Chocolate Oat Bars

Disclaimer: this is the first try at making some on-the-go bars for Cohen. I may come back and edit the recipe as needed. 

It’s been a *bit* of a rough month for the youngest of the Baker bunch. He keeps adding new allergies and we keep finding out “the hard way”. We’ve also found that his sensitivity to food proteins is increasing after a scary run-in with some contact reactions. 

The worst part is, he’s now allergic to his very favorite, allergen-friendly food bars. In an effort to make him something he loves just as much, and to make them more nutrient-rich, I came up with these:

  

Chocolate Oat Bars
Makes 18

1 cup dates, prepared as directed below
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c maple syrup
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 t vanilla
2 T oil of your choice
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 c cacao powder
1/4 c soy nut butter (or whatever nut butter you prefer)
sprinkle of salt

Start by chopping 1 cup of dates and putting them in a glass jar. Pour boiling water over to just cover the dates. Let sit until cool and then refrigerate for 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F. Add all ingredients to food processor. Blend until smooth.

Here’s where it gets a little iffy. I tried to spread the batter in a 9×13 pan this time but it was hard to get the center done as well as I wanted before the edges were done. Next time I think I’ll try a smaller pan. I baked this set for 20 minutes and the consistency was nice. They cut up well and stayed formed when I wrapped them individually.