For this recipe, I substituted the all natural honey I
originally used with pureed dates. The
last recipe resulted in slightly crumbly bars acting more like a granola than
an energy bar. I learned my lesson here
because I had used only a quarter cup of honey versus a half cup recommended in
several other energy bar recipes. The
buttery smoothness and subtle sweet taste of the pureed date butter ended up
making a delicious addition to these energy bars. I hope you enjoy them as much I as did!
Making pureed dates into a sweetener was surprisingly easy;
you simply do just that, puree it! You
first want to make sure the dates are pitted, and if not, I found that is
incredibly easy too. You can gently
slice them down the long way and pull the pit out.
Before putting the dates in the blender or food processor,
you will want to soak them in hot water for softening. After a few minutes I then threw them in a
food processor with a quarter cup of water.
Most recipes either included water or just the dates alone to puree; I
used a 2:1 ratio for the whole dates to the amount of water used as I played
around with the pureeing part. For
example, I used half a cup of whole dates (pitted) and a quarter cup of water
in the food processor. One simple
recipe I found most helpful for making date puree was via the food blog cavegirlinthecity.com.
In addition to the honey sweetener substitution, I also used
steel cut quick-cooking oats instead of the rolled oats which I had run out of
in my kitchen. The steel cut version
came out just as great in this recipe and the shape held together well.
No-Bake Energy Bars with Dates
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
9 bars
Ingredients
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
1/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup toasted (or raw) almonds, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seed butter
Instructions
1. Line with parchment paper (or grease with cooking spray),
a shallow square baking pan.
2. Place the dates (originally soaked in water) and the
water in a food processor or blender. Puree and set aside.
3. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add in the pureed dates and sunflower seed butter.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, pour evenly into the pan and press
down firmly.
6. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator
for at least two hours to harden.
7. Enjoy these bars for up to one week if kept in the
fridge.
Notes
Two hours total time includes the time bars are kept in the
fridge. This recipe couldn't be any simpler!
About the Author:
Kathryn Pfeffer is an RDN in Boston and writes her own blog at http://onehungrybunny.com where she shares her culinary adventures bite by bite. She is an experienced clinical dietitian in an acute and rehabilitation hospital in the Boston area and recently completed her first marathon in May.
