Recipe Wednesday: 3 Ingredient Energy Bars

3 Ingredient Energy Bars

Ingredients
1 cup nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup (12-15 whole) pitted dried dates, preferably Medjool

Equipment
Food processor
Plastic wrap or wax paper
Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Roast the nuts (optional). Nuts can be used raw or roasted; roasting will add a toasty, nutty depth to the bars. If desired, roast the nuts at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Allow to cool before using.
2. Combine the nuts, dried fruit, and dates in a food processor. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times just to break them up. Separate the dates if they start to clump together.
3. Process continuously for 30 seconds. By this point, the ingredients should all have broken down into crumb-sized pieces. Scrape the edges of the bowl and beneath the blade to make sure nothing is sticking.
4. Process continuously until a ball is formed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue processing for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients clump together and gather into a ball.
5. Press into a thick square and chill. Lay a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on your work surface and dump the dough on top. Press the dough with your hands until it forms a thick square, roughly 8"x8" in size. Wrap and chill for at least an hour or overnight.
6. Divide into bars. Unwrap the chilled dough and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small squares, as desired. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or wax paper.
7. Store the bars. Store the bars in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The bars can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer and will be firm, but chewy. Room-temperature bars are perfectly fine to eat and can be kept in a lunch bag or backpack all day, but will be more soft and paste-like.

Additional Notes:

• Energy balls: The dough can also be shaped into small balls. Refrigerate until firm, then wrap in plastic for longer storage.
• Try these combinations! Cherry-almond, apricot-almond, cranberry-pecan, apple-cinnamon-walnut
• Try these add-ins! Shredded coconut, chia seeds, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, cocoa powder, crystalized ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, lemon zest, lime zest

*Courtesy of thekitchn.com