Fruity Chocolate Protein Bars
08.19.11
Since going Paleo 3 weeks ago I have been looking for a go-to quick and easy snack for after my CrossFit workouts, but I also wanted to find something my kids could enjoy and I could add to their lunch box that was a healthy protein packed bar. After playing around in the kitchen I think I found the perfect little bar. And these bars are totally grain free. The bars are made up of nuts and dried fruit and because I couldn’t resist, a little dark chocolate. The fruits are mostly what makes these bars sweet, but I did add a little honey but you could leave out if you want. Of course when you are first starting out on a Paleo lifestyle diet nuts and dried fruit should be limited so these are truly are a treat for me, like one of those things I only have once or twice a week. However, for the kids they are a great lunchbox add on. I have slowly tried to switch their diet to at least being gluten-free and as much organic as I can. Not that they didn’t have a pretty much all organic diet from birth, but trying to make changes. Especially after reading several things in regards to gluten in a child’s diet. The switch to gluten-free hasn’t been a huge deal for my kids especially with more things on the market these days that are gluten-free friendly. Vegetables on the other hand are still a battle in my house. Hopefully one of these days that battle won’t be a battle at all. Wishful thinking on my part! Any ways, these bars have been a hit in my house and have been asked for in their lunch boxes all week. I take that as a sign that they like them. And as for me, they are a great little treat especially after a workout or even in the afternoon when I’m looking for an afternoon pick me up. It’s a quick grab and go bar.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Fruity Chocolate Protein (Paleo) Bars
1 ½ cups slivered almonds (unbalanced)
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted
1/3 cup ground flax meal
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
7 large medjool dates, pits removed
1/3 cup dried unsweetened blueberries
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ tablespoon honey
4-5 tablespoons water
1/3 cup Enjoy Life (Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free) chocolate chips
Instructions:
Place almonds, pecans, flax meal, cinnamon, cranberries, dates, blueberries, vanilla in a food processor and process until well ground. Then pulse in honey and 3 tablespoons of water. You want the mixture to form into a ball. If it’s not after the 3 tablespoons of water add in additional water and process until the mixture begins to form a ball.
Remove from food processor and stir in chocolate chips. Then press into a 8×8 inch baking dish.
Place bars in refrigerator for an hour and then slice into bars and serve.
Bars are best kept in the refrigerator. Bars can also be wrapped individually and placed in an airtight container in the freezer.
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I have been looking for a good, nutritious DIY granola bar recipe! Thanks for sharing- I may just have to try this one out!
These sound awesome. Love the ingredients you chose here!
Hi Heather! I’m a fellow CFDRBer and was crushed when I was told my homemade granola had to go as part of the MVT challenge (I started going gluten-free). However, I am a big snacker and have a sweet tooth so I’ve been trying to figure out a substitute. This recipe looks great and I’m sure I’m going to find many more golden nuggets on your blog. Thanks
Love these uber healthy bars! Must try
These bars were delicious. I didn’t use the honey and I used coconut in place of blueberries because it’s what I had on hand. They were super tasty, but crumbly for me.
These look absolutely amazing! I’m definitely going to be making these asap. I’m headed on a road trip this weekend, and this is the perfect healthy snack to take with us! I might dehydrate them to make them extra crunchy. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Thanks for sharing!
Just finished making these and can I say they are ridiculously good! I added a little almond butter instead of honey. SO good!
I just made these. I substituted 1 cup of extra sliced almonds, dried pineapples and dried cherries because I couldn’t find any pecans at my local health food store yesterday. They’re in the fridge now but I sneaked a bite – delicious!
Ok, just tried them for the first time.
O M G
Delicious! Huge hit with the kids too. My 3-year old is calling it a brownie, but I love that it’s SO much healthier!
Cheers
Where are you getting the medjool dates from? I am having a hard time finding them. Thank you in advance!
WOW, I just made these and HOLY MOLY they are fantastic!!!
Hi Kara,
I usually find mine at whole foods, but any dates will do.
Made halve a batch and wish I made way more. These are awesome!! Couldn’t find the pecans, replaced it with other nuts and replaced the dried blueberries with goji berries. Added some raw cacao nibs, coconut powder and chia seeds. Yummy!
Since going paleo I crave on-the-run snacks all the time, particular my beloved and very missed granola goodies. I really want to make these but I’m allergic to flaxseed! Any recommendations for substituting that ingredient for something else??? Thank you!
Hi Bonnes,
You can sub out the flaxseed with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or increase one of the other nuts from the recipe. Or just leave the flax seed out all together. The bars should still hold together without it.