Satisfying your sweet tooth: Apricot Date Snack Bars

Sometimes the desire for something sweet can’t be satisfied by a piece of fruit!  Here is a great recipe that uses wholesome ingredients, tastes good, and can take that edge off when you need something sweet.

Apricot Date Snack Bars

For a PDF copy of this recipe, Apricot Date Snack Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees C.  Prepare 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Ingredients:

1 cup of almonds OR 1 1/4 cups almond meal/flour

1 cup whole gain oats

1/2 cup whole spelt flour (or your choice of brown rice, quinoa, barley flour)

1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt

1 medium mashed banana

1/4 cup cashew pieces

16 apricots diced (or cut into small pieces)

5 dates diced (or cut into small pieces)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:

1. Grind almonds in a food processor or use prepared almond meal.
2. In a large bowl, mix ground almonds, oats, flour, hemp seeds, and cocoa nibs.
3. In small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, egg, honey, yogurt and banana.
4. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until moistened.  Add cashews, apricots and dates and mix thoroughly.
5. Place mixture onto baking dish spreading evenly.
6. Sprinkle coconut on top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.
8. Let cool and then cut into squares.