HEALTHY 5-INGREDIENT GRANOLA BARS

• 1 cup packed (200 g) dates, pitted (deglet nour or medjool)*
• 1/4 cup (84 g) honey (or sub maple syrup or agave for vegan option)
• 1/4 cup (64 g) creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 cup (112 g) roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats (gluten free for GF eaters)
• optional additions: chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, banana chips, vanilla, etc.

Instructions

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency. (Mine rolled into a ball.)
2. Optional step: Toast your oats in a 350 degree F (176 C) oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw - I just prefer the toasted flavor.
3. Place oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl - set aside.
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars.)
6. Press down firmly until uniformly flattened - I use something flat, like a drinking glass, to press down and really pack the bars, which helps them hold together better.
7. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let firm up in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or 9 squares). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn't necessary.

Notes

*Although not ideal, if your dates don't feel sticky and moist, you can soak them in water for 10 minutes then drain before processing. This will help them blend better and hold the bars together better. But ideally, you can find fresh, sticky moist dates.