seed & date power bars

Typically, I thoroughly enjoy turning not-so-healthy desserts into healthy ones and do my best to make them taste like the real thing. But sometimes those escapades turn into chocolate cookies that are an odd shade of matte brown with a taste somewhat resembling play-doh. BLEHHH. It's really disheartening when I'm craving something rich, chocolatey, and satisfying and don't want to feel like a whale. But then there's other times where I actually CRAVE healthy food. I crave spinach and big bowls of roasted veggies allthetime and bananas pretty much every day. I crave things that taste like they've been birthed from the earth {sorry, too much?} and taste natural and wholesome. That's when I whip up batches of granola bars, energy bites, and things like that to have stored away in the freezer {if they make it that far} for when the craving strikes. 

I made some bars similar to these awhile ago, but it was one of those days where writing down measurements and snapping photos was just about the last thing I wanted to do. Of course, it's those days where my recipes always turn out the best, so I decided to remake them for the blog because they were just that good. This is one of those recipes that can be made from whatever you have around. I chose some oats, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I threw in a dash of cinnamon for good measure and just a teensy bit of honey because the dates already bring a lot of natural sweetness. I bake these for a few minutes just to set them up, but you could just as easily leave them raw since there's nothing that requires cooking in the recipe. I have to say though, straight from the oven, they're pretty bomb. 

These bars are packed full of good-for-you ingredients that leave you satisfied without a drop in energy an hour later. They're jammed with tons of superfoods, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants all needed for a healthy, happy body! The bars are so soft and chewy {I want to say like a candy bar, but let's be real here… Dates = candy bar? No.} and taste very sweet and caramely thanks to the dates. Of course, this recipe is so easily adaptable, you could sub in different kinds of nuts, sweeteners, seeds, grains, or dried fruit. No matter what you fill them with, you have a healthy, nourishing, and satisfying snack or quick brekkie.  

date & seed power bars {vegan & GF}

1 c. dates 

2 tbsp. softened coconut oil

1 tbsp. honey

1/4 c. desiccated coconut flakes

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp. flax seeds

1 tbsp. poppyseeds

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1/4 c. quick cooking oats

vanilla {optional}

cinnamon {optional}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8x8 in. pan with parchment paper. Chop dates until fine and add a little bit of hot water to soften if needed. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Pour into prepared pan and press down firmly with the back of a spatula. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let cool before slicing into 8 even bars.