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Chocolate Hemp Seed Amaze Bars

I call these Amazebars because the combo of good nutrition and good taste makes them feel just a little bit amazing. You toast up a variety of nuts, oats, and hemp seeds, stir with dates, honey, and your favorite nut or seed butter and then press it all into a pan. Keep it simple on top by scattering with hemp seeds, or take it up a notch and drizzle with dark chocolate.
Course Snack, Dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 16 bars
Calories 193 kcal
Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup chopped raw hazelnuts or almonds (not roasted)
  • ½ cup raw hemp hearts
  • ⅓ cup raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
  • 6 medjool dates, pitted
  • ⅓ cup cashew butter, peanut butter, or almond butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs (see note)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 heaping tablespoon hemp seeds and ¼ cup dark chocolate chips for topping the bars

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with a piece of parchment paper long enough so it drapes over 2 sides.

  2. Spread the oats, hazelnuts, hemp hearts, and pepitas on a large baking sheet and cook until the oats are fragrant and the nuts and seeds lightly toasted, 8 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, put the dates, cashew butter, honey, and water into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Run until blended, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed.

  4. Transfer the toasted oats and seeds to a large bowl. Add the cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, and salt and stir well. Add the date mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Transfer to the prepared pan and use your hands to press the dough very firmly into the bottom, creating an even layer that fills the entire pan.

  5. Put the chocolate chips into a small bowl and microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, until smooth, about 1 ½ minutes. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the bars. Scatter 1 tablespoon hemp hearts over the bars. Freeze for 30 minutes.

  6. Remove the pan from the freezer, run a knife around the edge and use the two draping sides of parchment to lift it from the pan. Cut into 12 bars or 16 bars, as desired. Store in a resealable bag or air-tight container and store in the fridge, where they will keep for several weeks.

Recipe Notes

Note: Cacao nibs are crushed cacao beans (or cocoa beans). If you don’t have cacao nibs, you can leave them out.