Aged 6, if my day had started with Coco Pops, it would have been a brilliant start to the day. Coco Pops was not only a breakfast cereal but a sneaky chocolate milkshake in one, since I would pour over a little extra milk to ensure I could enjoy the rich chocolatey milk afterwards. Always drank greedily straight from the bowl. 

These Good Mood Cacao Pops are a twist on that popular commercial breakfast cereal.  They have the same satisfying crunch and turn the milk chocolaty. 

Instead of cocoa powder, these are made with raw cacao powder containing minerals for good mental health, such as magnesium, essential for muscle and nerve relaxation. It also has tryptophan, a natural anti-depressant that transforms into stress protecting serotonin and melatonin. 

The soaked and dehydrated buckwheat is a good substitute for puffed rice as it becomes pleasingly crunchy once soaked, sprouted and dehydrated. Buckwheat isn’t wheat, it is technically a seed and a member of the rhubarb family. As an aside, buckwheat holds a phytochemical called rutin that contains quercetin, an antioxidant shown to reduce inflammation.

Simply add your favourite plant milk for a mood enhancing breakfast. You are never too old to drink the chocolaty milk straight from the bowl.  

INGREDIENTS
Makes 8-10 portions
4 cups soaked and dehydrated buckwheat
3 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons cacao powder
pinch fine grain sea salt
  

METHOD
Add the soaked and dehydrated buckwheat to a bowl. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir to combine so the buckwheat is coated. Add the cacao powder and salt and stir gently to combine so the buckwheat is coated in cacao powder.

Spread the buckwheat mixture over a Teflex lined dehydrator sheet.  Dehydrate at 115F for 12 hours. Remove the cacao pops from the dehydrator and move them around a bit to expose any areas that are still damp underneath to the dehydrator air. Return the tray to the dehydrator for 4-6 hours until they are completely dry.

Store in an airtight container.