Chewy Date Bars with Brown Rice Protein- My new Favorite Find!

I found this recipe for these chewy date bars in my recent issue of KIWI magazine (get it when another deal becomes available!). It called for brown rice protein powder, so I picked some up at my GNC. It was $14 for 1.1 lbs so I figured I’d give it a try. These bars are delicious and have been Aleyah’s afternoon school snack this past week. I might add some mini chocolate chips in them next time. You can definitely double the batch and freeze them individually so they are a quick, handy snack. Sorry that I don’t have a picture of them- the magazine doesn’t put their published recipes on their website, and we ate them all before I remembered to take one!

Chewy Date Protein Bars

1 Cup almonds
1 cup chopped dates, packed
1 cup chopped apricots, packed
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup plain brown rice protein powder
1 Tablespoon water

In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely chopped. Add the dates, apricots, salt, vanilla, and almond extracts. Process until well combined. Add protein powder and water, and process again until blended. Scoop ¼ cup of mixture at a time and use your hands to shape each portion into a smaller bar. Place the bars on a plate, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The bars will keep in the fridge in a covered container for up to one week.

Per bar: 164 calories, 7g fat, 6g protein, 25g carbs (4g fiber)

Scott and I are both now using the brown rice protein powder daily. I bought Jarrow Brown Rice Protein Concentrate, Vanilla. It is vegan, made from non-GMO rice, and has no artificial ingredients/flavors (as so many protein powders do). With my marathon training, I am having to do one protein shake a day, and I was happy to find this as I am having to supplement my diet. Here are the nutritional facts: