Beet Tahini Snack Bars

Every weekend, I try to make time for preparing snacks for the week, along with a few other essentials like a big batch of green juice, homemade almond milk, a pot of grains or beans, some kind of sprouted seed or legume, and a sauce to top quick salads and bowls. I don’t always have time to check all those items off my list, but having a head start on things like that helps immensely when it comes to sticking to healthy, homemade meals throughout the week.

I made these beet snack bars last weekend, and they’ve been great to have throughout a busy week to give to Paloma, and as an emergency snack or meal replacement for my husband and I.
Aside from preparing for a big cookbook photoshoot next weekend, I’ve been watching the figure skating championship in Boston. Both my parents were athletes, and I grew up in a household that very closely followed most sports. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved to watch ice skating, and that love has not faded one bit. A few of my favorite skaters took the pedestal, and I’ve been left a happy fan.

These bars are chewy in texture, with juicy pockets of raisins and a nice crunch from cacao nibs. Beet, tahini and almond butter make them filling and nourishing, and cacao nibs contribute energizing properties. Paloma likes them, mostly due to how colorful they are – and the drizzle of chocolate on top does not hurt. I’ll go ahead and put these bars into the kid-approved category as well. Enjoy!

Beet Tahini Snack Bars

1 small beet – baked, steamed or boiled, and peeled
1/2 cup soft dates – pitted
1/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup, optional
2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats – coarsely ground in a food processor
2 cups barley puffs, quinoa puffs or other whole grain puffs
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 cup almond butter
handful cacao nibs
1/2 cup raisins
pinch sea salt
melted dark chocolate for drizzling (I use these dairy free chocolate chips)

1. Blend beet, dates, coconut milk, vanilla extract and syrup in a blender until smooth.
2. Combine oats, puffs, sesame tahini, almond butter, cacao nibs, raisins, salt, and beet mixture in a large bowl. Mix to combine thoroughly.
3. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper, extending the paper up the sides of the dish. Distribute the mixture into the dish in a flat, even layer. Place into the freezer to firm up, for at least 1 hour. Take out of the freezer and remove the firm block out of the baking dish, using the extended ends of the parchment paper. Place onto a cutting board and cut into bars of your desired shape. Drizzle with melted chocolate.
4. Keep in the freezer, in an air-tight container (the bars will never be frozen solid). Remove from the freezer a few minutes before eating.