Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cups quick oats, ground into a flour*
- 1 cup quick oats**
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder***
- 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted (about 6 large dates)
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup dairy-free mini 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, oats, and protein powder. Set aside.
- 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, almond milk, 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 dough to the prepared baking pan, and use a spatula or your hands to spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan before 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. ** Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need to make these gluten-free. *** Use your favourite protein powder, but make sure that you like the taste since it’ll be quite prominent in these bars.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins