Did I mention no-bake? These bars are actually inspired by these Kashi Layered Granola Bars-Peanutty Dark Chocolate. I bought a box of them awhile back and the first time I bit into one I just knew they had to have made the top layer from dates and cocoa.  Sure enough, there were dates and cocoa in the ingredient list.  I couldn’t stop thinking about the combination and I finally tried it.  I love the way mine turned out! And only 7 whole ingredients.Unfortunately they were so good I ate all of them! UGH!
 I guess they are vegan too!

It’s funny how many vegan and vegetarian dishes I end up making when I’m eating whole foods and cooking primarily for myself.

The four of us all eat different foods.  Ben and I trade off who cooks for Will.  It has been this way since Will was born.  Sam always ate different than us. It’s different but it works for us.

Well, tomorrow’s Monday so have a great week everyone!

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healthy crunchy cocoa and peanut butter bars

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 to 12 bars

Ingredients

• BOTTOM:
• 3 cups 90 g crisp brown rice cereal
• 1 cup 96 g extra thick rolled oats
• 8 Tbsp. 128 g crunchy peanut butter
• 6 Tbsp. 126 g agave
• TOP:
• 200 g pitted dates
• 3 Tbsp. 15 g dark cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. 16 g cashew butter

Instructions

1. Line an 8” x 8” x 2” baking pan with parchment paper. Cut 2 extra pieces of parchment paper that would cover the top of the bars.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the cereal and the oats.
3. In a small sauce pan over low heat combine the agave and peanut butter.
4. Stir the mixture until the peanut butter melts into the agave and you have a smooth mixture (excluding the peanuts). Do not boil the mixture, it just needs to be warm enough to melt the peanut butter.
5. Pour the agave peanut butter mixture over the cereal and oats. Stir until well combined and dry ingredients are coated completely.
6. Scrape mixture into your lined pan.
7. Spread out evenly in the pan.
8. Using one of your extra pieces of parchment paper cover the top surface of the mixture.
9. Stack another 8” x 8” x 2” baking pan on top of that parchment paper.
10. Press down (hard) on the top pan to compact the mixture.
11. Place bars in the fridge while you make the topping.
12. If the dates are not soft place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes (drain well before using).
13. Place the dates in a food processor and process until dates become a thick paste.
14. Scrape dates into a medium sized mixing bowl.
15. Add the cocoa powder and cashew butter.
16. Using a rubber spatula fold and press the cocoa and cashew butter into the dates until ingredients are well combined (this will take some time and your resulting mixture will be extremely thick).
17. Next scrape this mixture onto the compacted oat and cereal mixture.
18. Using your fingers press the date mixture evenly over the top of the cereal oat bars.
19. Using the other extra piece of parchment paper cover the top surface of the mixture.
20. Stack another 8” x 8” x 2” baking pan on top of that parchment paper.
21. Press down (hard) on the top pan to compact the topping mixture.
22. Remove the top parchment paper.
23. Remove the bars from the baking pan by grasping the sides of the parchment paper.
24. Cut into bars and EAT!!!
25. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
26. Note: Looking back I think it might be easier if you rolled out the date cocoa topping between two sheets of parchment paper before placing it on top of the cereal oat bars.