3 Chocolate Recipes:
Breakfast, Anytime Snack & Dessert
Dessert// Chocolate Treats
About this Video: Healthy chocolate? Yes! Join Jon Gabriel in the kitchen and learn how to make a variety of healthy, organic chocolate treats.
Breakfast// Raw Coconut Chocolate Chia Porridge
We’ve gotten lots of request for more recipes with chia bran. In this one, we use chia bran to make a super tasty and nutritious porridge. Chia bran is great because it’s gluten free and extremely low GI (glycemic index).
Chia bran isn’t ground chia seeds. It’s what’s left over after the oil has been extracted from the seed, and is composed mainly of fiber and protein, all of which contribute to the fact that it makes a great grain substitute.
There are lots of different ways you can make porridge with chia bran, but this is one of my favorites. The combination of the smooth texture of the chia bran and tahini, with the crunch of the cacao nibs, chia seeds, and desiccated coconut makes it a beautiful taste experience. And, of course, it’s loaded with antioxidants, omega 3’s fiber and protein, so it’s great for you!
DOWNLOAD RECIPECoconut Chocolate Chia Porridge (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Raw)
Serves: 2 Servings
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp raw unsweetened cacao nibs
- 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
- 3 Tbsp chia bran
- 2 Tbsp chia seed
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cacao
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup blueberries, or your favorite berry
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ teaspoon healthy salt (like Celtic salt or Himalayan salt)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Mix tahini, cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, chia bran, chia seed, cacao, salt cinnamon and 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar with 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk. Stir ingredients until you get a think and creamy consistency. Add more almond milk if it’s too thick.
Add more coconut palm sugar if you require more sweetness. Serve in a bowl and top with berries and sesame seeds or your favorite toppings. Other great toppings include nuts, and coconut yogurt.
Optional: warm the almond milk first on those cold autumn mornings.
Anytime Snack// Mint Chocolate Superfood Breakfast Balls
These tasty, extremely nutritious snack balls are loaded with protein, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. There’s no grains, or gluten or processed sugars to activate your FAT programs. They’re great for breakfast or quick afternoon snacks. Kids love them too!
DOWNLOAD RECIPEGluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Superfood Snack Balls
Serves: 18 balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup almonds
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 3 Tbsp raw organic cacao powder
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
- 1 Tbsp xylitol
- 1 tsp spirulina (optional)
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Directions:
Combine cashews, almonds, chia and hemp seeds together in food processor until well ground.
Add remaining ingredients until well combined.
Form balls by shaping mixture in the palm of your hand. Store in fridge to harden.
Makes approximately 18 balls (depending on how much mix you eat along the way!)
Tip: If you live in a cool climate, you may like to melt coconut oil prior to adding to mixture. The best way to do this is using the double boiler method and keep heat low. Place coconut oil in heat-proof bowl into a pot of water. Heat slowly until coconut oil liquifies.
Have Questions for Jon? Ask them HERE
Could you suggest acceptable equivalents for the coconut sugar in these recipes, please? Buying coconut sugar can destroy the coconut industry since it’s made from the blossoms – ergo, no fruit!
Tropical Traditions.com explains this problem and has self-regulated not to stock or sell coconut sugar.
Thank you.
I love the taste of this mixture, but the consistency is such that I cannot get the balls to stick together. I’ve tried adding a little more coconut oil, as well as refrigerating the mixture before I make the balls. This helps some, but the balls are still quite crumbly and can easily fall apart even after many hours of refrigeration. I would love to use these..they are so convenient. Any tips on how to get these balls to stick together?
This is for the balls ,b by the way!
Hi Anna,
I haven’t had this problem so I’m not sure what it could be. Let me get back to you on this. I’m thinking it might be to do with the nuts – are they ground sufficiently?
Den
Hi Anna,
Perhaps try adding a small amount of water until you get a sticky consistency. I think sometimes not enough of the oils in the nuts get released and will make the mixture too dry. Let me know how you go.
Den – GM Team
Can you advise what the serving amount would be with the mint chocolate breakfast bars
Hi Pat,
It would depend on how big each bar is, but perhaps 3-4 would be a good serving size.
Kind regards
Den
Where on earth do you buy Chia bran in Australia?
Have tried quite a few health food stores in Melbourne without success.
What can I use as a substitute?
Thank you.
Hi RC,
Here is a link to an Australian company that sells Chia Seed products including Chia Bran. The website has a store locator as well.
http://www.thechiaco.com.au/buy-chia
Hope this helps.
Den – GM Team
I’m having trouble with the base chocolate recipe. The coconut palm sugar won’t melt so the final product has a grainy texture and the sweet flavor is not well distributed through the chocolate. Any suggestions?
Hi Wendi,
Try putting the sugar in with a small amount of boiling water and mix it up to break down the lumps. Hope this helps
Den – GM Team
I only see 2 recipes here and no video. Am I missing something?
Hi Karen,
At the very top of this page is a picture of Jon and some raw chocolate, there is an arrow in the middle of the picture – just click on this and the video will play. Hope this helps
Den -GM Team
Question about Chia Bran breakfast
Jon, I note that the breakfast is for two. As I live alone with only my dog for company, I’m wondering about the leftovers. When I tried chia bran once it became a jellied mush when left a while. Not too apetizing. Any suggestions? Cutting the recipe in half looks a bit difficult because some of the quantities are already very small.
Hi Ellen,
Great question. My suggestion would be to mix all the dry ingredients together, leaving out the blueberries, almond milk and tahini, and store in a jar in the fridge. That way you have two serves ready to go. On the day of serving, just add half the quantities of tahini, almond milk and blueberries to half of the dry mix you have made up. Let us know how you go.
Den – GM Team
Good Question Ellen.
Tips on how to adjust/modify the recipes to make them convenient to use while maintaining the nutrients is very helpful. I also just read the answer and such a great idea on how to cut the recipe to make it suitable for one serving.
Thanks
Trouble finding chia bran?
The excellent website http://www.nuts.com now carries it as well as chia seeds. They ship anywhere in the U.S.A. via UPS or Fedex. They do charge for shipping but it’s not exorbitant. I don’t know about other countries. Hope this helps.
Hi Ellen,
Thanks!
The GM Team
Hi Pat,
Unfortunately, we don’t carry Chia Bran in our GM store however we do recommend the following sites:
http://www.shilohfarms.com/products/Chia-Bran.html
http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/chia-seeds/chia-bran.html
Hope this helps!
Thanks,
The Gabriel Method Team
Hi Jon,
Unfortunately I have not been able to find chia bran locally.
Is it available through your store? I have only noticed chia
seeds.
Thank you for your help with this.
I know you posted this a long time ago, but I figured I answer anyway. I’ve been buying chia bran on Amazon.com. You can buy it 3 packs at a time to make it a bit more economical.
Hi David,
Thanks for letting us know.
Den – GM Team