This bite-sized date bar might be the perfect recipe to lull you off to dreamland. The crust is made with an abundant assortment of nuts and seeds, which contain magnesium, zinc, and a natural source of melatonin or the sleep hormone. The filling offers a dose of delicious tahini (made from mineral-rich sesame seeds) and a hit of reishi. Reishi is known as a "Shen tonic" in Traditional Chinese Medicine and can help integrate emotional stability and higher consciousness in the body. More concretely, the beta-glucans and triterpenes have been shown to help increase the deeper sleep stages of rest, turning on our innate restorative functions without having to resort to medications or synthetic sedatives.
This delicious dessert also happens to be almost entirely raw, which is healing to the digestion—an important factor when eating something closer to bedtime as the highly active digestion process can create internal unrest.
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 cup mixed nuts + seeds (suggested: walnuts, macadamia, hemp seed, pumpkin seed)
- 4 dates
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ashwagandha
- 1 tablespoon reishi
- 1-2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup cashews or sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- In a food processor or blender, place 1 cup of the mixed nuts/seeds, dates, and vanilla and blend until it turns to a crumbly texture.
- In a small cake pan, small loaf pan, or small cheesecake pan (suggested: 6-inch cake round), press the crust mixture into the pan. Place the pan in the fridge to allow the crust to set while making the filling.
- To make the filling, combine coconut milk, tahini, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ashwagandha in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until just combined. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
- Place the liquid mixture into blender with the cashews/sunflower seeds and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the crust and place back into the refrigerator until solid (at least 4 hours).
- When ready to serve, slice into smaller pieces and top with optional cinnamon, and drink with the Nightcap Mocktail.
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