- Mika Leon
Almond butter cookie bars
These NO BAKE bars are my go to when I'm being healthy but still need to satisfy my cravings. I can eat one of these as my dessert and feel zero guilt. I love to make a huge batch of these and just leave them in my freezer and eat them throughout the month. They're so sooooooo good, I can't wait for you guys to try them! Being on a diet doesn't mean you have to eat boring food nor skip dessert and i'm here to prove that to you guys! Now, the trick is moderation....eat one and fight the temptation to not eat the whole tray of bars haha. You'll see that I added goji berries to my cookie layer but that is optional too. Want to make them vegan? Just swap out the chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips! The dash of sea salt on the top gives you that perfect sweet & salty bite...DELISH!!
Makes 9 bars
Cookie Layer
½ cup plus 1 tbsp. Almond butter
¼ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
2½ cups of almond flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Gooey cacao & date layer
1½ cups walnuts
2 tbsp. Cacao powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
11 dates
2 tbsp. Chia seeds
1-2 tbsp. of water
Maldon salt or a nice thick salt to sprinkle on the top.
Instructions
Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the bars are easily removed from the pan.
In a food processor, mix together the almond butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the almond flour and stir to combine (the mixture will be thick). Fold in the chocolate chips and press into the pan. Place in the freezer so that it firms up a bit while making the next layer.
In the same food processor, pulse the walnuts, cacao powder, and sea salt until its all well incorporated. Add the dates & chia seeds and pulse to combine, add 1-2 tbsp. Of water if the blade gets stuck. Process until smooth, then spread onto the cookie layer. Sprinkle with sea salt. Freeze for a minimum of 1 hour. (this will help them firm up, making them easier to cut). Remove from the pan & cut into bars. (I cut mine into 9 pieces). Store the rest of your bars in your freezer & fight the temptation to not eat them in one sitting.
