Gluten-free No-bake Brownie Energy bars

If you are a chocolate or a brownie lover, you are going to love this easy, breezy take! 

It has no flour, eggs, refined sugars or inflammatory fats. And no cooking or baking involved either. It  is a delicious, healthy and easy-to-pack snack for school or travel. My son loves this as a pre-run snack. It has healthy sugars for instant energy, healthy fats from the nuts and oil for sustained energy, and cocoa powder for a boost of antioxidants.  I make variations with different nuts and oils and encourage you to try the same with what's available in your pantry.

Ingredients:

2 cups pitted Mejdool dates

1 cup raw nuts (cashews, pecans, walnuts)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup dried coconut flakes (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp oil (avocado or extra virgin olive)

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a 6-8 cup food processor.

Pulse a few times. Then run on high for 1 minute.

Stop the machine, open the lid and use a spatula to clear the sides of the bowl.

Close and run again for another minute or so until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs or sand.

Dump the mixture into a container - a square or rectangle baking pan or food storage container. I like glass since I mark the pieces with a knife directly in the pan, so I don't have to worry about scratches on a metal pan.

Use the back of a cup or something flat & heavy and press down on the mixture until it is even and packed.

Cover and place it in the fridge for a few hours.

Remove the pan and score lines all the way to the bottom of the pan to mark the size of pieces you'd like. Remove the pieces with a flat spatula or butter knife. The first is always the trickiest. Store in an airtight container.

This will keep at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for a few weeks. Enjoy!