Power Bar gluten free dairy free

Here is a bite of a delightful power bar that tastes like dessert to everyone in this house. I call that a win, considering the protein, fiber, to sugar ratio these bars pack inside.  What started as a recipe from Elana's fantastic site has since evolved. I recommend you check out Elana's site, try her version, and see how you like it in addition to trying this version. This is our new house favorite. The catch...make sure you have a VitaMix or high powered food processor/blender, or this will not be a fun project. So, if you're still with me, here's the scoop:

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup ground raw pecans - grind these into a pecan meal first, in the VitaMix. Leave in the blender container. 
• Add all the following ingredients to the VitaMix canister with the ground pecans
• 1 Cup Almond Flour or Almond Meal
• 1 Cup organic unsweetened unsalted peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup milled flaxseed (I mill mine in the VitaMix, then store in fridge)
• 1/2 Cup unsweetened organic coconut flake shreds (Let's Do Organic is my go to)
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a pan on the stove, heat the following over low heat:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (cold process)
• then add 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablesspon honey
• 4 drops stevia

Mix and pour into blender. Use the tamper to pulse the ingredients in the VitaMix at low power aprox speed 7. This should not take long, but you will need to move the tamper continuously to get all the product moved around. I anticipate less than 1 minute.

Scoop into a an 8" square pan, or similar, and smooth with spatula.

In the same stovetop pan as earlier, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (gluten free dairy free variety). Mix together over low heat until melted (should take short time, less than 3 minutes). Spread onto the nut mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. This can also be made with almond butter and only almonds, if you prefer. I like the overall flavor and texture better with this blend, but you can play with what you have on hand.

Enjoy!