Upgrade your candy stash with these almond butter chocolate bars. Free of refined sugar and unhealthy additives, these healthier Halloween treats are creamy, crunchy, salty, and sweet \u2013 not even picky trick-or-treaters will be able to resist it!<\/p>\n
Here are some of the benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n Almond butter<\/b> is an excellent source of Vitamin E, which supports skin, eye, cardiac, and immune system health. Additionally, as a great source of plant-based protein and healthy fat, almonds help keep you satiated, and research suggests may even aid in weight loss.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Dates:<\/b> Full of minerals and fiber, dates support the digestive system. They are excellent choice to sweeten desserts over refined sugar, as they are unrefined and have a lower glycemic load.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Bananas<\/b> contain fiber, Vitamin B6, and potassium. They support kidney, bone, and cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the recipe:<\/p>\n (Makes 16)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ingredients:<\/span><\/p>\n ALMOND COOKIE CRUST<\/p>\n 50 g (1.8 oz) dates, pit removed<\/p>\n 75 g (2.6 oz) almonds<\/span><\/p>\n CREAMY BANANA FILLING<\/p>\n 3 large, ripe bananas*<\/p>\n ALMOND BUTTER CENTER<\/p>\n 4 tsp. almond butter<\/p>\n 2-3 Tbsp. almonds, chopped or sliced<\/p>\n DATE CARAMEL<\/p>\n 100 g (3.5 oz) dates, pitted (slightly less than \u00be cup), soaked in hot water 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n \u00bd tsp. vanilla extract<\/p>\n DARK CHOCOLATE COATING<\/p>\n 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate<\/p>\n Instructions:<\/p>\n First, make the crust: Add dates and almonds to blender (bullet blender works well) and blend until dough like consistency forms, 30-60 seconds.<\/p>\n Line a baking or cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Put the cookie dough on it, place another sheet of wax or parchment paper on top it, and press it down, then roll it out into an even, rectangular shape, about \u00bc inch thick. Remove the top sheet and discard. (The sheet on top prevents sticky fingers or a rolling pin.)<\/p>\n Slice the \u201cdough\u201d lengthwise into strips, about 1 inch wide. Then slice those strips crosswise, about 1 \u00bd inches wide. This should create approximately sixteen 1 \u00bd in x 1 in rectangles that will be the base of the bar.<\/p>\n Next, add the banana: Peel the bananas and slice them the long way, about \u00bc inch thick. Place them on top of the cookie crust rectangles, and slice the bananas to fit on top. (You will have some odds and end pieces of banana left \u2013 which you can eat!)<\/p>\n Then, add a dollop of almond butter to each (appx. \u00bc tsp. each), and use a knife to spread it out evenly over the banana. Sprinkle a few chopped almonds on top of it to completely cover the nut\/seed butter.<\/p>\n Next, make the date caramel. To a bullet blender, add 2 teaspoons of the date soaking water plus the dates (you can drain the rest of the water) and vanilla. Blend until a paste forms.<\/p>\n Carefully spoon the date caramel on top of the almonds to cover them as completely as possible. (This is sticky so use two spoons instead of fingers).<\/p>\n Put the baking sheet in the freezer to harden for at least 4 hours, or overnight.<\/p>\n Once the entire cookie center has hardened, in a double boiler, melt the chocolate.<\/p>\n Remove the baking sheet from the freezer, and carefully dip each into the chocolate and coat completely. Tap off excess, and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.<\/p>\n If you like, spoon the remaining melted chocolate into a small Ziploc bag cut off the tip, and make a zig zag pattern over the chocolate bars. You can also sprinkle with additional chopped almonds.<\/p>\n Return to the freezer to harden, at least 10 minutes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Upgrade your candy stash with these almond butter chocolate bars. Free of refined sugar and unhealthy additives, these healthier Halloween treats are creamy, crunchy, salty, and sweet \u2013 not even picky trick-or-treaters will be able to resist it! Here are some of the benefits: Almond butter is an excellent source of Vitamin E, which supports… <\/p>\n