Treat Your Brain & Nervous System This Easter
Two no-bake recipes made with adaptogens, dark cacao, and whole food ingredients because Easter treats can nourish you too.
Easter is one of those times of year that sneaks up on your nervous system (well it did for me anyway… where has this year gone?). The family gatherings, the sugar rollercoaster, the relentless busyness and celebration. By the time the long weekend is over, a lot of us feel more depleted than restored.
These two recipes are my answer to that. Both are no-bake, genuinely delicious, and doing something good for your nervous system in the background. Together, they make the most wholesome Easter gift basket you’ve ever assembled. You are welcome!
Let’s get into it.
Recipe 1:
Reishi Dark Chocolate Easter Bark
Reishi mushroom has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years and modern research is finally catching up. As an adaptogen, Reishi helps support the body’s stress response and HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal)axis regulation. Paired with magnesium-rich dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds, this bark is doing real nervous system heavy lifting, while still tasting like a treat.
INGREDIENTS
300g good quality dark chocolate (70%+), roughly chopped
1 tsp Reishi mushroom powder (I like the Superfeast brand)
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp raw pistachios, roughly chopped
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
(optional) 1 tbsp dried food-grade rose petals
2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
Flaky sea salt, to finish
METHOD
1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and have all your toppings measured and ready.
2. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Don’t overheat: you want it just melted and glossy.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the Reishi and cacao powders until fully combined.
4. Pour onto your lined tray and spread to roughly 5mm thick. Rustic edges are part of the charm.
5. Scatter over all your toppings and press gently so they stick. Finish with flaky salt, once slightly cooled.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until fully set, then break into shards.
Recipe 2:
Lion’s Mane Chocolate Bliss Balls
Lion’s mane is having a well-deserved moment and for good reason. This remarkable medicinal mushroom has been shown in preliminary research to support nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, which plays a role in the growth and maintenance of neurons. In plain language: it’s one of the most exciting brain-supportive foods we have access to right now and probably one of my favourites, at that.
INGREDIENTS
10 medjool dates, pitted
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tsp lion’s mane mushroom powder (again, Superfeast is my fave)
3 tbsp almond butter (or cashew butter)
4 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of flaky sea salt
Extra coconut or cacao powder for rolling
1 tbsp warm water, if needed
METHOD
1. If your dates are a little firm, soak in warm water for 10 minutes then drain.
2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blitz until a sticky, fudgy dough forms. It should hold together when pressed.
3. If too dry, add warm water a teaspoon at a time. If too wet, add a little extra coconut.
4. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes, this makes rolling much easier.
5. Roll into balls using a tablespoon as your guide. You should get around 14.
6. Roll each ball in coconut or cacao powder (or both, for that Easter egg effect). Refrigerate until firm.
7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
A note before you make these
Medicinal mushrooms are generally very well tolerated, and at the doses used in these recipes the risk for most people is genuinely low. That said, if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medications (particularly blood thinners, antihypertensives, or immunosuppressants), or managing an autoimmune condition, please check in with your healthcare provider before consuming medicinal mushroom products.
As always, food as medicine works best when it’s part of a broader picture of care. These are treats, not treatments. But they’re treats that love you back.
Happy Easter, with love from Kelly 🍫🌿
Cover photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash