I confess, I love all food. However, if I had to pick one ‘type’ of recipe that really gets me in the flow state, it would have to be slices. This Chocolate Goji Crunch was one of the first recipes I ever made for the blog, and to this day it’s still a fav.
Here’s why you’re going to love it:
- Chewy, crunchy, chocolatey – all at the same time
- 1 bowl, 7 ingredients, and just 10 mins to prep
- The pairing of sweet, slightly sour goji berries with dark chocolate is divine
People often ask me as a nutritionist whether they need to completely do away with sweet treats in their diet. My personal opinion is no. When they’re made in the right way – using whole foods to sweeten, and adding only small amounts of added sugars, I believe they’re something you can keep as part of a healthy balanced diet. Better to snack on one of these antioxidant-rich slices, than cave and crank out a snickers bar. Give this sweet slice a try this week – you’ll suddenly look forward to 3pm (or 8pm) yearnings with glee.
How to make this Chocolate Goji Crunch
Ingredients for this sweet slice
To make this slice you’ll need:
- Buckwheat – raw buckwheat groats, or you can buy (or make your own) activated. To activate your own buckwheat soak the groats overnight in water, then the next day drain and rinse well, then bake on low (80-100ºC) in a single layer on an oven tray for an hour or two until super crunchy. Buckwheat is one of my favourite ingredients to add gluten-free crunch to recipes, with less calories (and less cost) than nuts. While many people think buckwheat is a grain, it’s actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel.
- Shredded coconut – I prefer the long shreds of coconut to give texture, rather than the super fine desiccated coconut.
- Goji berries – also called wolfberries, these are red thin shaped dried berries you can find at the health food store, or more commonly these days even at the supermarket.
- Cacao powder – the raw variety to maximise antioxidants, but Dutch processed regular cocoa powder will also work fine.
- Coconut oil – I prefer generally using a coconut oil that doesn’t have a super strong coconut flavour for my recipes, so as not to overpower. However in this we’re using dried coconut anyway, so even a strong flavoured coconut oil will work great.
- Brown rice syrup – a light coloured and neutral flavoured sweet syrup, extracted from brown rice. I love using this for its neutral flavour, but also as it’s relatively low GI, affordable, and easy to find.
- Vanilla extract – use vanilla extract rather than vanilla essence, which is synthetically derived.
Step-by step
1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the melted coconut oil.
2. Mix well and pour into a lined baking tin.
3. Press down flat, and place in the freezer for an hour to set.
4. Slice into bars and serve.
Recipe tips
- Soak your gojis if they’re super hard – if you think your gojis are going to really give your teeth a run for their money, you can soak them briefly in a bit of boiling water first. Drain off the water and drink as a tea or add to a smoothie or to your bircher muesli.
- Line your tin – but not by just ramming a piece of baking paper inside. Cut a rectangle of paper to be the same width as your baking tin, then lay it in like a hammock (put a little bit of water in the tin first to help it stick). You’ll end up achieving those perfectly smooth café-worthy edges you’ve always dreamed of, and be less likely to “trim the edges” (aka eat them) to make it tidy.
- Slice it before it gets too hard – this slice is actually better to slice before it gets too rock hard, so it doesn’t crumble. Leave it in the freezer for an hour to set, then slice it, then put back in the freezer to continue to firm if you like.
Substitution ideas for this chocolate goji crunch
Goji berries really are the star in this slice, however if you don’t have them (or any of the other ingredients), here are few ideas so you don’t have to race out to the store:
- Buckwheat – you can use any nuts here – almonds, cashews, or walnuts finely chopped will all work well. Or even throw some pumpkin or sunflower seeds in there.
- Goji berries – you can also use raisins, sultanas, figs or apricots.
- Coconut oil – if you’re allergic to coconut, you can add melted cacao butter instead, you’ll only need ½ a cup if so as it sets a lot harder.
- Brown rice syrup – try coconut nectar, yacon syrup, or even maple syrup. Or for a fully sugar-free version, use date paste (double the amount) or a little stevia or erythritol.
- Vanilla extract – you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste if you have it.
What are the nutritional benefits of goji berries?
Goji berries, otherwise known as wolfberries (or Lycium barbarum), have been used for over 5000 years in Chinese medicine to boost what the Chinese call life-force or “chi” energy. They are high in protein (14%), and a complete protein at that with all eight essential amino acids.
They’re super easy to add to your diet, just grab a handful on the run, mix into a trail mix with some nuts and seeds, sprinkle on top of your breakfast muesli or yoghurt, sprinkle over salads, or add to smoothies. This recipe however really takes them to the next level, combining them with rich dark chocolate.
Serving and storage
Given the rich cacao content of this slice, I like to serve it with a milky chia tea, or a light herbal. If you’re sensitive to the caffeine content in cacao, keep this for your afternoon tea snack as opposed to in the evening.
This slice sets quite hard, so you can keep it in either the freezer or fridge for up to 2 months.
Want more easy slices? try these:
- Miso Caramel Slice
- Snickers Bars Slice
- Chocolate Mint Slice
- Salted Caramel Macadamia Slice
- Cherry Ripe Brownie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Chocolate Espresso Brownies
If you make this Chocolate Goji Crunch, let me know. Leave a comment and rating below, or post your version on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, and tag me @begoodorganics. I can’t wait to hear how you find it.
Ingredients
- 1 c buckwheat (activated or raw)
- 1 c shredded coconut
- 1 c goji berries
- ¾ c cacao powder
- ¾ c coconut oil melted
- ¼ c brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Combine dry base ingredients in a bowl until mixed, then add coconut oil, syrup, vanilla and salt until well combined.
- Pour into a glass tin lined with baking paper and press down until firmly packed. Sprinkle with extra gojis, buckwheat and coconut, then place in freezer to set for 1 hour. Slice and serve, and keep in the fridge for 4 weeks.
Recipe Notes
- Sugar free: Use double the amount of date paste instead of liquid sweetener in the base and topping. Or use stevia or erythritol, and add extra coconut oil as necessary for it to bind.
- If your goji berries are super hard, you can soak them briefly in a bit of hot water first. Drain off the water and drink as a tea or add to a smoothie or to your bircher muesli.