Description
Chewy and wholesome snack bars that are slightly sweet ‘n salty, packed with whole foods, and are made without grains or refined sugars.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey or brown rice syrup*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (30g) almond meal*
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) almond butter
- 1 and 1/3 cups (187g) whole almonds, roughly chopped
- 5 Medjool dates, coarsely chopped*
- 3/4 cup (105g) salted sunflower seeds*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the honey, vanilla, almond meal, salt, and almond butter together until combined. Fold in the almonds, chopped dates, and sunflower seeds until combined.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan and press very firmly into an even layer. You really want it packed in tight—as tight as possible. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 more hour. This helps firm up the bars which makes them stay compact. Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap or parchment. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I find they get a little sticky at room temperature over a few days, so I prefer the refrigerator.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: These bars are freezer friendly. After wrapping individually, freeze for up to 3 months and thaw before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-Inch Square Baking Pan or 9-Inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon
- Sweetener: I do not suggest a thinner sweetener like maple syrup or agave—honey or brown rice syrup is perfect.
- Almond Meal: You can use store-bought almond meal or almond flour, or you can make your own. Start with 1/4 cup of slivered, sliced, or whole almonds. Pulse them in a food processor until a crumbly meal has formed. Do not run the food processor continuously; you may end up with almond butter. Little pulses are best. You will end up with around 1/4 cup almond meal.
- Dates: Instead of dates, try 1/2 cup (75g) raisins or dried cranberries.
- Sunflower Seeds: I like to use salted sunflower seeds because they add a little salt to the sweet dates/honey. I love the salty sweet taste and I think you will too. If using unsalted, add another 1/8 teaspoon salt to the recipe. Instead of sunflower seeds, try using chopped peanuts, cashews, or almonds.
- Cashew Coconut Version: I also love using this recipe as a base for Cashew Coconut flavor with chia seeds. Swap almonds for the same amount of raw unsalted cashews. Replace sunflower seeds with 3/4 cup (60g) unsweetened shredded coconut, and add 1 Tablespoon chia seeds. Everything else remains the same.