coffee crunch bites

a few months back now, i received a little package in the mail from the very lovely danielle with one of the new cappuccino larabars inside.  i was over the moon at this kind gesture and really excited to try it!  being the coffee freak that i am, i had a feeling i would love it up - and i also had a feeling that i didn't want to share it with m.  so i ate it.  alone.  in the car.  so ridiculous, right?!  hahaha, at least i can laugh at myself...

well, i did love it.  {and i felt a little guilty for not sharing.}  so for both of those reasons, i pretty much immediately set to recreating it in the kitchen.  the end result was very similar in taste, but i wanted to make it my own and i added a nice crunch to it with the addition of cacao nibs.  yum.  so this time i'm sharing.  and actually - i shared this for the first time a few weeks ago on the tie dye files while kaitlyn was away getting her alpen swoosh, swoosh on.  but i thought i'd share them again, this time here on my blog for those of you who missed them the first time around.

coffee crunch bites
makes 9 balls
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup tightly packed dates {about 4 medjools}
1 tsp ground coffee beans
1 tbsp cacao nibs

combine the almonds, walnuts, & dates in a food processor and run until you get a fine crumb that comes together when you pinch it between your fingers. add in the coffee grounds & cacao nibs and pulse to combine.  pour the mixture into a bowl and scooping up 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, squeeze the mixture in your hand until it comes together and roll it into a ball.  repeat with with the mixture until it’s all rolled into scrumptious coffee crunch bites!

*note, if you want these to truly be 100% raw, then you'll have to omit the teaspoon of coffee since it's roasted.*  

i opted for making balls instead of bars because i really find that 2 bites is all i need as a snack, but by all means, turn these into bars if that's your preference.  i find these are sweet enough to quench a little afternoon sugar craving {without any refined sugars i might add!}, hearty enough to keep hunger at bay, and with the healthy fats from raw walnuts & almonds, they're a great grab & go for after a run.

oh and coffee and chocolate.

did i mention they taste like coffee and chocolate??

pack these up in a sealed tupperware container and keep them at room temperature, or if you're partial to a chilled treat, you can opt to keep them in the fridge or even the freezer. 

now go get your coffee crunch on and have yourself a glorious weekend!  do you have anything exciting planned?


xo
jess