Orange Fig and Date Bars

Meal: 224 cal Protein: 5 g Carbs: 24 g Fat: 13 g

Get ready for the burst of orange that the slow-poached orange will add to this treat! These are a SMART SWAP for packaged bars. The calories are about the same as most commercial bars, but the ingredients and macros are what set this apart. It is sweetened with whole fruits – orange, figs, and dates. And in place of highly processed flour, we’ve used whole grain oats and almonds. So when compared to even the best bars on the market – these have less sugar, more protein, and a lot more fiber which means, Net Carbs of only 18g!!

Serving size 1 Bar 224 cal Protein: 5 g Carbs: 24 g Fat: 13 g

Ingredients

1 Med Orange
8 Dried Figs
2 Medjool Dates
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Sea Salt
3 C Oats , Old Fashioned
1 C Almonds , Raw (or ¾ C Almond Meal)
1/3 C Orange Purée
½ C Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Raw Sugar

Directions

PreHeat oven to 350F. Parchment line an 8x8 square metal pan
Add Orange (whole) to large saucepan, cover with plenty of water and turn burner up to high.
Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours. In final 15 minutes, add Figs and Dates. Set aside.
Add 2 cups Oats with 1 cup Almonds to a blender or food processor and process until a fine flour consistency. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Drain Orange, Figs, and Dates and add to blender or food processor. Purée until smooth. Add Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Salt then pulse a couple more times to combine. Set aside.
Add coconut oil plus 1/3 C Orange Purée to bowl of oats then mix until well combined. Add remaining 1 cup of oats, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until crumbly.
Press two-thirds of the Oat mixture into the bottom of the pan. Cover with remainder of Orange Purée. Mix 2 Tbsp Sugar into remaining third of the Oat mixture, then crumble it over the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown on top. Cool completely and slice into 16 squares. Store at room temperature or in fridge up to one week or up to 2 months in the freezer.

NOTE: When making the filling, because of the time required, I usually triple the recipe and create baggies of extra filling to freeze for later use.