Over the weekend, I made a batch of one of our favorite treats. Cranberry date bars, or balls, in this case, have been a lovely sweet treat around here for a couple years now. I don't make them often, simply because I have a TON of recipes that I like to cycle through, but when I do, they go fast!
Several years ago, I began seeing dates used in many recipes for desserts and snacks. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but once my sister tried making vegan caramel with dates, I was quickly won over. In fact, now I much prefer date caramel to the real stuff! Over the last year or so, we have tried many different types of recipes that use healthier ingredients and have found them just as good, if not better, than the regular recipes. And this is one of them!
As I mentioned in the last recipe post I shared, we try to avoid dairy as much as possible. Experimenting with vegan cooking and baking has been fun and interesting. Fortunately, most of the recipes we've tried have been winners, and I've also enjoyed converting many old favorites to vegan.
I hope you will give these a try, as I'm sure they will become a hit in your home! Just one or maybe two, and your sweet tooth will be satisfied!
Cranberry Date Bars
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp. flaxseed
2 tbsp. sunflower kernels
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup pitted, dried dates
3 tbsp. oats
3 tbsp. peanut butter (or another nut butter)
2 tbsp. agave nectar
Combine all in a food processor until well mixed. Press into a parchment paper lined sheet tray and freeze until set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. You could also roll the mixture into small balls and freeze until set. Cut into bars, and serve.