Barbara Close's Vitality Bites

Naturopathica Founder Barbara Close came to the Farm to share her story and her knowledge during our 2019 Deep Healing Woods Immersion. As part of the event, Barbara will show guests how to use herbs for herbal tinctures and remedies. She will showcase “hero” herbs found in Naturopathica remedies and will discuss how herbs have inspired her product innovation.

As we prepared for the Deep Healing Woods experience, Barbara shared the recipe for her Vitality Bites. These bites are delicious, full of healthful ingredients and store in the refrigerator for up to three months. Enjoy!

Vitality Bites

Makes 25 bites

Prep Time 30 minutes

I first discovered this amazing herbal remedy when I was in school getting my master’s degree in herbal medicine. A fellow student posted a recipe for energy bites to help us get through final exams. There are dozens of ways to ingest herbal remedies—teas, tinctures, or fortified honey, for example—but this herbal supplement, in my view, is the grand prize winner, because it is as delicious as it is good for you. The base of the mix is made with a nut butter, a sweetener, and a blend of tonic herbs that can be taken over a long period of time and have no side effects. This recipe uses reishi, an adaptogen herb that builds stamina and resistance to stress, along with turmeric and a dash of cayenne to reduce inflammation in the body. A dusting of matcha is added for its antioxidant benefits.

• 1 cup almond butter
• ½ cup wildflower honey
• 3 tablespoons reishi powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon matcha powder
• About 4 tablespoons carob powder
• ½ cup finely shredded coconut

Combine the almond butter and honey in a large bowl. Add the reishi, turmeric, cayenne and matcha 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly until evenly mixed. Sprinkle in the carob powder 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the mixture reaches a firm consistency. Mold the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter by rolling pieces between your palms. Once formed, roll in the shredded coconut shreds to cover and place in a storage container lined with parchment paper. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.