Name: Protein Bars
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 16 bars
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup cashews; 1 cup almonds; 0.5 cup dried cranberries or chocolate chips; 2.25 cups dates; 0.75 cup rolled oats; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp honey or agave

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1/5

Protein Bars

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Ingredients

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Instructions

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°F (or put your oven on it’s lowest setting and adjust the cooking time).

Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with COOL water and soak for 1 hour.

Cover the dates with HOT water and soak for 30 minutes. After soaking, drain off the water and pit the dates.

Place the oats in a food processor and grind to a powder. Place in a separate large bowl.

Drain the water off the nuts, place on a towel to remove excess water. Place the nuts in a food processor with the dried cranberries (chocolate chips) and pulse until nuts are in small pieces (the nuts will be uneven pieces which is fine. Just make sure they are all chopped.

Place the nuts in the bowl with the oats.

Place the dates, vanilla and honey (agave) in food processor and pulse until it makes a puree.

Place the date mixture with the oat mixture and thoroughly combine all the ingredients (mixture will be thick and sticky).

Place the date nut mixture on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Shape into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and measuring about 8 x 10 inches. Make sure the rectangle is flat and even.*

Bake for 4.5-5 hours or until the log is firm, but not hard (If the lowest setting on your oven is 200 degrees, cook for 4 hours).

Cool, cut into bars and wrap individually.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Soak Your Dates First 💧
Soak dates in warm water for 10 minutes before blending to create a smoother, creamier base that binds ingredients more effectively than dry dates.
Toast Nuts for Enhanced Flavor 🥜
Lightly toast cashews and almonds in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes before chopping to unlock deeper, richer nutty flavors that elevate the entire bar.
Refrigerate Before Cutting ❄️
Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before cutting into bars to ensure clean, uniform pieces that hold their shape perfectly instead of crumbling.
Layer Ingredients Strategically 🎯
Press half the mixture into your pan first, add a thin layer of chocolate chips or cranberries as filling, then top with remaining mixture for texture and flavor pockets throughout.
Line Your Pan with Parchment 📋
Use parchment paper with overhanging edges to easily lift the entire bar slab from the pan, making cleanup simple and ensuring no mixture sticks to the sides.