5 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pepitas
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2 Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan.
3 Pulse the dates in a food processor until they form a chunky paste.
4 Transfer the date paste to a medium bowl.
5 Add the oats, the quinoa, the almonds, the pepitas, the chia seeds, the almond butter, the honey, the vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl, stirring everything together until evenly combined.
6 Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press it very firmly into an even layer, aiming to make it as tight as possible.
7 Bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 20-22 minutes.
8 Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
9 Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill, at least 1 hour.
10 Remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper.
11 Cut the bars into squares.
12 Drizzle the squares with the melted chocolate.
13 Serve.
The bars are good at room temperature for 1 week or refrigerated for 2 weeks.
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 9 servings