NO-BAKE APRICOT CHIA ENERGY BARS

No-bake apricot chia energy bars are healthy no-bake snacks that are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan. They make great healthy after-school snacks for kids!

Sweet and chewy with little bits of crunch (and white chocolate, if you like), it literally takes minutes to make this healthy snack recipe. But don’t let all those scary buzzwords scare you away, because these might be one of my favorite snack recipes to date.

Serves 12-16

Sweet and chewy with little bits of crunch, it literally takes minutes to make this healthy snack

Ingredients

• 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

• 1 cup dried apricots

• 2 Tablespoons chia seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas

• 2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips (use vegan, if desired)

Instructions

1. Line a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with wax or paper.

2. Place dates, apricots, chia seeds and cinnamon in a food processor, and process until the mixture forms a large mass.

3. Break up slightly with a spatula, add pepitas to the mixture in the food processor, and pulse until there are small chunks of pepitas.

4. Break up the mixture one more time, add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times to slightly break and distribute the chips.

5. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You can cover the top with more paper and press an equal sized pan to roll the top with a glass to flatten completely.

6. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, then slice into bars or squares.

by Brianne Izzo