Snickerdoodle Energy Bars

The inspiration for this recipe came from our favorite Larabar flavor. Unfortunately, Larabar only has this as a seasonal flavor over the holidays, so as soon as they discontinued them I started playing around with the ingredients listed until I came up with a bar that we loved! These are great both pre-workout or post-workout, and make for an excellent option when craving something sweet without all the added sugar.

Ingredients:

2 cups Medjool dates, pitted 

1 cup whole raw cashews

1 cup whole raw almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt (optional)

Servings: Makes 12-14 bars

Directions:

1. Add the Medjool dates to a food processor and process until it forms a thick fruit paste.

2. Remove the paste and set in a separate mixing bowl. Now process the almonds and cashews until they are fine, but not to a powder. Mix the nuts, cinnamon and vanilla extract into the fruit paste until all ingredients are well-combined.

3. Press the mixture into a lined dish to form bars to the thickness of your liking. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to smooth them out evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cut into bars (or roll into balls) and store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Recipe originally published January 25, 2016.