Did you know, one serving of matcha tea is nutritionally equivalent to 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea?

Matcha is a superfood ingredient we’ve been hearing a lot about lately and for good reason. It’s a nutritional powerhouse – vibrantly green in colour and packed with powerful antioxidants, vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium.

Brewed with hot water and drunk as a tea, matcha provides a potent dose of antioxidants known as catechins. In particular, the catechin EGCg (epigallocatechin gallate) is known for its cancer-fighting properties and isn’t often found in other foods, putting matcha into a nutritional league of its own. EGCg and other catechins also have the ability to counteract the effects of free radicals from pollution, UV rays and radiation which can lead to cell and DNA damage.

While matcha is certainly a delicious, and surprisingly sweet beverage suitable for drinking any time of day or night, we can’t look past adding matcha powder to baking for an even more enjoyable treat.

Pack a powerful punch into your snack fix with these raw cacao and matcha bars.

Raw cacao + matcha bars

Ingredients
1½ cups of dried dates (soak in warm water for 10 minutes and drain)
¹⁄³ cup Blackmores Single Origin Cacao + Nature Boost Prebiotics and Probiotics
2 tsp Blackmores Matcha Green Tea + Nature Boost Vitamin Bs
²⁄³ cups raw almonds or almond meal
1 tbs of coconut butter
¹⁄³ cup of desiccated coconut
1 tbs of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla essence

Method
If using whole almonds pulse in a food processor until it forms a meal. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture is well combined and forms a dough. Shape into a square on a piece of baking paper, wrap and put in the fridge for two hours or more. Just before serving, pull out and sprinkle with Blackmores Matcha Green Tea + Nature Boost Vitamin Bs and cut into small pieces.