As someone who is constantly looking for ways to consume turmeric for its anti-inflammatory benefits, adding it to chocolate seemed like a no-brainer. I’ve been doing mostly green smoothies and salads for the past few weeks, but eating so well hasn’t quite eliminated my craving for something sweet and chocolatey at night. So to keep from just pulling out a sugar-laden candy bar, I decided to make a nutritious chocolate bar containing dates, turmeric, and Chia seeds. The result is a chewy, satisfying chocolate bar that you can grab to knock down those cravings and combat inflammation at the same time!
These chocolate turmeric bars started out as an attempt at bliss balls, but when I saw that they were going to be difficult to roll into balls, I decided to press them into a small lined casserole dish and top them with melted dark chocolate. This method was much easier and less messy. If you’re trying to avoid all refined sugar entirely, you can use stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips (Lily’s brand), or you can omit the chocolate topping altogether.
The dates make these chocolate turmeric bars chewy, the Chia seeds add a nice crunch, and the turmeric imparts a subtle peppery flavor. If you’re not too keen on the taste of turmeric, you can reduce the amount inside the bars and omit the dusting on top. Just keep in mind that more turmeric = more antioxidants and less inflammation.
Also, if you’re wondering why I included a pinch of black pepper in this chocolate dessert, read this post about turmeric absorption.
- 12 soft medjool dates, pits removed
- 3 T. cacao powder
- ¼ tsp. vanilla powder (or extract)
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder, plus more for dusting if desired
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 T. Chia seeds
- 3 T. almond flour
- ¼ cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until a dough ball forms. The mixture will start off crumbly, but just keep pulsing -- it'll get there!
- Transfer dough to a small lined dish. I used a 5x7 casserole dish, but you could even just roll it out on a flat piece of parchment paper if you don't have a small dish. The dough should be about ¼-1/3 inch thick.
- In the microwave or using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top of the dough and transfer to the fridge to set, about one hour.
- Remove from fridge and lightly sprinkle with turmeric powder. Spread turmeric around using a dry finger or cloth. Cut into small bars and keep in an air-tight container up to two weeks.
You can store these in the fridge for a chewier treat, or on the kitchen counter for a softer chocolate topping.
These chocolate turmeric chewy bars were a hit in my house! In fact, I had to make another batch just two days after I made the first one because we loved them so much. And now that I’ve typed up the recipe, I’ve decided to make these again . . . you know, for the anti-inflammatory benefits . . . 🙂
Looking for more ways to include turmeric in your diet?
Try my Golden Milk recipe or my Turmeric Ginger Lemon Shots!
hello! love this- i used to make “chocolate salty balls” (!!😂) as i call them which is similar bht i like the idea of bars with chocolate on top! im not so good with almonds or many nuts… could i do this with say finely chopped/ nearly ground cashews for example? or is there really a need for ‘flour’ in the mix? thanks for any ideas. i cannot have coconut either, before you suggest dessicated coconut! thanks 😊
You could probably use cashews! You might have to play with the consistency of the dough and add more or less to make up for the lack of flour. I hope ot works out!
Thanks! About to give it a go! Might use ground pumpkin seeds instead… I’ll come back and let u know for other people who can’t eat almonds,as it’s quite common!
Great! Thanks!
Wow! Thanks for the idea! My husband and son are very happy!
I replaced the almond flour with ground pumpkin seeds (very similar texture- I grind in a mini coffee grinder) the result was absolutely perfect! Thank you! We eat a lot of turmeric and are big fans- I recently made home-made chocs with turmeric which was a big discovery – and this is even better! I don’t think I can post a picture here, which is a shame but they turned out beautifully 🙂 with pumpkin seeds they’re even MORE anti inflammatory and full of zinc yay! Gotta love healthy treats!!! ;D
Yay, I’m so glad it worked! Now I’ll have to try it with pumpkin seeds 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!