I originally intended to call these “superfood bars” but my kids kept calling them superhero bars and eventually the name just stuck. These delicious fruit and nut bars are super simple to make, chock full of healthy ingredients, and taste delicious. In fact, I have made them three times in the last month!

Vegan Superfoods

Now let’s talk about what’s in these bad boys. First we have lots of nuts and seeds including walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds. Did you know, a study found that eating fruit and nut bars are NOT FATTENING despite the increased calories? That’s right. They will NOT make you gain weight. Maybe it’s because eating nuts is associated with weight loss despite increased calorie consumption. Maybe it’s because they are so nutrient dense that they don’t make you store the calories as fat. Whatever the reason, I’m not complaining!

Did you know eating flaxseeds regularly can lower your blood pressure, extend a woman’s cycle by a day, lower breast cancer risk, lower prostate cancer risk, and reduce benign prostate hyperplasia? That’s right! So load up!

Sunflower seeds are high in tryptophan which increases serotonin in the brain leading to less anxiety and depression. Walnuts, hemp and chia seeds are high in omega 3’s which also is protective against depression.

Additionally hemp and chia seeds are also high in antioxidants, help support healthy skin and aging, promote digestive health, improve heart health, boost energy and exercise performance, reduce symptoms of PMS and menopause and build stronger bones.

So not only do these fruit and nut bars taste good, they are loaded in health promoting disease fighting ingredients. Plus they have a thick layer of chocolate that makes them taste like dessert. To learn a little more about the health benefits of chocolate check out my blog post here.

Superhero Bars

These moist bars are simple to make, covered in chocolate, and loaded in healthy ingredients!!

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Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

Superfood Bars

1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup grated coconut unsweetened
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
12 oz medjool dates, pitted
2 tbs coconut oil

Chocolate Topping

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs cacao nibs
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

In a food processor, pulse together all dry ingredients. Then remove 1 cup of the mixture.
Add dates and coconut oil. pulse until well combined and sticky. Move to a bowl and stir in remaining mix.
Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper. Press the sticky dough into the pan evenly.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
Pour melted chocolate on top of bars and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and a bit of coarse sea salt. Move to the refrigerator and let set up an hour. Once set, cut bars with a sharp knife into whatever shape you like. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.