The good people of Kinfolk have teamed up with the chefs at Hills & Mills in The Netherlands to share a recipe for their famous Raw Cacao Date & Walnut bars… Yum.

Packed with super foods to keep you going throughout your busy days, this one looks like it would be an absolute winner in the office! 

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Ingredients

For the Frosting

8 dates (about 6 ounces/170 grams), pitted
1 1/2 avocados, peeled and pitted
Heaping 1/2 cup (40 grams) raw cacao powder
3 tablespoons (60 grams) honey
2 tablespoons/30 milliliters coconut or olive oil
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts, chopped, to decorate

For the Bars

3 cups (300 grams) walnuts
1 cup (75 grams) raw cacao powder
Pinch salt
1 cup (150 grams) dried fruits, such as apricots or raisins
15 dates (about 340 grams), pitted
1/4 cup (90 grams) honey

Method

For the Bars: Line an 8-by 8-inch/20-by 20-centimeter baking pan with parchment or wax paper allowing some of the paper to hang over the sides.

Place the walnuts, raw cacao powder and salt in a food processor and blend until the mixture forms a sticky ball, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula as needed. Add the dried fruits, dates and honey and blend again until combined, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Press the mixture into the prepared pan with a spatula. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.

For the Frosting: Soak the dates in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain them and pulse them in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula as needed. Chill at least 2 hours.

For the Assembly: Pull the bars out of the baking pan using the excess paper and place them on a cutting board. Spread the top of the bars with icing and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. Run a sharp knife under hot water and cut into 12 bars.

These bars, which are gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free, vegan and raw, can be stored in the fridge for five days.

Serves 12

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For more delicious recipes, see our Kinfolk Cookbook here.