Almond Bars

Here is a great idea for a snack. The recipe is made with raw ingredients making it even more healthy.

You need:
2 cups almonds (raw)
½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a blender)
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted almond butter (like peanut butter, made from almonds instead)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut oil (organic, raw -- could probably sub butter here)
1-2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs maple syrup
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
a few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional)

In a food processor combine almonds, flax meal, coconut, almond butter and salt. Pulse for 10 seconds.
Melt coconut oil over low heat. When melted, remove from stove.
Add honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add to food processor and pulse until paste forms.
Press into 8x8 pan, cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hr, or until hard.
Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top.
Return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to harden.

My notes: Next time I'll use slightly less of the flax meal. I could taste it although my family could not.
Also, I didn't happen to have dark chocolate so I melted maybe 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. My hubby was of the mind that the chocolate was necessary to give the bars a little added goodness.

Remember, these bars are raw so they are more doughy to eat and also more filling. Not bad but just a different texture than their baked cousins. Please enjoy!