We love dates in our house. We eat all kinds, although Medjool–yes the sweetest and softest–is our favorite. We love dates stuffed with walnuts or almonds. We love dates in all sorts of bars and cookies.
These are 2 Middle Eastern date bars/cookies that we tend to bake at holidays.
I started making another date bar, gluten-free, which my husband brags about when goes cycling. He had his team try it and it got the thumbs up.
Date cereal bars–made with oats and rice puffs.
Learn how to identify the REAL causes of your gut problems.
I love that recipe, so I wanted to modify it having some of my patients in mind. Some are following a grain-free diet because grains, starches, and saccharides (like table sugar and the sugar in milk) can feed bacteria that migrated to their stomachs and small intestines, causing gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. The health condition is called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). A diet that that allows certain types of carbohydrates, called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, along with eliminating foods that trigger sensitivities has been successful at helping those patients starve the bacteria and heal their gut.
This recipe is modified and made of basic real foods. No need for baking and takes few minutes. If you have little chefs at home, they’ll be excited to measure, dump ingredients in the bowl, and shape.
Low FODMAPs Modification:
This recipe can’t be modified if you’re following a low FODMAPs diet since dates are not allowed and too many nuts and seeds can create problems.
MRT-LEAP Modification:
Dates and chia seeds aren’t test on MRT so you can’t try them until after phase 5 (1 month). When you do, try ONE of them first separately before, then make this recipe few days later. For example, try dates first, and if you have no symptoms, introduce chia few days later with this recipe. This is assuming all the other foods are green. If not, make appropriate substitutions; for example, peanut butter instead of almond butter if you’re reactive to almonds.
Date Nut Bars
| Date Nut Bar |
- 1 package pressed dates, or 13 ounces pitted Medjool dates
- 1/3 c almond butter
- 1/2 c slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- With your hand, knead to combine and form a ball. You may use food-grade gloves.
- Rip a good size wax paper (about 2 feet long) and place on your counter top. Place the dough on one side, cover with wax paper, and flatten with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of 3/4 inch.
- Using your hands or a knife, form a rectangle–to simplify the cutting process
- Cut into 10 pieces and enjoy.
- To store in your fridge, wrap each bar with plastic paper tightly. Store in your fridge for a week–that’s if they’re not eaten already by the first day!
Learn how to identify the REAL causes of your gut problems.
The kids devoured those. I couldn’t even take good pictures with the boys hovering all over the bars! My husband loved them as well but missed the crunch of rice cereal puffs. The slivered almonds and chia seeds are a bit crunchy, but ‘different,’ according to hubby. I thought the rice puffs were fun but with or without them, these bars are just delicious.
Have you ever made bars at home? What’s your favorite?
