Almond Coconut Snack Bars

Being a food blogger has taught me a heckuva lot about myself.

Like the fact that I'm super impatient. I burn my face off at least twice a week prematurely opening the oven to check on muffins/sweet potatoes/almond joy snack bars that I very well know are not nearly done.

I ate half of these bars before it was sunny enough to photograph them. Like, I had to use bars that were the shape of awkward blobs because I ate all the perfect square ones like a damn fool.

I've learned that being around food all the time has pushed me away from food a wee bit. I was always surprised to hear that chefs didn't come home at night and whip up yumtastical five course dinners with perfect wine pairings...BUT OF COURSE THEY DON'T.

I can't lie...being around food all day long and then coming home and writing about it some more has definitely encouraged me to start eating out more. Don't worry, I'm still obsessed with food. You just may see me instagramming Northstar salads and Chipotle veggie burrito bowls a little more than you're used to. Eeeeek!

Sorry I'm not sorry.

I've learned that food photography is a beast of its own. I think it's the hardest part of blogging. I could post the most delicious cookies you've ever laid mouth on but unless the pictures are top notch, no one really cares. Isn't that kind of weird?

Can't we just trust me when I say the cookies taste like a bite of heaven? Must the pictures reflect that every.single.time? Yes, yes they must. We live in a society where everyone eats with their eyes. And their iPhones. Perhaps even more than their mouths.

I've learned that I'm addicted to dark chocolate. And it's no small addiction. I literally slammed half the bag of Blue Diamond dark chocolate almonds in less than three minutes when they arrived at my door. I tore open the package like a crazy person!!!

These almonds are.... everything. Stuffed into these almond joy snack bars, they're like everything times seven. I posted a really similar version a looooong time ago (speaking of ugly pictures, lolz) and I totally forgot about how fantastical they are. While they're just sweet enough to fall into the snack category, you could totally double up on the chocolate chippers and call them dessert.

You really can't go wrong with dark chocolate almonds and coconut. Except when you have to photograph them on a less than sunny Sunday afternoon.

Almond Coconut Snack Bars

• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins
• Total Time: 22 mins
• Yield: 16 1x
• Category: Snack

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Description

Packed with dark chocolate almonds, flaked coconut, and oats, these almond joy snack bars make the perfect nutritious treat.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water
• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• ⅓ cup Blue Diamond Dark Chocolate Almonds, chopped
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8in baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Place flax and water in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Set aside.
3. Pit dates and place in a small bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, place oats, almond meal, cacao, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
5. Drain dates. Place them in a blender or food processor (I used my nutribullet) along with the maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract, and flax mixture. Blend until smooth.
6. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring to combine. Dump mixture into pan and press evenly into all four corners. I used a fork to make sure it was really pressed down!
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting into 12-16 bars (or else they'll fall apart!)

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This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Hummusapien!