One of my most popular recipes has been for my Raw Paleo Mars Bars and although I bloody love them I wanted to give them a much-needed superfood upgrade. I decided to opt for a punchy portion of Raw Nice’s Dunaliella Salina which is packed full of beta-carotene, plus I went for the whole chocolate orange combo to bring you these amazingly pimped out Orange Raw Vegan Mars Bars!
If a Chocolate Orange and Mars Bar had babies they’d be as delicious and super cute as my Orange Raw Vegan Mars Bars!
If you haven’t heard of Dunaliella salina then don’t worry I hadn’t either. Dunaliella salina is a halophilic (salt-loving) green microalgae that only grows in high-salt marine environments and was first discovered in southern France in 1838. Although it’s considered a green algae, the pigments (carotenoids) mask the chlorophyll giving it a reddy-orange hue. It’s actually the high salt environment that results in such high beta-carotene concentrations.
Dunaliella has been found to be high in antioxidants, beta and alpha-carotene, and magnesium making it a superb immune booster and liver detoxifier. The antioxidant levels are 6000 times greater, and mineral content 8 times greater, than regular green spirulina. The high beta-carotene levels are fantastic for increasing skin hydration making it an amazing beauty supplement to add to your arsenal. To maximise these benefits be sure to take your Dunaliella with essential fatty acids – like those contained within my Orange Raw Vegan Mars Bars.
Anyway enough of this nutritional babble – I know you wanna hear what these little bad boys taste like. Imagine if a Terry’s Chocolate Orange had babies with a cheeky little Mars Bar and well… umm… you know where I’m going! If you’re a chocolate orange fan you are gonna love these! And because they’re low sugar, and don’t contain any processed sugars, they’re the perfect snack for kids too. Mine basically inhaled these in a matter of seconds!
Enough of my incessant waffling… don’t hold your breath, or actually, maybe you should, because here is the recipe for THE MOST AMAZING Mars Bars ever!
Bit of a chocolate fan? Then maybe my Raw Cherry Bounty Bars or Orange and Cayenne Chocolate Avocado Mousse will take your fancy! Oh, and if you want to keep up to date with my deliciousness and awful sense of humour then why not sign up for my newsletter too whilst you’re at it?!
- 1 cup soaked raw cashews (must be soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight)
- ½ cup ground almonds
- 3 tbsp raw coconut milk powder (or ½-1 tbsp coconut flour)
- 3 medjool dates (pitted)
- 2 tbsp raw coconut sugar
- 1.5 tbsp/22.5ml cacao butter (melted)
- 1.5 tbsp/22.5ml coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tbsp Raw Nice Dunaliella Salina
- 1 tsp orange extract, 1 ml Orange Medicine Flower Extract or a few drops of orange essential oil
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- ½ cup pitted Medjool dates (packed)
- 1 tbsp raw almond butter
- 1 tbsp raw coconut milk powder (or sub ½ tbsp coconut cream)
- 1 tbsp raw coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp Raw Nice Dunaliella Salina
- 1 tsp orange extract, 1 ml Orange Medicine Flower Extract or a few drops of orange essential oil
- 1 tsp cashew/almond milk
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- 125g cacao liquor/solids/paste
- 125g cacao butter
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp orange extract, 1 ml Orange Medicine Flower Extract or a few drops of orange essential oil
- Start by lining a brownie tin (20cm/8"x20cm/8"x6cm/1.5") with greaseproof non-sick paper and set to one side.
- Drain and rinse your soaked cashews until the water runs clean. Be sure to shake off as much moisture as possible. Place all of your nougat ingredients into a food processor and blend into a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides frequently. Spoon the nougat into the lined brownie tin and press in your nougat layer, flattening with your hands until evenly distributed. Place into the freezer until firm.
- Place all of the ingredients for your caramel into the bowl of your food processor and blend into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides in ensuring a smooth mixture. Remove your nougat from the freezer and spoon over your caramel. Using a damp offset spatula smooth over the caramel until you have an even layer. Smooth out any bumps with damp fingertips or oil your hands with some coconut oil to prevent the caramel from sticking. Place your brownie tin into the freezer for 30 minutes until firm.
- Place your raw chocolate ingredients over a bain-marie/double boiler (do not let the bowl touch the water) on a low heat and melt the ingredients until fully combined. Be sure to give a good stir and set to one side.
- Remove your nougat and caramel from the freezer. Carefully lift out your block of caramel and nougat. Cut into 8 equal pieces or if you'd prefer 16 even bite-sized pieces.
- Dip your bars into the melted chocolate using a fork. Tap the fork onto the bowl to remove any excess chocolate and place onto a baking tray lined with either a silicone mat or greaseproof paper. Repeat the dipping process 2-3 times and then place the bars in the fridge/freezer until set.
- Store in an airtight container within the fridge and consume within 1 week. Alternatively, freeze and consume within 4-6 weeks.
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