Power Bars w/ Dates & Lemon
Date power bars became really popular a few years back and I am on board! I've kind of always had issue with candy bars being marketed as a pick-me-up in between workouts. Candy bars are junk food. You can eat them as much as you want as a splurge. We all do this at least every now and then. And some indulgence is always necessary! But come on. Let's be real. It's not a health food by any stretch of the imagination! And, if I'm working out or hiking or need something to tide me over on a long work day, sugar-laden "power bars" are not what I'm looking for! These lemon date bars are the perfect alternative.
Like most fruit, dates have some natural sugar in them. But the body processes natural and artificial sugars differently. Eating a date and a spoonful of white table sugar are not equivalent. The sugar in a date bar? Yes, that will give you a pick-me-up. The sugar in processed sugar? You're just adding unnecessarily and will likely crash when the sugar high runs off!
So, I was incredibly excited when date power bars started to become popular. Since I've been working long days and don't have enough of a break in the middle to make lunch all that feasible? It seemed a perfect time to dust off the date recipes! Plus, you can buy dates at Costco.
This particular version consists of dates, almonds, walnuts, and lemons. No added sugar, salt, or artificial ingredients! I used to make these all of of time a few years ago. You can pretty liberally swap out the types of nuts and seasonings. With such a basic recipe, changing out the flavor profile is simple.
The first thing that I knew that I wanted to make was lemon, though! Any kind of citrus goes great with nuts and dates. It's also bright and refreshing, especially on a hot summers day! Although feel free to mix it up with whatever flavor profile that you like. With this batch, I also made Power Bars w/ Dates & Chocolate.
Inspired by Leitres Culinaria’s version of Homemade Larabars.
Gallery
Variations of lemon date bars
For more inspiration, check out the other date power bars and snacks that I've been making lately. Although the sky is the limit! Mix and match your own favorite nuts and flavor profiles. I've made these before with dried cranberries and apricots, cashews and peanuts. Really, any kind of dried fruits, nuts, and flavor combinations will do.
Power Bars w/ Dates & Lemon
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Parchment Paper or Oil (optional)
- Small Baking Dish or Loaf Pan (preferably glass or ceramic)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ c. dates
- 1/2 c. raw almonds
- 1/2 c. raw walnuts
- 1 tsp. lemon juiced
Instructions
- Lightly coat your baking dish with oil or line it with parchment paper.If you're using a glass or nonstick baking dish, you can skip this step. If the bars are thick enough, they should come out relatively easily. Otherwise, a little oil or parchment paper definitely helps.
- Put dates, almonds, and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds, or until the dates and nuts start to stick together.It’s best to air on the side of caution and don’t over beat it, though! If you process the bars too little they’ll have more chunks, but if you process them too much they’ll look more like peanut butter than power bars. I personally would rather have more chunks than peanut peanut. But it’s all personal preference!
- Add lemon juice and pulse for 15 seconds, or until barely combined.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the baking dish and refrigerate for at least an hour.You can speed this up by placing the dish in the freezer. If you're having trouble getting it cleanly out of the container, freezing can help as well.
- Cut into roughly 6-9 bars.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- I would recommend refrigerating the bars until you're ready to eat them. However, there isn't anything particularly perishable about dates because they're already dried and aren't usually refrigerated! So, they’re more likely to go stale before they go bad.
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