Chocolate Date and Cornflake Bites (Vegan & GF)

Ingredients:

-10 pitted dates (soaked in warm water for about ten minutes then drained)

-Heaping tablespoon ground flax

-Heaping tablespoon hemp hearts (more for sprinkling on top)

-1.5 cups almond and pecan (or walnut) mixture

-Tablespoon pure maple syrup

-Tablespoon coconut oil (more to mix with chocolate)

-1.5 cups mini dark chocolate chips

-Tablespoon pure cocoa powder

-Sprinkle of cinnamon

-2 cups organic cornflakes (I use Natures Path GF with flax)

-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt (little more for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Place a small heat proof bowl overtop of a small saucepan filled with an inch or two of water and bring to a light boil. Add in the chocolate chips and a little spoonful of coconut oil and stir periodically until melted. (Can alternatively do this in the microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring each time to prevent burning)

2. Add dates, maple syrup, coconut oil, nuts, flax, hemp hearts, cocoa powder and cinnamon to a food processor and process until relatively paste-like.

3. Once the chocolate has been adequately melted, turn off the burner to let cool a little. Add the cornflakes and pulse a few times until chopped up but not too ground (we want the crunch).

4. Form little balls or ovals with the mixture in the food processor and roll in the bowl of chocolate until coated (can just drizzle the chocolate over alternatively). Sprinkle with a bit more sea salt and extra hemp hearts or finely crushed up nuts/shredded coconut and put into the freezer for about an hour. After they’ve hardened you can leave them in the freezer or transfer into the fridge for consumption. Will keep in the freezer for many weeks or the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Optional: If there is a nut allergy, they can be substituted for seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower (or those can be added to the original mixture for extra crunch). Organic puffed rice is an excellent addition (or substitute for the cornflakes).