Happy almost Valentine’s Day! These Chyawanprash Pecan Butter Bites are the perfect special treat. They have a crisp chocolate coating and a rich, nutty center packed with warm spices and adaptogens. They’re a little bit healthy and totally decadent. Continue reading for the recipe…

I’ve been talking a lot about Chyawanprash over on Instagram, but thought I’d share some info here as well. Chyawanprash is an Ayurvedic jam, made with herbs, spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger etc.), ghee and honey. The main ingredient is Amalaki, or Indian Gooseberry. Amalaki is extremely high in vitamin C and antioxidants and is great for  inflammatory digestive issues (acidity, ulcers, gastritis etc.) It’s a great ojas builder, rejuvenative, antihistamine, and blood purifier and also works to cleanse the liver and protect the heart. Chyawanprash is traditionally dissolved in hot water or warm milk or just eaten by the spoonful. It’s one of my favorite Ayurvedic supplements and I take it daily, usually in the afternoon, to give me a little boost. It’s sour, sweet, and spicy and super delicious. For this recipe, I combined fresh pecan butter (my new favorite nut butter) with chyawanprash, dates, chia seeds for a little crunch, and cocoa powder. Enjoy and happy Valentine’s Day! Sending you all big virtual hugs.

*This post was sponsored by Diamond Nuts. Thank you for supporting my work by supporting my sponsors. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chyawanprash Pecan Butter Bites

Makes 16-18

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups raw Diamond Nuts pecans

1 tablespoon Chyawanprash

2 dates, pitted

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

cocoa nibs to garnish

PROCEDURE

Place the pecans in a food processor and process for 5-10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container every few minutes. The pecan butter should come together after about 5 minutes. Continue processing another 5 minutes until creamy and smooth.

Add the chyawanprash, dates, chia, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and process again until no lumps remain.

The dough will be soft, but should hold together. Roll heaping tablespoons into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Freeze for several hours until firm.  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Working in small batches, remove the balls from the freezer and coat in melted chocolate using two forks. Place on a cooling rack and sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Chill until ready to eat.

Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to one week.