If you’ve been following my work for a while you may know that I am obsessed with my CHU CHU recipes (am I allowed to say that about my own recipes?) I even have a few different flavours. I love them so much!
If you’ve never made these before, the reason I call them ‘Chu Chu’s’ is because they’re deliciously chewy. They have the texture and chewiness similar to that of a caramel or Starburst lolly.
And one of their key ingredients is collagen. Collagen is packed full of amino acids which aid in healing damaged cells and building new tissue in the intestinal wall, as well as coating, protecting and soothing the lining of the gut wall. This aids in healing and repairing a leaky gut. Collagen also helps to strengthen your hair, skin and nails, aids digestion, hormonal balance and so much more.
You can add any of the Sun Potion adaptogens into this recipe, however, I chose to add in one of my all-time favourite adaptogens - Mucuna Pruriens. I love Mucuna Pruriens because it can help you power through your day. It also contains L-dopa, the precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is important for sound sleep, elevated moods, enhanced brain function, a balanced nervous system, and is a libido booster.
For these reasons alone, these chu chu’s make a wonderful sugar-free, gut lovin’ snack AND you can make them in under 5 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for them to ‘set’.
Ingredients250g organic cashews (activate them if you have gut issues) 2 cups collagen powder 1/2 cup lemon juice (2 lemons juiced) zest of 2 lemons 3/4-1 1/2 tsp. organic beetroot, strawberry or raspberry powder (the more you add, the darker in color they become) 4-6 drops quality lemon essential oil (optional, although it helps to enhance the lemon flavour) 2 tbsp. coconut oil 1/4 - 1/3 cup of powdered Lakanto to taste (start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired) 1-2 tsp. Sun Potion Mucuna Pruriens 2 tsp. ginger powder (optional) Please note; you can swap the lemon juice and zest for pink grapefruit juice/ zest and use grapefruit essential oil, then you would have the most delicious Pink Grapefruit Chu Chu’s, if that’s your thing ;) |
MethodLine a container with baking paper Add the cashews, 1 cup collagen, ginger (optional) and Mucuna Pruriens (or another adaptogen of choice), 1/4 cup lakanto and ¾ tsp of beetroot or berry powder into your food processor Blitz the mixture together until it resembles a flour Add in the coconut oil, lemon juice and another 1/2 cup of collagen. blend until combined. scrape down the sides of the bowl Taste the mixture, add a touch more powdered Lakanto or the beetroot or berry powder if you would like it a darker pink colour Add in a few drops of lemon essential oil and the remaining collagen powder Blend until it reaches a very thick, sticky mix Scoop the mixture into a pre-lined container Place in the freezer to set When it’s ready, thaw the chu chu slab for 3-5 minutes, slice and serve Store in the freezer as it melts very quickly |
Recipe and photography by Jordan Pie