CHOCOLATE-TAHINI POWER CUPS
The no-bake, portable sweet treat we can't stop eating
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Hello!
It’s already mid-June (how?), and we're in that delicate week between the end of school and the start of summer. In the last 48 hours, our feet have hardly touched the ground as we rushed between birthday parties, Father’s Day fetes, and last games. I’ve packed and re-packed the cooler bags with snacks so many times I’ve lost count, and it’s not officially summer yet.
Yesterday, in the car on the long drive back from the last soccer game of the season, I started thinking about how symbolic a cooler bag is for a certain season of mom life. A well-packed snack bag is a badge of honor. There’s the pride in tidy towers of homemade treats tucked neatly in Tupperware, amongst ice backs and zip bags of carrots and chips. Then there’s the freedom it carries— of being on the go with my kids en route to some new adventure—camping, hiking, berry picking—rather than sending them out into the world without me.
The rise of the summer cooler bag marks the beginning of a short season, with me (and maybe you!), mother, firmly at the helm, carefully guarding the well-being of the family with just the right morsels of protein, fruit and vegetables—and a touch of decadence—to survive day after day in the sun.
It feels like a well-honed skill, one that— unlike taxes or social media—I can master.
By mid-July, I’ll grow tired of the portable meals, begging my kids to eat protein before the popsicle, wiping out the bag, and re-freezing the ice packs, only to do it all again the next day. But then I remember this: one day, I’ll pack my last snack bag without even knowing it. In a flash, they’ll be off—to college and life.
So, for now, I’m holding on, deep-diving into my reserves to make the most delightful healthy treats I can imagine as long as they’re near me. One treat, an absolute favorite, came to us via our local family market—Village Coffee and Refillery.
They say it takes a village to raise a kid; our village wouldn’t be complete without Mark + Anthea, owners of the market where we often stop for these power-packed nuggets of nutrition with oats, coconut, chia seeds, tahini, and a decadent layer of chocolate on top.
These granola-bar-ish treats chill rather than bake, so you can have them ready in an hour without any real work (or heating up the house). We keep them in the fridge for mid-day snacks, camp lunches, and so much more (I like mine for a ten-o’clocker— with a decaf cappuccino). The recipe, courtesy of Village Coffee, which Greta, Lucy, and I adapted for your home kitchen via numerous recipe tests (Poor us!), is below.
But first, one little reminder….
NEXT LIVE CLASS ✨//
Why feed our families packaged foods when we can make wholesome, homemade, nutrient-dense sweets and treats that pack, freeze, and travel well?
This week, I’m teaching my MAKE AHEAD SNACKS, SWEETS, AND MORNING TREATS class on Wednesday, June 19th, at 11 AM EST (sign up here).
The plan is to meet online and mix, pack, and freeze five incredible snacks and treats for all your snacking needs in the coming weeks—camp lunches, pool snacks, play dates, hiking, camping, and car/plane trips. Dive in with me for one hour of intensive snack prep that will serve you and your crew for weeks and months ahead!
✨ Here are the recipes we’ll make together: ✨
Gen Alpha Granola Bars (adapted from my book, Feast!)
Mango Lassi Popsicles (new recipe)
Rise + Shine Muffins (adapted from my book, The Newlywed Cookbook)
Ease-Into-The-Morning Overnight Oats (new recipe)
Chocolate-Tahini Power Cups (recipe below)
Everyone who signs up for the class will receive the full PDF recipe packet of all five nutrient-dense recipes, plus a shopping/supply list and an hour in the kitchen with me to ask all your baking/snacking/nutrition questions. Remember, even if you can’t attend the class live, signing up for the class gives you access to watch it at your own pace.
I hope to see you all this Wednesday, and to the rest of you—I’ll be back after the solstice.
xx
Sarah
This letter wouldn’t be possible without YOU! Thank you for being here and enormous thanks to all who choose to support my work with a paid subscription.
(IT-TAKES-A-VILLAGE)* CHOCOLATE-TAHINI POWER CUPS
Recipe adapted from Village Grocery and Refillery
Toothsome and densely packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3s, this super snack will give active kids and adults energy to spare. Think of it as your grown-up chocolate fix and a chilled granola bar rolled into one.