Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or chocolate chips
- 2 1/4 cups dates, about 20
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°F, or use the lowest setting on your oven and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Place the cashews and almonds in a bowl and cover with cool water. Soak for 1 hour.
- Place the dates in a separate bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain and remove the pits.
- Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Drain the nuts and pat them dry with a clean towel.
- Place the nuts and dried cranberries or chocolate chips in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are broken into small pieces. Uneven pieces are fine.
- Transfer the nut mixture to the bowl with the oats.
- Place the dates, vanilla, and honey or agave in the food processor. Pulse until smooth and paste-like.
- Add the date mixture to the oat and nut mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined or silicone-lined baking sheet.
- Shape it into an even rectangle about 8 x 10 inches and 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake for 4 1/2–5 hours, or until firm but not hard. If your oven’s lowest setting is 200°F, bake for about 4 hours.
- Cool completely, then cut into bars and wrap individually.
Notes
- Keep the mixture even: Press the mixture firmly into an even rectangle so the bars dry at the same rate.
- Don’t overprocess the nuts: Small pieces give the bars a pleasant texture. You don’t want nut butter.
- Oven temperatures vary: The goal is to dry and firm the mixture, not brown it.
- Dehydrator option: Dehydrate at 135°F for 6–8 hours, or until the bars reach your preferred texture.
- Allergy-friendly swaps: If needed, replace the nuts with seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
