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3-Ingredient Cashew Cookie "Lara" Bars

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  • Author: Bailey Sissom
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 10 bars 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  1. 17-20 Medjool Dates, pitted (the fresher your dates are the stickier.. aka, you don't need as many)
  2. 1 heaping cup of cashews
  3. 1/4 tsp sea salt
  4. 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional, skip for Whole30)

Instructions

  1. Spray and line a baking dish (I used a 7"x11", but a 9" square would work) 2 sheets of parchment paper (one horizontal and one vertical). You can see my parchment paper in the picture above.
  2. To the bowl of a food processor, add PITTED Medjool dates. Pulse 15-20 times until dates form a paste.
  3. Add cashews to the bowl of your food processor. Process on high. You will have to stop occasionally and scrape the sides of the processor. The mix is REALLY sticky. You aren't doing it wrong!
  4. Use damp hands to press the bar mixture into prepared baking dish. Make sure it's pressed all the way to the edge. You will not get it to be completely smooth and flat. They are homemade, embrace it!
  5. Use a rubber spatula and stick it between the bars and the edge of the pan so that the bars will remove easily. Make sure to do this all the way around the pan.
  6. Place bars in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and use the parchment "handles" to get the bars out of the pan. Slice into desired size bars. You should be able to get 8-10 depending on the size of baking dish you used. Store in the freezer or refrigerator.

Notes

  • Exact amount of dates was difficult to gauge for the recipe. It varied each time I tested the recipe. This is because dates can be so many different levels of "sticky." If your dates seem VERY dry, use more. You can also soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to hydrate and plump them up a bit.
  • These bars would also make excellent "energy balls." Skip pressing them into bars and instead, form 1" balls (make sure hands are damp.. sticky dough).
  • Cashew pieces are cheaper than whole cashews and will work just fine for this recipe. Go ahead and save a little $$$.