Tasty Tiffin Bars

7 colorS

THE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE

Quick background on WTF a tiffin is: I discovered tiffins - a no-bake chocolate biscuit dessert - when traveling in New Zealand; however they originated in the UK in the early 20th century. The name "tiffin" comes from British India, where it referred to a light afternoon meal or snack. I think the name is so fun! Traditionally, a tiffin is made by mixing crushed biscuits (think of those old-school, not-so-great digestive biscuits) with melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, dried fruit, and nuts. Obviously, my remake of these has no refined sugars or grains, and sneaks in fiber and other better-for-you swaps!

My version feels like a cross between a granola bar and a chocolate dessert bar, but given my love for granola, that’s basically my perfect combination.

My why for these: In addition to simply having better-for-you treats on hand, my why behind this recipe is that I’ve found it’s perfect for when I’m on my period and craving chocolate. I always find it fascinating how the body naturally desires what it needs. For example, magnesium levels tend to dip before menstruation, and chocolate is a natural source of magnesium. Our bodies are SO SMART!

If you keep a well-stocked pantry, you probably already have everything you need to make this dessert. However, this recipe is super flexible, so if you don’t have Simple Mills cookies, for example, just use a little extra coconut or almond flour. See the full list of swaps below!

Yields: 12 bars

Total time: 30 minutes

• Prep time: 10 minutes

• Freeze time: 20 minutes (minimum!)

WHAT YOU NEED

TOOLS

• Duralex mixing bowl

• Food processor (optional but encouraged)

• Measuring cups and spoons

• 8 by 8 pan

• Small saucepan

• Parchment paper

INGREDIENTS

Base:

• 2 cup mixed nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts)

• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries, cherries, or goji berries

• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried apricots

• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 3/4 cup simple mills cookies (or 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour, or crushed grain-free crackers if you don’t have)

• 1/4 cup almond flour or coconut flour (could do 1/4 cup protein powder instead if you want to add more protein here!)

• 2 tbsp chia or Zen Basil seeds

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Binding mixture:

• 1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter of your choice)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

• 3 tbsp raw honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate drizzle:

• 1 cup chocolate chips (e.g., Lily’s or Hu Kitchen baking chips)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil or butters

HOW TO DO IT

1. Prepare the base:

   • If using a food processor: Combine all base ingredients and pulse just a few times. You want the dry ingredients to still have some texture vs. become like a soft flour.

   • If mixing by hand: Roughly chop the nuts, dried fruit, and biscuits (if using). Combine all ingredients into a bowl.

2. Make the binding mixture

   • In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, gently melt the 1/2 cup nut butter, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 3 tbsp honey and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and combined.

3. Combine and press into bar base:

   • Pour the warm binding mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until everything is well-coated.

   • Line a small square or rectangular pan (e.g., 8x8 inch) with parchment paper. I love using foldback clips to hold down the parchment paper. I also like to also spray a little bit of avocado oil on the parchment paper so the bars slide off easily.

   • Press the mixture firmly into the pan to create an even layer.

4. Add the chocolate drizzle:

   • Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, and stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter until melted.

   • Drizzle melted chocolate over the tiffin base mixture. Sprinkle some maldon or flakey sea salt on top.

5. Chill, slice, serve!

   • Place the pan in the freezer for a minimum of 20 minutes, but ideally about an hour.

   • Once set, lift the tiffin out of the pan using the parchment paper. Slice into small squares or bars.

   • Store in the fridge!

SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS

Swaps:

• Mixed nuts: Seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin, hemp) or chopped toasted coconut

• Unsweetened dried cranberries, cherries, or goji berries: Raisins, chopped dates, mulberries

• Unsweetened dried apricots: Dried figs, dates, mango, or pineapple

• Unsweetened shredded coconut: Sprouted oats

  • Sprouted oats are whole grain seeds that have started to germinate, but are harvested earlier than regular oats. The sprouting process activates nutrients in the oats so they are higher in magnesium, protein and free amino acids. (PMID: 32932082)

• Simple Mills cookies: Crushed grain-free crackers, or more almond flour or coconut flour

• Chia or Zen Basil seeds: round flaxseeds or hemp seeds,

• Ground ginger: You could try this with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom

• Almond butter: Cashew, peanut or sunflower seed butter, or tahini

• Coconut oil: Ghee or unsalted butter

Tips:

• Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (but I doubt they will last that long!!)

• Extra Protein: Swap the 1/4 cup almond or coconut flour for a vanilla or chocolate protein powder if you want to sneak in bonus protein.

• Dried fruit: This is a great thing to try and buy at the farmers market if possible because it’ll likely just be the dried fruit, no additives!

Nutritional Info

Per serving, yields 12 bars but you can easily cut them smaller and get 16 bars

Calories: 450
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 6g
Net carbs: 21g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 35g
Sodium: 106mg
Sugar: 12g