Raw Date and Coconut Bars

Makes: 12

Prep: 30min

No cooking

Ingredients:

400g medjool dates, halved and stoned

60g unblanched almonds

60g cashew nut pieces

35g chia seeds

2tbsp maca (powdered superfood)

2 tsp vanilla extract

20g desiccated coconut

55g unblanched hazelnuts, very roughly chopped

25g pecan nuts, broken in half

Per bar:

225 kcal

11g fat

2g sat fat

31g carbs

24g sugars

5.4g fibre

4g protein

Method

Add dates, almonds, and cashew pieces to a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Add the chia seeds, maca and vanilla extract, and process until the mixture binds together in a rough ball.

Tear off two sheets of non-stick baking paper, put one on the work surface and sprinkle with half the coconut. Put the date ball on top then press into a roughly shaped rectangle with your fingertips. Cover with the second sheet of paper and roll out to a 30 x 20cm rectangle. Lift off the top piece of paper, sprinkle with the remaining coconut, the hazelnuts and pecan nuts, then re-cover with the paper and briefly roll with a rolling pin to press the nuts into the date mixture.

Loosen the top paper, then transfer the date mixture, still on the base paper, to ta tray and chill for 3 hours or overnight, until firm.

Remove top paper, cut the date mixture into 12 pieces, peel off the base paper then pack into a plastic container, layering with pieces of baking paper to keep them separate. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.