Healthy Date and Tahini Bars

These  bars are baked bars full of nuts and seeds. They are bound together by a thick date paste and ground up flax seeds and  coated  in a chocolate glaze sweetened with  dates.

Dates are a good source of various vitamins and minerals, energy, sugar, and fiber and other health-promoting nutrients that can help you stay healthy.

Pumpkin seeds  are a rich source of antioxidants as they are loaded with vitamins like- Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy fats, beneficial plant compounds and several vitamins and minerals.

Tahini is a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It has a light, nutty flavor. It  is a great source of phosphorus and manganese, both of which play vital roles in bone health. It’s also high in thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6, which are important for energy production.

 A very delicious treat and snack and this recipe is very easy to prepare and the best part is you can make it as you like so let your imagination go wild.…

1-  7-9 oz dates

2- ½ cup chopped almonds

3- ½ cup chopped walnuts

4- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

5- ¼ cup sunflower seeds

6- ¼ cup ground flax seeds

7- ¼ tsp ground cardamom

8- 1½ tsp vanilla essence

9- 30 ml / 2 tbsp runny tahini

– 3 tbsp coconut oil

– 3 tbsp cocoa powder

– white sesame seeds, to garnish

– Pit the dates and soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes.

– Meanwhile, line a small baking tin with a piece of baking paper and preheat the oven to 300° F.

– Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

– Place drained dates in a food processor, together with vanilla essence and tahini and process until smooth. Add 2 tbsp (not more!) of boiling water to keep the machine going without getting jammed. Process for 5 minutes, until super smooth and a thick paste forms. then save ¼ cup of the paste for later.

– Stir the date / tahini mixture through the nuts and seeds mixture, ensuring it is evenly distributed throughout. You may need to use your hands to do this as the paste is thick.

– Spread the mixture in the paper-lined baking tin. Press the mixture down really well.

– Bake for about 30-40 minutes, they should be browned, no longer super soft.

– Take out of the oven and compress the mixture again.Then weigh it down with something heavy while the mixture is cooling down.

– Melt coconut oil on a low heat, stir through cocoa powder and the rest of date paste

– Spread the chocolate layer on the cool bars, sprinkle with sesame seeds  and refrigerate until the topping has set.

– Cut into equal size pieces with a sharp knife. Store the bars in an airtight container.