These one-bowl baked paleo energy bars are the perfect snack! A mixture of ground nuts, seeds and a touch of maple syrup for a healthy portable snack bar.
Set oven rack to the middle position. Pre-heat to 300°F.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Add almonds, cashews pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds.
Bake 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Roast ingredients until pale golden and fragrant.
Transfer to a food processor, allow it to cool slightly. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
Process 3 pitted dates, warm water, maple syrup, egg white, and salt in the empty food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.
Chop the remaining 2 pitted dates into small pieces, about ⅛-inch cubes. Add processed date mixture and chopped dates to the bowl with the nut mixture. Stir until well combined.
Make a foil sling for an 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil, so each is 8-inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra edges hanging over the pan.
Push foil into corners and up the sides of the pan, smoothing the foil flush to the pan. Lightly greasel (I use melted coconut oil).
Spread energy bar mixture into prepared pan. Press firmly into an even layer using the bottom of a greased measuring cup.
Bake bars at 300°F for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove pan from the oven. Do not turn off oven. Space bars evenly on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Allow bars to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Using the foil sling, remove bars from pan, transfer to cutting board and cut into 10 bars.
Bake until bars are a deep golden brown about 10 to 15 minutes. Let bars cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Notes
Energy bars will be crisp the first day, then get chewy when stored the next day. Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.