Not-naughty Chocolate Fridge Cake

February 24, 2023

A wonderful gut-healthy recipe from nutritionist Lucy Williamson, based on her Grandmother's recipe from the 1970s.

We all need treats and we love baking food that tastes amazing as well as being fabulously gut-healthy.

This recipe uses Hodmedod's puffed quinoa and rolled oats, as well as Doves Farm palm-oil-free digestive biscuits. Chopped dates bring plenty of sweetness without having to add too much processed sugar.

Quinoa puffs are a great addition to baking as they’re naturally high in protein, which keeps you fuller for longer. There's plenty of fibre and resistant starch from the oats, quinoa, digestives and cocoa too.

Lucy Williamson is a freelance nutritionist, producer consultant and academic, registered with the UK Association for Nutrition. She was previously a lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics and is an ambassador for The Real Food Campaign and Love British Food. She also teaches an online Gut Health Course.

Tips: You can also add dried fruit, or mixed toasted seeds, or use cacao powder for a less rich favour. Also popular served with strawberries on the side!

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients

225g Doves Farm Digestive Biscuits
170g Rolled Oats
60g Puffed Quinoa
225g Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch Salt
85g Caster Sugar
85g Chopped Dates
8 tbsp Whole Milk
6 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Method

Crush the digestive biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin.
In a blender whizz together the chopped dates and the sugar to make a crumbly powder.
In a pan melt together the butter, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, milk, sugar and date sugar mix, making sure it doesn’t boil and stirring most of the time.
Pour the crushed digestive biscuits, puffed quinoa and oats in to the melted chocolate mixture and stir together. The dry ingredients should absorb all the mix – adjust the amount you add to end up with quite a dry mix.
Pat the mix into a greased baking tray 23 x 23 or equivalent, about 2 cm thick, and refrigerate for 30 mins or longer. Once firm cut into 16 even pieces.

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