Spiced Nut and Date Bars (No-Bake)

By Cat, April 2020 (image, right, cropped from Wikimedia Commons)

Dates at market in Kuwait

I’m always on the lookout for healthful, keto treats, and this recipe fits that to a T. I can hardly wait to try it!

I have loved date bars since I was a child. You might wonder how this can be keto-friendly if it contains such a sweet fruit. Well, while dates are quite sweet, the sugars in the dates are bound by proteins, fats, and fibers, giving them a low glycemic load. That means the sugars are broken down and absorbed slowly over time. Plus, their combination with nuts lowers the glycemic load even more.

See also: 1. Cookies Menu; 2. Fruity Treats Menu

Spiced Nut and Date Bars (No-Bake)

This recipe is adapted from a recipe copyrighted © 2019 by Rachel Beller, and reprinted in Parade Magazine, from my local newspaper, the Daily Inter Lake. It makes 12 bars.

Note: cashews, like peanuts, are technically not nuts at all, but rather legumes. However, we use them like nuts in recipes. If you have an allergy to cashews, try filberts (hazelnuts).

Ingredients and Equipment

• 1 cup dried dates, pitted (about 10)
• 1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews or filberts
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• pinch unrefined sea salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped, dried apricots (with no sugar added)
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• Equipment
• 8″ square baking dish
• parchment paper
• small bowl
• food processor; or nut chopper and blender

Method, if using food processor

1. Soak dates: cover dates in bowl with warm water to soak for about 5 minutes, until they have plumbed slightly; drain.
2. While they soak, line bottom of baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Combine almonds and cashews in food processor, and pulse for 15-20 seconds, until nuts are chopped into small pieces.
4. Add drained dates, spices, vanilla or almond extract, and salt; pulse for 35-40 seconds until mixture resembles a thick paste. If mixture sticks to sides or bottom of processor, add up to 2 tsp water, a little at a time and pulse until ingredients are well combined.
5. Add dried apricots and chia seeds; pulse for 20 seconds more.
6. Use a spatula to transfer mixture from processor to prepared dish, and spread into an even layer, pressing down with spatula.
7. Refrigerate 6 – 8 hours, or overnight, until firm.
8. Cut into 12 bars; store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or keep frozen for up to 2 months.

Method, if using nut chopper & blender

I’ve not yet tested this but I will because I don’t have a food processor.

1. Soak dates: cover dates in bowl with warm water to soak for about 5 minutes, until they have plumbed slightly; drain.
2. While they soak, line bottom of baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Chop almonds and cashews together into small pieces, using a nut chopper. Transfer to blender and add drained dates, spices, vanilla or almond extract, and salt.
4. Blend using a medium speed until mixture resembles a thick paste. If mixture sticks to sides of blender, add up to 2 tsp water, a little at a time and pulse the blender until ingredients are well combined.
5. Add dried apricots and chia seeds; blend again.
6. Use a spatula to transfer mixture from processor to prepared dish, and spread into an even layer, pressing down with spatula.
7. Refrigerate 6 – 8 hours, or overnight, until firm.
8. Cut into 12 bars; store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or keep frozen for up to 2 months.

References

1. Parade Magazine https://parade.com