Our Frozen Chocolate Farmer Cheese Bars are our healthier version of a classic candy bar recipe with an ice cream inspired twist. Made with Lifeway Farmer Cheese and our Organic Whole Milk Vanilla Lifeway Kefir, real chocolate, and natural ingredients found in the everyday kitchen, this recipe provides a sweet, nutty treat you’re going to love with the benefits of gut-loving probiotics!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and even help support healthier blood sugar levels and improve levels of satiety due to how it triggers the release of GLP-1 since it is an excellent source of protein and high in bioavailable nutrition.
Lifeway Kefir contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health: vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Lifeway also offers our artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy cultured cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that is also an excellent source of complete protein.
Prep Time: 4 hours Servings: 6-8Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Layers:
- 2 cups Farmer Cheese
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk Vanilla Kefir
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. nut butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract or flavoring
For the Caramel Layer:
- 1/2 cup raw cashew or almond butter
- 1/4 cup additional Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Vanilla Kefir
- 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water 20 minutes
- pinch of salt
For the Chocolate Layer:
- 2 cups dark chocolate of choice
- sea salt
Additional:
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts or almonds
Directions
- Blend together "Ice Cream" ingredients and place in a 9”x9” freezer friendly container; freeze for 3 hours.
- For the "Caramel" layer, remove the dates from water, then blend together the ingredients and spread over frozen ice cream with a spatula. Freeze 30 more minutes.
- For the chocolate layer on top: Either on the stove or in a microwave, carefully melt the chocolate on low heat and drizzle on top of the frozen ice cream mixture. Sprinkle with any nuts if you wish (we used peanuts). Put back in the freezer 30 minutes to set.
- Take out the frozen ice cream, slice into small rectangles (bars), then enjoy!
- These will keep in the freezer up to a month if well covered (if they last that long!).
