Brownie Bites

This time of year it's all about chocolate bunnies, candies and treats.  I have a huge sweet tooth so this is torture for a chocolate lover like myself.  I've dedicated a few too many hours trying to make these delicious treats healthy and containing at least a few whole nutrients.  My family is often times left to sample my creations...for better or worse.  And with a 3yr old and 6 yr old, I get the honest truth and then some!

This recipe made everyone in the family smile and want more, and more!  Success!!  I asked my son what we should name these treats and to my surprise he says, 'Brownies, because they are gooey and chocolately and great!'  And as healthy as healthy treats can get!  The best thing about them....they taste even better the longer you let them sit in your freezer or fridge :)  Incentive for not eating the whole pan in one shot!

The recipe...let's call them Brownie Bites:

1 c. pitted dates
2/3 c. dried black mission figs (remove the hard stem at the top)
1 tbsp chia seeds (you could add sesame, flax or hemp seeds alternatively)
1/2 c. raw walnuts (or any nut will work...raw cashews or roasted pistachios are really good, too)
1/3 c. dried, unsweetened coconut flakes
3 tbsp cocoa powder (more or less depending on your chocolaty preference)
1/4 c. agave nectar, honey or maple syrup (or use less depending on your sweet tooth)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

*Option...add 1 tbsp peanut or nut butter.

Directions:
1) Put everything in a food processor and mix until gooey and thoroughly combined.
2) Place mixture on a piece of parchment (or wax) paper, then cover with another piece OR roll into balls (shown above).
3) If making bars, roll into one large square, cut into bars (I did 1x3 inch bars) keeping the wax paper on both sides.
4) Freeze with the parchement paper to keep the bars separate.
5) If making balls, I wrapped each individually in parchment paper then put in one large freezer bag for storage and easy snack access.

This took me 10 minutes to make (with clean up, etc...15 minutes total time).  Easy and really good!!  I will post nutritional info here soon.  We use these for pre-practice snacks and when the kids need an energy booster during the day.  Even good as an after breakfast 'treat' for those hard to get moving mornings :)

Enjoy!