Date, Walnut & Cacao Bars

• 12 large (about 10 oz / 280 g) pitted dates (soft Medjool dates; soak dry ones in hot water for 10 minutes and drain)
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) walnuts (halves and pieces)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tbsp cacao nibs (optional, for crunch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to use as handles later.
2. Pulse the walnuts in a food processor 8 to 10 times into coarse crumbs with a few small pieces left.
3. Tear the dates into pieces, add them to the processor with the cacao powder, vanilla, and salt, and process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl, until the mixture clumps into a sticky ball.
4. If the mixture stays crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and process again.
5. Pulse in the cacao nibs just 2 or 3 times so they stay crunchy.
6. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan with damp fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
7. Chill for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10) until firm, then lift the slab out by the parchment.
8. Cut into 12 bars with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

Tips

• Dates vary a lot. If yours are small or dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes first and drain well, or the bars will not hold together.
• Wrap the bars individually in parchment. They keep for 2 weeks in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer, and they thaw in a lunchbox by snack time.
• For a nut-free school version, use 1 cup of roasted sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds in place of the walnuts.
• A fresh bar tastes even better with a pinch of flaky salt on top or a spoonful of almond butter in the middle.

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