Natural Delights Date Rolls: Review

Happy Friday!

Let's chill out and talk about some healthy treats.

Today's post is sponsored by Natural Delights. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn't love it, you wouldn't be hearing about it. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness you see here.

Let me introduce you to one of my favourite little snacks: Medjool date rolls. I'm pretty positive you'll fall in love like I have.

I always like to have healthy snacks in the house made from whole foods, ready to go for when hunger hits. Plus they're great to have on hand while travelling. So when I was contacted by Natural Delights to try out their Medjool date rolls and review them, I gladly accepted. I had already tried their fresh Medjool dates before...they taste like candy! I actually discovered them as a natural sweetener when I first began baking and cooking healthier. Not to mention snacking healthier! I've long been a fan of dates, but I have to admit, for years I didn't know there were different kinds of dates out there. Then one day, I stumbled across the fresh plump Medjools in the produce isle at the grocery store. Ever since I tried them I haven't looked back. They're sweeter than dried dates, oh so soft, and crazy good! Not to mention crazy good for you.

Getting back to these date rolls though. Natural Delights sent me 3 different flavours to try including coconut, almond, and their limited edition pecan pumpkin pie spiced (only seasonally-available). They're made from chopped, compressed dates and then rolled and coated in simple, pure ingredients like coconut flakes or chopped almonds. I tried the coconut date rolls and pecan pumpkin pie spice ones first. They were melt-in-your mouth good and had the same soft texture and sweet caramel flavour of the Medjool dates! The almond ones were just as good, but my favourite were the coconut. I ate a few of them as an afternoon snack to keep me going until dinnertime. They kept me satisfied without the crash that comes from eating regular sugary snacks. That's what I call a win-win situation!

I knew that Medjool dates were very good for you, but I didn’t realize just how many health benefits they had until I read up on them. If you didn’t already know about this power fruit... Medjool Dates each contain 16 vitamins and minerals (including 50% more potassium than bananas!), which is excellent for muscle recovery in addition to protein. Plus they are a very good source of dietary fibre.

Additionally to being a good source of fibre and potassium, they contain no added sugar, no fat or cholesterol, are high in antioxidants and offer other important vitamins and minerals including Copper, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin K. They’re also gluten-free and vegan making them a great choice for nearly everyone.

I really enjoy these date rolls as a part of a post-workout snack, but they are also perfect for snack time anytime or even dessert!

If you’d like to find out more check out the Natural Delights website and look for them in the produce section of your grocery store. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Disclaimer: This is a compensated sponsored post from Natural Delights Medjool Dates. All opinions are 100% my own as always. Thank you for supporting brands like this that help make this site possible!

Healthy Caramel Slice Bars

This is one of those dangerously delicious recipes. I warn you now that these bars are basically addictive. Addictive but oh so healthy. 

I've been itching to get this recipe up and posted on the blog for like a month now. That's also how long I've had this draft open on my computer. Things have been a bit crazy but I wanted to make sure this recipe turned out just perfect. And the photos eye popping delicious of course. I must thank you all for the wonderful comments on my photography lately. I'm always working to improve and learn more, so thanks a bunch! It means a lot to me.

I'm super excited for these bars because they're totally sugar-free. The only sugar you'll find in this dessert is the natural sugar from the dates and whatever small amount that exists in the dark chocolate topping.

The caramel layer of these bars are made from just a few things:

• pitted dates
• cashews, soaked in water and drained
• almond milk
• sea salt

Soaking the cashews helps to make the caramel layer silky smooth and easy to blend. You can soak them overnight or at least 2 hours if you are short on time. Once everything is blended together you're left with a slightly sweet caramel like spread. 

Holy friggin' delicious!

These dessert bars aren't too difficult to make. Trust me, the little bit of freezer time it takes for them to set is worth the wait!

Healthy Caramel Slice

by Jennifer Trennum

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Keywords: bake food processor blender dessert snack dairy-free sugar-free gluten-free grain-free cashews chocolate dates coconut flour bars

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Ingredients (makes 8 large or 16 small squa)

Base

• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 3 eggs + 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt, to taste

Caramel Layer

• 1 1/2 cups dates, pitted
• 1 cup unsalted cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Topping

• 145 grams dark chocolate

Instructions

To make the base

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. This makes it easy to lift out the bars later on.

Mix all of the base ingredients together until combined and batter is formed with no lumps. Pour the mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To make the caramel layer

Add all the middle layer ingredients into the processor and process until smooth. Spread evenly onto your base layer and smooth out. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to set, until the middle layer is very firm to the touch.

To make the chocolate topping

When the middle layer is completely solid, prepare the topping. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler and spread evenly over top of the caramel layer. Return to the freezer until the chocolate is firm and the bars are solid.

Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before gently slicing. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt on top if desired. Wrap leftovers and store in the fridge or freezer.

 

Happy Friday!!!