Date Coconut Energy Bars

I made these dense nutritious bars for a college care package. They are easy and quick to make and the recipe is very flexible. You can substitute many kinds of nuts and seeds, but I probably would not make substitutions for the dates or the coconut oil. These keep well in the freezer and ship best when frozen.

Date Coconut Energy Bars
From Running On Real Food
Makes 16

2/3 cup cashews
1 1/4 cup packed dates, pitted
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
2 tbsp coconut oil

Add the cashews to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until the dough forms a mass and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and press the dough into the pan evenly. Chill the bars in the freezer for an hour, or in the refrigerator overnight. Cut into 16 squares. Store chilled in a sealed container or airtight bags.