjool dates (or 170 g dates).

3/4 cup sprouted rolled oats.

2 tablespoons raw chia seeds.

2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds.

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds.

2 tablespoons maca powder.

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or agave syrup).

1/3 cup natural almond butter.

Carob powder, to decorate the tops.

Directions

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until a sticky dough forms. The dough should be thick and compact, you'll need to stop the food processor a few times and scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

To make sure the dough is ready simply scoop a small amount of dough and roll it into a ball, if you can easily give it a round shape and the ball doesn't crumble then you can proceed with the next step.

Line a shallow square tin (like a small brownie pan) with parchment paper leaving some extra paper on the sides to easily unmold.

Firmly press down the dough using your fingers and silicone spatula, make sure the dough is well compacted so the bars will keep their shape once they are chilled.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) until the dough is firm.

Once chilled, cut into 16 equal squares and dust the tops with carob powder. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes:

- You can leave the bars au natural or dust them with raw cacao powder or pure cocoa powder.

- Replace the maca powder with your favorite protein powder or if you wanna give them a chocolate flavor use raw cacao powder instead.