Chocolate Chia Bars

If you are a cookbook hoarder like me, your pages might have notes written all over them like mine do.  I seem to have a hard time following directions, and I write all over the books, noting what I changed.  I like learning just enough about something to be dangerous.  If you get the basic gist of it down, you can make variations, or substitutions....sometimes with success...otherwise you at least learned what not to do again.

This recipe is one of those "she didn't follow the directions" ones...but it works beautifully, and I hope you give it a try.  My daughters love these bars too, so I consider that a major endorsement.

I adapted my recipe from one found in this book called CHIA, which was lent to me by a good friend who luckily shares her books with me {the link takes you to an article about the book}.  She is also a great taste-tester.....no complaints yet.  That's my kinda girl.

I will list the original recipe so you can see how it started out, and how I changed it to have more nutritional value without compromising on taste.  If you need a refresher of some of the ingredients, goto this post for info.

Original recipe (made about 20ish bars)

1/4c virgin liquid coconut oil

1Tbs milled chia

1c chopped, pitted dates

1/4c almond milk

1tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2c rolled oats

1/2c whole wheat pastry flower

1/3c chopped nuts

3/4tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1/4-1/2c chocolate chips

My version.......

Jenn's Chocolate Chia Bars

1/2c coconut oil {liquid}

2Tbs milled chia seeds

2c chopped dates {about 30 dates}

1/2c almond milk

1-2tsp vanilla extract

3c oats

1/3c hemp protein powder

1/3c ground flaxseed

2/3c flour

1c chopped nuts {I used walnuts}

1 1/2tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1c chocolate chips

2Tbs organic agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray, or whatever you normally use. 

My food processor is my BFF~we waited so long to be together.  I think this is the easiest way to make prepping these bars go quickly. 

Step 1: Pulse in food processor or blender the dates, coconut oil, chia seeds, and nuts. 

Step 2: Add the vanilla extract, hemp, flaxseed, flour, baking soda, salt, agave and pulse a few times to combine.

Step 3: Scrape out the food processor concoction into a bowl so you can stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Step 4: Press the mixture onto a cookie sheet.  It probably will not fill the entire pan, but try to make it create a rectangle-ish shape.  Figure the bars will be about a 1/2 inch high, like a brownie.

Step 5: I use a wet pizza cutter to "pre-cut" the bars before baking.  My lines are crooked...I know...I try, people, I try....

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes.  To be technical, I took mine out at 13 minutes.  This made about 42 bars for me.  I made them this afternoon, and they are disappearing quickly...

Eat!  But do yourself a favor...let them cool before picking them up to eat, or you will have some breakage....I didn't mind burning my fingers with melted chocolate, and maybe you won't either, but if you want your kids to not leave a trail like Hansel and Gretel through the house, then let them cool before handing them out.  Cutting them smaller helps with this too.  They are delicious, and you're getting some nutrition as well...worth the effort, I swear.

Have a great day!

{Jenn}