Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted (about 8 large dates)
- 1 1/2 cup oats, ground into a flour*
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour**
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3 Tbsp. almond butter***
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place dates in a small bowl and cover with enough hot water to fully submerge them. Set aside and let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 baking dish by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Spray foil with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oat flour, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. Mix well until fully combined.
- Drain the dates and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until they begin to turn into a smooth paste before adding almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Continue processing until ingredients are fully combined and mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Pour wet mix into dry mix and stir until fully incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan, and use a spatula or your hands to spread the mixture evenly in the pan, pressing down firmly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing and cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
* To make oat flour, simply place regular oats into a food processor or blender and process until they become a fine powder. ** You can make these gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour mix or even something like almond or rice flour. The texture may be a little bit different, but they will still work. *** To make these nut-free, use something like soy nut or sunflower seed butter. However, please note that if you do use sunflower seed butter, your bars may turn green upon cooling as the chlorophyll in the seeds reacts with the baking soda.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins