Chocolate Almond Date Bars with Coconut and Cranberries

I hope you have all had a great weekend. I have! I am a little late posting this week's recipe as we have been so busy. We have also had very cold weather here and our first snow. As you know, it is this kind of weather that makes you put on sweats, grab a good book and not move :) So really, it is the weathers fault that I am late posting.

Since I am only posting once a week now, I have a huge stockpile of amazing recipes that I am just dying to share with you. I am trying to behave, though, and space them out. This recipe is a perfect example of one of the amazing! I made these bars in August to take on a hike with our church group.

This is us on the top of the mountain after we ate our bars. You cannot really see our faces. 

This is our cute Mocha after the hike. We hiked 6 miles with around a 3000 foot climb. It was hot...like upper 90's hot and she still had energy left!

Onto the bars. For the recipe I basically took everything I love in a raw bar and put it all in one. They are my favorite bar I have ever made. Truthfully they are like a dessert. The dates are so sweet, the cranberries tart and the chocolate... well who does not like chocolate? I hope you will make them and let me know what you think!

Chocolate Almond Date Bars with Coconut and Cranberries

Makes 12 bars

2 cups pitted medjool dates (14 dates)

1 ½ cups raw (unroasted, unsalted) almonds

¼ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (I love the Enjoy Life brand)

1. Place dates and almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Blend for two minutes until dates are pureed and almonds are finely chopped.

2. Add coconut, cranberries and chocolate chips. Blend two minutes until mixture starts to come into a ball.

3. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Dump blended mixture into pan and press into pan with hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to eating. Cut into 12 bars. Store in refrigerator.