Recipe of the Week: The Fit Foodie's Salted Almond Bars

The Fit Foodie blogger Sally O’Neil has one of those business success stories that inspires people to want to throw in their 9-5 jobs for the #entrepeneurlife. A story that really kicks off when Sally moved to Bondi Beach in Australia from the UK six years ago…

After suddenly finding herself thrown into a world full of fitspos and body goals – not an ideal situation for someone with a penchant for apple crumble and chocolate – it was this exact conundrum that began to shape Sally’s current career path. Dissatisfied with having to subject herself to plain low-calorie foods, she began experimenting with developing recipes using high-protein foods rich in fats and nutrients.

Setting up a blog to document the recipe creations she perfected, Sally was soon propelled into freelance journalism – developing recipes and writing for a number of high profile health media publications. And her foodie exploits didn’t stop there. Next on the agenda saw Sally launching her own healthy snack business (called Fit Mixes) and releasing her first cookbook “Love Move Eat”. #girlboss, much?!

It was this recipe book that led the Husskie team to first discover The Fit Foodie. Becoming instant fans of ALL Sally’s recipes, we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to grab her for a quick chat for our “Recipe of the Week”. Picking the Salted Almond Joy Bars as her current personal fave, Sally explains why it’s a stand-out: “I love this treat for Friday nights with my girls. The salty-sweet combo is the perfect indulgence to share and start on a high note for the weekend. No guilt or sluggishness afterwards – it’s a win win!”

RECIPE

Ingredients
(Serves 8)

For the base:

1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup rice malt syrup

For the caramel layer:

2 cups dates, soaked in warm water for one hour
1 tablespoon 100% almond butter
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

For the topping:

1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tablespoon rice malt syrup

METHOD:

In a food processor, add the oats, cashews, almond meal, and coconut, pulsing to a flour-like consistency
Tip the mixture into a large bowl and mix in the rice malt syrup and coconut cream, then press into the base of a lined brownie tin
Back in the food processor, make the caramel layer by blending all the caramel ingredients together until smooth, then pour over the base
Top the caramel with chopped almonds and salt, then freeze until set for 2-4 hours
Meanwhile, make raw chocolate sauce by mixing together the coconut oil, cacao and rice malt syrup
Remove the almond slab from the freezer and cut into bars
Drizzle over the chocolate sauce and enjoy straight away or store back in the freezer for up to a week
Allow to cool to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving