This post is sponsored by Toyota USA. All opinions are all my own.
During the holidays, there’s a great anticipation of family and friends gathering, from near and far. This year, I decided to head “south for the winter” and share time with my brilliant family!
I spent a good amount of time living in Jacksonville, Florida and still have family and friends there. During the holidays, we ended up visiting some of my favorite places, those little out of the way places only the locals know about, and of course, we spent some time in St. Augustine (love this place).
One of our favorite afternoons, was walking on a very chilly beach collecting seashells by the seashore, then we got to hop back into our cozy 2017 Toyota 4Runner Limited SUV, a completely family friendly vehicle. The Toyota 4Runner is brilliant, with seating up to seven, and has all the bells and whistles you could wish for. With a completely gorgeous look and feel, the Toyota 4Runner is an ideal choice for road trips to off-road trips!
For more information about the Toyota 4Runner Limited SUV, visit their website HERE.
Our road trips are always filled with the “are we there yet?”, and the obligatory “I need to go to the bathroom” … just after you stopped and got back on the road. But my personal favorite, is of course, to see who drew the short straw to let us all know “I’m hungry”…. which is declared least every 30 minutes.
In order to not drag out the trip any longer than needed by stopping at every exit, I always pack a good amount of drinks and snacks, including these Date and Fig Bars. These snack bars are just the right amount of sweet and will keep you happy for, well, at least 30 minutes. 😉
When traveling, always always always be prepared, stay safe and enjoy the time with your traveling companions!
Make these Date and Fig Bars up to 3 weeks ahead and keep them in the freezer. I enjoy them as my go-to snack any time of the day, plus not only are they great for a grab and go travel snack, but they are also ideal after a workout.
Enjoy!
Date and Fig Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups ground Almond meal I use Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour
- 5 - 6 oz 1 cup Dried Mission Figs, stems removed
- 16 oz Dried Medjool Dates pitted
- 3 Tbsp Almond Butter can substitute Peanut Butter
- Zest of 1 Orange
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
- ¾ tsp ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper optional
- ¾ cup Old Fashioned Oat Meal
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the Almond Flour and Figs and process until well combined and finely chopped.
- Scrape sides down, add the Dates and continue to process for a few pulses, making sure all is mixed well.Â
- Add in the Almond (or Peanut) Butter, Orange Zest, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Salt, and Pepper (if using), and pulse several times, scraping down sides if needed, and process until everything is well combined.Â
- Transfer mixture to a bowl, and fold in the Oatmeal, using your hands to mix thoroughly.Â
- In a parchment lined baking dish, add the mixture and using the back of a spoon or your hands, firmly press the Date and Fig mixture down evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes or overnight.Â
- Remove from freezer, lift the paper and place the frozen slab on a chopping board, cut into 1 inch squares or 2 inch bars and enjoy.
Notes
Fresh bites, cozy vibes 😎
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