If you’re anything like me, you can’t turn down a delicious, chewy bar. I have such a fascination with protein and nut bars, and I’m always trying the latest and greatest, looking for the best ingredients with the smallest (preferably zero) processed ingredients. Also, the consistency of protein bars is oddly amazing to me, I could literally eat one every meal. But that would not only be weird for my body but also break my bank. Which brings me to my next point; bars are so expensive!! By no means am I degrading the value of a great bar that’s filling, convenient, and actually good for you. However, with such few ingredients (yay),  I could make a similar batch in my own kitchen. And that’s exactly what I set out to do.

Ingredients:
Plain (Cashew Cookie) Bar
16 oz Dates, pitted
1 cup cashews, raw
1 cup almonds, raw

Chocolate Brownie Bar
16 oz Dates, pitted
1 cup cashews, raw
1 cup almonds, raw
¼ cup unsweetened cacao powder
1 dash cinnamon
¼ unsweetened coconut flakes

Almond Oat Bar
16 oz Dates, pitted
1 cup cashews, raw
1 cup almonds, raw
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp almond extract

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, blend nuts (you can do them together or separately), until creamy and powdery, pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. With your hands or a food processor, mash pitted dates together until it becomes one big sticky lump (yes, sort of gross, sort of awesome). Knead dates and nuts together well. Add additional ingredients based on what bar you want (I prefer to blend the oats as well to become dusty). Roll into 1 inch sized balls. You can also roll them in additional ingredients such as cinnamon or coconut. Done! Store on the counter top or in the fridge in an airtight container.