Berlin Snacks: Cherry Cacao Date Bars

I belong to a local mother’s group here in the city that is mostly made up of health conscious moms. Time and time again, the topic of healthy snack options for toddlers comes up in the email group. So I thought it would be a good chance to feature some unprocessed, low sugar snack options here on the blog.

I feel like most moms these days want to feed their children healthy snacks, but don’t know where to begin. I know, I myself struggled with this when it became necessary to always have snacks on hand for Berlin. I knew I didn’t want to get stuck in the typical “Cheerio and Goldfish” rut that so many parents find themselves in, nor was I sold on the so-called “healthy” Green Puff options sold at the health foods stores (if you shop Whole Foods you know what I’m talking about…). My motto is, more than five ingredients listed on the package means its not a healthy option. Of course, there are expectations to this rule, but if you can’t pronounce the ingredients listed or don’t usually cook with those ingredients in your own home, then its most likely over processed and not suitable for your toddler (or yourself for that matter).

Due to Berlin’s never ending hunger (I swear the girl has a tapeworm!) and my resistance to buy processed snacks, I have spent many hours perfecting snack recipes that both satisfy her and give her the nutrients she needs as a growing toddler and I have finally found the time to start sharing them with you.

This first recipe I actually discovered while I was pregnant with Berlin. I was obsessed with Lara Bars, but figured they must be easy to make-seeing as they only had two ingredients in them; typically dates and a nut option. I googled the recipe and discovered it was as simple as I thought and since then have been experimenting with different ingredient options. The beauty of these bars is you can make them to your liking, you can use any kind of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, protein powders…I mean the possibilities are endless.

This particular recipe is full of nuts Berlin likes and I added the cacao powder to give it some extra sweetness ( to ensure she will eat them!). I also added chia seeds as a way to provide some extra fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (you can read more of their benefits on a previous recipe I did here).

If you love Lara bars, give this recipe a try. Its really simple and will save you tons of money!

Cherry Cacao Date Bars

2 cups of Medjool dates (suggest soaking them in water for 15 mins to soften them)

1/2 cup of raw cashews

1/4 cup of cup of cacao powder

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

1/4 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of dried cherries

Place all ingredients (up to the sunflower seeds) into a food processor. Grind until it becomes dough like-this only took moments in my food processor.

If it becomes too dry or won’t process add small amounts of water until its a good, sticky consistency.

Lastly, add the sunflower seeds and dried cherries and process for another minute-these can be more chunky in the mixture.

Next place the mixture in a baking sheet and spread even in the dish, you may need to place wax paper on top of the mixture and press down with your hands.

You can then place them in the fridge and wait for them to harden for about 30 minutes, then cut into bars.

This recipe only takes moments, especially once you’ve made it a few times. You can also double the recipe and wrap the bars individually and store in the freezer, that way you always have a handy snack to grab on your way out the door.

Please let me know if you try this or a variation of the recipe, would love to know what you think. Enjoy!