No Bake Chocolate Almond Bars (vegan, gluten-free and no added sugar!)

Although these sinfully delicious, fudgy bars taste like brownies (and a little like Tootsie Rolls), they're vegan, gluten-free and have no added sugar.  That means, you can enjoy them all day long - from breakfast to midday snacking to dessert. Not only will they satisfy intense sweet cravings, they boast loads of nutrients from the almonds, oats and dates.

Want a peanut butter version? No problem! Replace the almonds with peanuts and the almond butter with peanut butter and proceed as directed! In fact, you can create these bars with any nut you like - walnuts and cashews also make great choices.

No Bake Chocolate Almond Bars

3/4 cup blanched or raw almonds
2 cups (12 ounces) pitted dates, if the dates seem dry, soak them in water for 10 minutes and drain before using
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup oats, regular or quick-cooking

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper, covering the bottom and all four sides, with paper hanging over the edges (this makes getting the bars out of the pan a breeze).
Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the dates and process until finely ground. Add the cocoa and process until blended. Add the almond butter and maple syrup and process until blended. Add the oats and process until blended.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan - if you want a smooth surface, press the overhanging parchment paper onto the top of the bars and smooth out the top.
Refrigerate until firm and set, about 1 hour.
Cut into 16 bars.

Makes 16 bars