These Autumn Gold Chocolate Bars are raw, vegan and gluten-free! And guess what the secret ingredient is? Not pumpkin – it’s butternut squash! Yes you can eat butternut squash raw, I am asked this quite often as I love to use it in raw dishes.

This chocolate bar is full of flavor and texture with a:

  • Graham Cracker Crust (date free)
  • Butternut Squash Cream (cashew free)
  • Ginger Chocolate Fudge
  • Dark Chocolate Enrobing

The graham cracker crust has become one of my favorites! It’s crunchy, flavorful and simple to make. Paired with a creamy rich texture of the butternut squash filling and ginger chocolate fudge, it’s a match made in heaven.

Making these are actually easier than they look. The bars are formed in an 8 x 8 square pan and cut into 2″ x 1″ bars. Once the crust is done you can pour the butternut squash cream layer right on top, wait a few hours for it to set and then add the last layer.

Enrobing them is optional but adds a professional look. I went ahead and drizzled chocolate on top for some added texture.

You can tell I love using raw butternut squash in recipes; here are just some other recipes I love to make:

https://crystaldawnculinary.com/butternut-squash-pie/

https://crystaldawnculinary.com/asian-squash-noodles/

Butternut squash is an excellent winter/fall addition to your diet as it has so many health benefits:

  • High in beta carotene and Vitamin A to improve eyesight and skin health
  • 1 cup contains 7 grams of fiber to promote regularity
  • Contains 7 percent of your RDA of manganese to help with bone structure
  • Contains half daily dose of Vitamin C for immune health

I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you make them I would love to see them in the Facebook group – Chefs of Crystal Dawn Culinary

Butternut Squash Chocolate Bars

AUTUMN GOLD CHOCOLATE BARS

Raw, vegan and gluten-free chocolate bars easy to make.
Course Dessert
Servings 28 bars

Equipment

  • Food processor, high-speed blender, double boiler, 8 x 8 square pan

Ingredients
  

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 cup almonds soaked and dehydrated or just dry
  • ¾ cup oat flour
  • 3 tbsp mesquite powder
  • ½ tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/8 tsp high mineral salt
  • ___
  • ¼ cup coconut nectar or any liquid sweetener
  • 2 tbsp cacao butter melted
  • 6 drops vanilla essence or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 drops almond essence optional

Butternut Squash Cream

Ginger Chocolate Fudge

  • ¾ cup cacao powder
  • ½ cup coconut nectar or any other liquid sweetener
  • ¼ cup tahini at room temperature
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 50 g cacao butter melted (yields ¼ cup liquid)
  • ½ tsp grated ginger or 2 drops ginger essential oil
  • 8 drops vanilla essence or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt
  • ___
  • ¼ cup water at room temperature

Dark Chocolate for Enrobing

  • 100 g cacao butter yields ½ cup liquid
  • 200 g cacao paste yields 1 cup liquid
  • ¼ cup liquid sweetener agave, maple syrup or a runny coconut nectar
  • 6 drops vanilla essence or 1 tsp vanilla exctract

Instructions
 

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Process first set of ingredients in a food processor until mixture forms a flour.
  • Add remaining ingredients and process until batter starts sticking together.
  • Press firmly into a lined 8 x 8 square pan using the back of a spoon to smooth out batter.
  • Set aside while making butternut squash cream.

Butternut Squash Cream

  • Blend all ingredients except cacao butter in a high-speed blender until smooth.
  • Add cacao butter and blend again until combined.
  • Pour butternut squash cream on top of crust and pat on counter to remove air bubbles.
  • Set in freezer for minimum 2 hours or overnight.

Ginger Chocolate Fudge

  • Blend all ingredients except water in a high-speed blender until smooth.
  • Add water and blend on low until well combined.
  • Pour ginger fudge onto butternut squash cream layer and smooth out with an offset spatula creating an even layer.
  • Set in freezer for minimum 6 hours or overnight.

Dark Chocolate for Enrobing

  • Melt cacao butter and cacao paste double boiler method.
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
  • Storage: Sealed container in fridge for one week or freezer for 1 month.
  • Assembly: Remove pan from freezer and cut into 2” x 1” bars with a very sharp knife while mixture is still frozen. Enrobe in melted dark chocolate and set in freezer for 15 minutes.
Keyword chocolate, RAWCHOCOLATE, rawdessert, rawfood, rawvegan