With a household full of different allergies and sensitivities, we have had a difficult time finding quick treats that are compliant for all of our dietary needs. We are each sensitive to different things and I _really_ don’t like all the work of baking or making sweet treats that someone in the house can’t have because of ONE ingredient. For the “bar” I had in mind to make and for everyone to be able to eat them, we needed them to be free from: refined sugar, almond, legume, soy, peanut, egg, all grains, and dairy! We also wanted them to have a little protein for satiation, if possible. That’s a tall order! We have found that there is one new type of Lara bar out there that checks a few of these boxes, but the cheapest we could find them was $1.99… EACH. That’s just not in our food budget. We also try very hard to not eat any individually packaged foods while we are at home and reserve them for “emergency food” on outings.

So my youngest, who will be two in a few months, and I hit the kitchen to create something that everyone could enjoy eating. For those who eat a lot of sugar, these may not be very sweet, but that is just how we wanted them. We try to avoid as much refined sugar as possible and even dates are a little “candy-like” for us. Since cashews are not technically a nut (or a fruit! They are in fact a drupe – give it a google – so fascinating), we are dubbing these bars “nut-free fudgy protein bars”. Hopefully this recipe helps satisfy your cravings like it does ours!

First we pulled out or trusty food processor. We added dates (pitted) and, cashews (pre-soaked for easier digestion), hemp hearts, grassfed beef collagen, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. That’s it! For this stage in our lives, I’m all about keeping things simple.

Process all the ingredients on high for about 2 minutes or until a large sticky ball of dough forms. You may need to stop the processor and scrape the sides a time or two to keep the mixture moving well.

Then press the dough onto a parchment lined (very important) cookie sheet, pressing down with another sheet of parchment, with a flat pan or your hands until it is an even layer. Refrigerate at least an hour before cutting.

With a sharp knife, Slice into squares or bars and keep refrigerated in a Pyrex container or ziplock bag. You can even use the parchment from your pan to transfer it into another dish, like I do, and save cleanup time and waste.

Recipe:

• 2 c pitted dates
• 1 1/2 cashews
• 1 1/2 cup hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup Grassfed Beef Collagen
• 1tbsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2c cocoa powder

Variations could include:

• adding chocolate chips
• cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• Rolling these into balls instead of slicing and rolling them around in unsweetened shredded coconut or cocoa powder or for a more truffle “desert” feel.

So that’s our gluten, grain, dairy, egg, refined sugar, almond, legume – yet-still-somehow-tasty bar. 😛 We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!