Nutty Chocolate Protein Bars with Chia Seeds

These snacks are a lot like candy, but their sweetness comes from dates, which are high in iron and fiber, unlike refined sugar. The bars will need to be refrigerated to firm up the chocolate, but after that, they're good to go. Take them with you hiking, camping, or on a road trip. Be sure to also keep some at home for a wholesome, handy snack. Recipe adapted from Extraordinary Vegan* © 2013 by Alan Roettinger, reprinted with permission of Book Publishing Company. 

Makes 12 bars

• 24 pitted medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, optional
• 1 cup raw almonds
• ½ cup raw pecans
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
• ½ cup chia seeds

Put the dates, almond extract, and optional salt in a food processor and pulse until the dates are throughly chopped. Add the almonds, pecans, and walnuts and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Put the chocolate in a double boiler or in a small bowl set over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir the chocolate until melted. Pour the chocolate over the nut mixture in the food processor and pulse very briefly, just until combined.

Scrape the mixture onto a cutting board and form it into a square about ¾ inch thick. Cut the square into 6 strips of equal width, then cut the strips crosswise in half and separate the 12 pieces.

Put the chia seeds on a small plate. Take one of the pieces and knead it slightly, warming it with your hands. Reshape it into a bar and press it into the chia seeds, coating all sides.

Put the bar on a clean plate and repeat the process with the remaining pieces. Refrigerate until firm. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature, the bars will keep for about 2 weeks.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 323 calories; 7g protein; 16g fat; 43g carbs; 3mg sodium; 125mg calcium; 9g fiber

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