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Sticky Sesame Bars with Raw Chocolate Drizzle

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Sticky Sesame Bars with Raw Chocolate DrizzleTina Rupp

I'll eat just about anything with "sticky" in the title, which prompted me to create a sticky energy bar my raw foodie friends and I can savor together. I've cast sesame seeds in a lead role here because I'm tired of seeing one of my favorite ingredients marginalized atop hamburger buns and everything bagels—they have a terrific earthy-nutty flavor and a delicate crunch that goes well with so many dishes. Moreover, their nutritional profile will leave you star-struck. Sesame
seeds are a very good source of manganese and copper and a good source of protein, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, and dietary fiber. Further, they contain two special types of fiber, sesamin and sesamolin, which are members of the lignans group and can lower "bad" cholesterol and help prevent high blood pressure. And did I mention chocolate? Namely, raw chocolate drizzle? Sesame seeds plus raw chocolate drizzle equals crazy good.

Cooks' Note

BAR TIPS
–Coconut oil helps to hold these bars together; vegetable oil will not work in its place. You can, instead, add an additional 2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened raw nut or seed butter or, if you have access to it, raw butter.
–If you are not following a raw diet, you can drizzle the bars with the Chocolate Bar Coating

BAR KEEPING
Tightly wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap.
REFRIGERATOR: 1 week
FREEZER: 3 months in airtight container; thaw 1 hour

BAR VARIATIONS
RAW HONEY BUN BARS
Use raw cashews as the nuts and raw honey as the sweetener. Replace the cocoa powder with an equal amount of raw, all-natural, sweetened vanilla vegan protein powder.
RAW STICKY ALMOND FUDGE BARS
Use 3 cups raw almonds for the nuts and omit the sesame seeds. Reduce the chia seeds to 1/4 cup and add 1/3 cup raw, unsweetened cocoa powder along with the agave nectar. Use raw almond butter for the nut butter.

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