Gluten Free Almond Power Bars

Elana's Pantry

Ingredients

• 2 cups almonds (raw)
• ½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a blender)
• ½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• ½ cup unsalted almond butter (roasted tastes better)
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 4 drops stevia
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate 73% (optional)

Instruction

1. Place almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, almond butter and salt in a food processor
2. Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds
3. In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat,
4. Remove coconut oil from stove, stir stevia, agave and vanilla into oil
5. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste
6. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens
8. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously
9. Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens
10. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve

Makes 20 bars
These no bake, high-protein, high-fiber bars are based upon Melissa Diane Smith's recipe for Amaretto Protein Bars in her book Going Against the Grain and are a cinch to make. The chocolate topping makes them seem a bit decadent (skip it if you must, they'll still come out fine) --though dark chocolate, rich in anti-oxidants has now entered the echelon of power foods so I'll keep it on mine.
By the way, the photo above is actually of Macadamia Power Bars. To make that recipe simply substitute raw macadamia nuts for the almonds and raw macadamia nut butter for the roasted almond butter.