These take me back to the puffed rice treats from my childhood – but this is a grown-up version, with spelt instead of rice and dark chocolate instead of toffee.
Are puffed grains bad for you?
No two ways about it: puffed grains are at the bottom of the whole grain pyramid, being relatively highly processed (cooked then puffed with high pressure or temperature) and so high GI and likely to cause more insulin spikes than intact whole grains.
But unless your sugar levels place you around the prediabetes risk and if your diet is otherwise balanced, there are far worse foods you should seriously avoid than a handful of puffed rice, wheat or popcorn.
In fact, the whole grain pyramid is quite a harshly judgemental picture. Puffed grains, unless coated in sugar or dripping with butter, are low in calorie, high in fibre and decent in nutrient content snacks/breakfast ingredients. And puffed spelt when compared to puffed rice, is more ‘real food’: winning on fibre, protein and flavour.
Puffed treats
Having said all that, I now proceed to explain how to make sweet treats out of the puffed grains, thus presumably killing all the benefits? Not quite: this is dark chocolate, no added sugar and naturally sweet dates we’re talking about.
My spelt chocolate bars are as far removed from the ‘szyszki’ (puffed rice and toffee cones) of my childhood as homemade burgers are from Maccy D’s.
Of course they contain sugar (they wouldn’t be treats otherwise) but it’s entirely up to you how much of it will go in, depending on the type of chocolate you use.
You can pick the serious stuff, 70 or 75% cocoa content and it will be lower in sugar. But ordinary dark cooking chocolate which usually contains around 55% cocoa is still high in fibre, protein and minerals.
How to melt the chocolate
One: in a double boiler, which means setting a bowl over a pan with lightly simmering water, with the bowl not touching the water surface. Chocolate will melt in it slowly, gently and will be less likely to split.
But if you’re an impatient type, there’s method number two: microwave. It works well as long as you melt it in bursts and stir the chocolate every 20 seconds or so, then remove it before it’s completely runny – it will continue to melt as you stir.
I would actually recommend the first method for the bars though the recipe itself gives the option of the microwave. You can control the melting better in a double boiler (aka bain-marie) and stir in the dates and cream without yanking the bowl out and in the microwave.
Either way, into the molten mass the puffed spelt goes and as long as most of the grains are coated, it’s good to transfer into a tray.
Variations
The taste and flavour will change depending on the chocolate you use – of course by all means use milk or even white if you want an all-out treat.
And obviously any other puffed grain will work as well – my preference is for spelt over rice as it’s more flavourful.
You can skip the dates and chop up some raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit instead.
Alternatively omit the fruit altogether and add finely chopped nuts: pistachios, hazelnuts or almond flakes.
Or go to town and add all of the above! Increasing the amount of chocolate and cream if that’s what you go for.
More chocolate treat recipes
Marzipan truffles, chocolate covered balls of homemade marzipan, and the chocolate is also homemade! Vegan, easy and utterly delicious.
Panpepato, Italian classic dessert from the province of Siena, is the ancient version of panforte di Siena, hard Italian biscuits. Panpepato is packed with fruit and nuts, spicy, peppery and very chocolatey.
Marzipan and shortbread biscuit chocolate coated bars, made from scratch. Like Twix, only better; like all the best Ritter Sport’s bars combined into one.
More healthier dessert recipes
Strawberries and whipped labneh, a healthy version of the beloved Wimbledon dessert, strawberries and cream. Labneh, thick strained yoghurt, is as delicious as cream but leaner in fat and calories.
Slow roasted strawberries become jammy but not too sickly, coated in luscious syrup, and they have a multitude of uses in desserts, cakes and afternoon tea confections.
Tom Kerridge’s carrot cake energy balls are no-bake, no sugar, no nonsense bites made from goodness itself. Sweet with no added sugar, satisfyingly filling and easier to make than mud cakes.