I skipped my afternoon workout yesterday and instead got home in time to make soup for dinner. More on that soup another day, but I was looking forward to an evening with hubby and the little one.
Then, hubby’s texts started rolling in that his meeting was going longer and longer and 6:30pm turned into 7pm which turned into 7:30pm. My soup had been ready for hours and so I had a small bowl to calm my hunger and wait for him.
Around 7:45pm he walked in the door with a Jimmy Johns sandwich and said, “I’m sorry I’ve been working so much…thanks for taking care of everything at home.” And then he proceeded to eat the soup while I enjoyed course #2 of Jimmy Johns. Swoon!
We settled in to watch our beloved Illini battle it out into triple overtime with Rutgers. It was a battle of the Big 10 losers and fortunately, Illinois won. Fortunately also, there were not additional overtimes as it was already 30 minutes past my bedtime of 10pm. The next thing I knew it was 6:45am and Shea hadn’t woken me up yet. No need to set an alarm with a toddler, right? Not usually, anyway.
It was a mad rush to do the whole morning routine, but fortunately I had made these No-Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars last week and had them cut and individually wrapped in the fridge for these very moments. It’s not every morning that Shea sits down to a breakfast fit for a queen, but honestly, these are just as worthy.
Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, they’re soft with a bit of a crunch from the chia seeds and walnuts. You can process them to your texture liking as the sticky apricots work so well in keeping these bars formed and easy to eat. They are kid-approved and perfect for a breakfast on-the-go for a healthy, naturally sweet snack.
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- Line a 9x9-inch square pan with wax or parchment paper.
- Place dates, apricots, and chia seeds in a food processor, and process until the mixture forms a large mass.
- Break up slightly with a spatula, add walnuts and chocolate chips, and pulse until desired consistency.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need a second piece of wax or parchment paper over the top to avoid your hands or spatula from sticking.
- Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, then slice into bars.
Those look amazing!! Do you think it would work to leave out the chocolate chips? I have a weird thing where I dislike fruit and chocolate together (I know, weird…)
Author
Should work just fine, Katelyn! Enjoy!
Very healthy recipe. And it is very hard to believe that these are not baked. Totally look like a chocolate cake, baked to perfection. Will try this healthy weight loss recipe for sure.
This bars are really great source of omega-3 fatty acids ! 1 oz has 1,1g omega-3, that’s 75% of our daily requirement ! It’s important that this bars are not baked. In high temperature omega-3 fatty acids get damage.
I want to ask one thing..are we suppose to use the roasted chia seeds or can use it directly?
Author
Abi, no roasting, nope. Just raw, added right in ๐
I love the look of these, and I am going to try it..