Nourishing Protein Bars

Nourishing Protein Bars (from: Passionate Homemaking Blog - shared with me by my sister-in-law Brit)

Ingredients:
2 c. almonds (see my blog post Top Ten Foods for how to soak and dehydrate them)
1/4 c. flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds (ground in a coffee grinder or blender if not already ground) - I used half flax, half chia seeds.
1/2 c. dried prunes, dates or raisins (I used medjool dates)
1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 c. peanut or almond butter (I used Justin's peanut butter)
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. honey
2-3 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz. dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Place almonds, flax meal/seeds, dried fruit (make sure to remove pits), shredded coconut, and almond/peanut butter in a food processor. Pulse briefly to chop into small pieces.  

2. In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat. Once melted, remove from stove, stir in vanilla and honey. 

3. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste, make take a few minutes. 

4. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens. 

5. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over protein bars and return to refrigerator for about 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. Makes about 12-15 bars; store in refrigerator.

My husband and I love these bars! They are great for an after dinner or mid-day snack! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:
(makes 16 bars)

Calories: 270
Carbs: 15g
Fat: 22g
Protein: 6g
Sodium: 1mg
Sugar: 6g
Fiber: 4g
Calcium: 4% DV
Iron: 5% DV

WW Points (Previous): 6 points
WW Points (Plus): 8 points