These bars live in a container in my fridge almost all year round. They are my answer to the 4 p.m. slump and to the kids coming home from school starving. Dates do all the sweetening, peanut butter holds everything together, and a handful of seeds and dark chocolate chips makes every bite interesting. There is no oven, no mixer and nothing to cook. Just blend, press, chill and slice. They are also naturally gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats.
Servings: 12 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 60 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170 g) Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup (130 g) natural peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (35 g) pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp (18 g) sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup (45 g) dark chocolate chips (85% cocoa or sugar-free)
Method
- Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper.
- If the dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Process them in a food processor for about 1 minute until they form a sticky paste.
- Add the peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and process again until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseed and pulse 8 to 10 times, just until everything is coated and the mixture holds together when squeezed. Leave some texture, you want chewy bars, not paste.
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand with a spatula.
- Press the mixture very firmly into the pan, using a piece of parchment on top and the bottom of a glass to compact it evenly.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm, then lift out and cut into 12 bars.
Tips and variations
- Almond butter or sunflower seed butter work in place of peanut butter; if your nut butter is very thick, add 1 tablespoon of warm water.
- Toast the oats and seeds in a dry skillet for 4 minutes before adding them for a deeper, nutty flavor.
- Wrap bars individually in parchment for grab-and-go snacks; they keep 10 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
- For a fall twist, add 1/4 cup (30 g) of dried cranberries and a pinch of nutmeg.
Once you have a batch of these in the fridge, you will wonder how you ever managed without them. Enjoy!
