Puffed Quinoa Date Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Dates (about 180 grams)
- 1 cup Honey Almond Butter (about 250 grams)
- ¾ cup Puffed Quinoa (about 45 grams)
- ¼ cup Hemp Seeds (about 30 grams)
- 1 tbsp Chia Seeds (about 11 grams)
- ½ cup Shaved Almonds (about 50 grams)
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon (about 2.5 grams)
- ? tsp Sea Salt
- 1½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips (about 100 grams)
- ¼ cup Pistachios chopped (about 28 grams)
Instructions to Make Puffed Quinoa Date Bars:
- In a food processor or blender, combine dates and almond butter. Blend together until you have a thick chunky paste consistency. About 2 minutes.
- Then scrap the date and almond butter into a large bowl. Now add the puffed quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, shaved almonds, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla into the bowl. Mix everything together until all ingredients are moist and sticky.
- Line a 6×8″ baking dish with parchment paper or tin foil. Allow some overhang on the sides.
- Then scoop out the mixture into the baking dish. Press the almond, date, quinoa mixture into the pan firmly. Pressing into the corners and making sure there are little to no air pockets. Press into a flat even layer. You can use your hands or a heavy spatula to press the ingredients.
- Now melt your chocolate. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove. In the microwave: place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish and cook for 3 minutes, stopping and stirring every 20-30 seconds. Or you can melt the chocolate over the stove…I prefer this method. Bring a small pot with 2 cups of water to a bowl. Then place a glass bowl on top of the bowling water, resting on the top of the pot but not in the water. Pour the chocolate chips into the glass bowl and stir the chips with a spatula until the chocolate chips have melted. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Immediately pour the melted chocolate overtop of your pressed mixture in the pan. Using a spatula spread the melted chocolate evenly over top.
- Then sprinkle your chopped pistachios and a few pinches of salt on top of the chocolate
- Place your dish into the fridge for 25 minutes or longer to allow the chocolate to cool.
- Grab the sides of the tin foil or parchment paper and pop the entire bar out of the dish. Place on a cutting board and cut into 12, 2×2″ bars.
Puffed Quinoa Date Bars
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
- Baking Dish 6"x8"
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dates (about 180 grams)
- 1 cup Honey Almond Butter (about 250 grams)
- ¾ cup Puffed Quinoa (about 45 grams)
- ¼ cup Hemp Seeds (about 30 grams)
- 1 tbsp Chia Seeds (about 11 grams)
- ½ cup Shaved Almonds (about 50 grams)
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon (about 2.5 grams)
- ? tsp Sea Salt
- 1½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips (about 100 grams)
- ¼ cup Pistachios chopped (about 28 grams)
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine dates and almond butter. Blend together until you have a thick chunky paste consistency. About 2 minutes.
- Then scrap the date and almond butter into a large bowl. Now add the puffed quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, shaved almonds, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla into the bowl. Mix everything together until all ingredients are moist and sticky.
- Line a 6×8" baking dish with parchment paper or tin foil. Allow some overhang on the sides.
- Then scoop out the mixture into the baking dish. Press the almond, date, quinoa mixture into the pan firmly. Pressing into the corners and making sure there are little to no air pockets. Press into a flat even layer. You can use your hands or a heavy spatula to press the ingredients.
- Now melt your chocolate. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove. In the microwave: place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish and cook for 3 minutes, stopping and stirring every 20-30 seconds. Or you can melt the chocolate over the stove…I prefer this method. Bring a small pot with 2 cups of water to a bowl. Then place a glass bowl on top of the bowling water, resting on the top of the pot but not in the water. Pour the chocolate chips into the glass bowl and stir the chips with a spatula until the chocolate chips have melted. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Immediately pour the melted chocolate overtop of your pressed mixture in the pan. Using a spatula spread the melted chocolate evenly over top.
- Then sprinkle your chopped pistachios and a few pinches of salt on top of the chocolate
- Place your dish into the fridge for 25 minutes or longer to allow the chocolate to cool.
- Grab the sides of the tin foil or parchment paper and pop the entire bar out of the dish. Place on a cutting board and cut into 12, 2×2" bars.
Macro Nutrition
The stress-free snack you will always want in your fridge. These puffed quinoa date bars are incredible! The perfect snack, loaded with healthy carbs and fats. The best thing is they make it easy to hit your macro goals. Sure this recipe can make 12 bars, but you can easily cut the bars into larger or smaller portions depending on your macro requirement! These bars curb that sweet tooth craving!
Macro Adjustments:
When it comes to baking or similar, it can be hard to adjust the macros. The adjustments you can make to these bars would not affect the macros much. However, you could choose to make these Puffed Quinoa Date Bars with other ingredients.
Substitutions:
• Any kind of nut butter will work just fine
• Also any nut will work, you don’t have to use pistachios or almonds. Use your favorite nuts!
• You could add up to 1/4 cup Protein Powder to this recipe. Any more than that, you will want to add some water to allow the ingredients to remain moist enough to stick together.
Meal Prep:
Yes. This is a great snack for meal prepping and will last In the fridge for up to 14 days.
Freezer Friendly:
Yes. You can freeze these bars for up to 6 months in an airtight container. You will want to allow them to defrost for about an hour before eating them.