So I have been on a mission to cut out processed food…. {no this is not a New Years Resolution… it is more of a lifestyle change}.
I have been on a mission to a healthier lifestyle for the past few years now and during this I have been experimenting quite a lot with creating my own recipes. A few weeks ago I made a homemade Cliff Bar-ish recipe seen here, but this week I wanted to try it without the use of peanut butter, and more like a Lara Bar texture with the use of dates.
This is the perfect healthy snack for kids, and a wonderful pre or post workout recipe as well!
What You Will Need:
2/3 C. GF Oats
1/2 C. Cocoa Powder {needs to 100% Cocoa in order to be Vegan & GF}
1/2 C. Unsweetened Coconut
1/3 C. Slivered Almonds {plus reserve and 1/3 C. for later}
1 1/2-2 C. Pitted Dates Chopped
1/3 C. Chocolate Chips {mini would work great if you can find them Enjoy Life is a great GF and Vegan Brand}
Directions:
Put all the first 4 ingredients in a food processor until there are no large pieces.
Take out and place in a separate bowl.
Place the pitted dates into the food processor and blend until a mushy consistenty with no chunks. It gets pretty sticky so you have to continuously stop blending and keep spreading it around.
Add the dates to the bowl with the first blended ingredients and mash together with a wooden spoon. Add a few splashes of water so it’s not so dry {about 1/8-1/4 C. of water depending if your ingredients are sticking}. Once it’s mixed completely add another 1/3 chopped or slivered almonds or raw nuts of your choice and then add 1/3 C. Chocolate Chips and mash together.
Take ball of dough and place in freezer for about twenty minutes to harden a little bit. This makes it so it doesn’t stick to your hands when rolling into balls.
Roll into small balls and if you want you can roll into cocoa powder or coconut otherwise you can just eat them as is! Store in fridge or freezer. No need to defrost before enjoying!
Questions? Comments?
Let me know how yours turn out!