Delicious and Guilt-Free Vegan Superfood Bars!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Almonds
- 1 Cup Walnuts
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 Cups Dates
- 1 Cup Nut Butter (Peanut Butter or Almond Butter)
- 1/2 Cup Goji Berries
- Himalayan Salt
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate & Coconut Oil (Optional)
Directions
Prep Nuts. Preheat a pan between medium and low. Add in your almonds and toast them for about 2 minutes, stirring the nuts around frequently. Then, add your walnuts and pumpkin seeds and toast for another 2 minutes while still stirring frequently. Constantly watch your pan during this step. (I burnt my first batch!)
Cool. Once the 4 minutes are up and your nuts are lightly toasted, remove them from the heat and transfer to a plate. This will allow them to cool completely. Set aside.
Blend. Get a food processor or blender, add the dates, nut butter, and blend it well. (You might need to get a fork and move the mix around to ensure an even blend.) Next, add all the toasted nuts, goji berries, ground cinnamon, and salt. Blend into a coarse mixture.
Pan Prep. Get a pan ready by brushing the surface with your choice of oil. Then, line it with parchment paper. Add your mixture into the pan with a spoon and pack it firmly. Once you think you’re fully packed in, pack it more. Make sure you pack the corners. This step is very important because it will prevent air gaps and will prevent the bars from crumbling when you start cutting them. Smooth out the whole surface.
Optional. (Melt Chocolate) In a pot, throw in 2 cups of your semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spoonful of coconut oil. Let this melt over low heat while stirring once or twice. When you notice the chocolate is fully melted, take it off the heat. The chocolate melts quickly. Be careful not to overcook it because it will become lumpy and hard. Pour the chocolate on top of your pan mixture, and add some more goji berries on top.
Setting Prep. Cover your pan/mixture with plastic wrap, and let it chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Cutting. After your mixture is set, get a sharp knife, and cut the bars into your desired shape. In between cuts, clean your knife with a paper towel to keep the cuts clean. Once you’re done cutting, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper. This is the easiest way to neatly store each individual bar.
Enjoy! Grab a bar right from the fridge and enjoy! If you made the mixture with chocolate, I recommend letting the bars sit out for 10 minutes to get the top chocolate layer to room temp. This makes for a delicious, fudgey consistency.
Notes
If you make them without the chocolate you can store them for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.
Once your nuts are toasted, you must transfer them to a cool plate. They will burn if you leave them in the pan.
Must use soft dates only – If your mixture gets too dry and difficult to bind you can add some more nut butter – sometimes the nuts/seeds/dates are dryer than usual and may need more binding to come together properly.
If your mixture is too dry you can empty the mixture into a bowl, add some nut butter, mix it thoroughly until it starts sticking together, and then transfer it back to the mold, press the mixture again, and refrigerate.
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