recipes with almond butter

Wifey Bars

/ thewifeykitchen / Leave a comment

My name is Kelli Zink Levy…and I’m addicted…to Lara Bars.

It’s true, I’m obsessed with nearly every flavor (minus the minty one) and how well these little healthy bars travel along in my purse or pocket.

Just last week I whipped one out at Soho House while having drinks with friends including Marshall Faulk & Cam from Modern Family- but that’s a story for another time.

In true Wifey form, I read the simple list of Lara Bar ingredients and decided I could make my own version. My first few attempts landed me with the Zexy Mamma Bars, but now with a few tweaks, I’ve come up with my most genius version yet.

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Oh, and BTW- these are NO BAKE! That’s right, all you do is blend ’em and they are good to go.

Ready to try ’em? Let’s get Wife’d Up!

Wifey Bars

What You Need/Grocery List: 

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  • dried pitted dates- if you can only find them with the pits in – that’s fine- you’ll just have to remove them. You’ll need about  cup
  • 1/2 cup dried oats
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1/3 cup almonds
  • 1/3 cup honey- I use Manuka honey for the added health benefits
  • 1/2 cup raw almond butter (you can also use peanut, cashew, etc)
  • a blender (or not and they will be chunkier)
  • mini foil baking pans or non stick plastic muffin sheets
  • plastic wrap or zip lock baggies

What To Do: 

  • dump the dates, oats, almonds and walnuts into your blender
  • put your honey and almond butter into a small bowl and microwave until both are soft. start with about 20 seconds, stir and continue- but make sure the ingredients don’t burn
  • transfer the hot mix to the blender
  • mix and stir, stir and blend until it all looks the same. if you like yours chunkier, that’s cool too- I prefer to blend mine a bit
  • lay a sheet of plastic wrap down and lay a layer of the mix, spreading evenly and covering with plastic again. Watch the video for the demo of the ziplock baggies too. Or simply dump even spoonfuls into the muffin tins – no plastic needed
  • pop into the freezer for 20 mins and “set”
  • if using the pan, cut into bars…eat and enjoy!

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I love giving these away as little gifts. I’ve given them to; book club girls, friends who are always on the go, and for thank you gifts.

Feel free to add your twist on them and throw in whatever ingredients YOU and your people love!

WATCH AND LEARN HOW TO MAKE EM :

Zexy Mamma Bars

/ thewifeykitchen / Leave a comment

One of my pregnant girlfriends has been craving nothing but cookies for weeks, opting to hit up health food stores for the more nutritious kind.

So I decided to try and make her something that would both hit the spot and be good for the little one and found this version and pretty much stuck to it, although there is a tiny Wifey Kitchen twist involved.

They are NO BAKE and BEYOND simple. I think they’d be perfect for a snack for kids or to bring to work in lieu of donuts or something less healthy.

what is that in your hand mom?

what is that in your hand mom?

I WANT!!! *these are actually dog safe as well*

I WANT!!! *if you skip the chocolate- then these are actually dog friendly as well, as long as your pooch doesn’t have a nut allergy*

*The only part that MAY trip you up happens with the dates* (our food processor happened to be broken so I used the blender)

Zexy Mamma Bars

What You Need:

  • a loaf pan (I got mine from Jewel Osco, it’s disposable- that way you don’t have to worry about getting it back)
  • a cup of dates (take out the pits)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
  • 1 and 1/2 cup of rolled oats
  • a quarter of a bar of 70% dark chocolate bar
  • plastic wrap
  • a cookie sheet
  • *optional- a grater

What to Do:

  • lay the oats and nuts out evenly on a cookie sheet and toast them for about 12 mins at 350
  • put the dates into a food processor or blender and chop them finely
  • heat up the almond butter and honey on low in a small pot or in the microwave
  • take the oats and nuts out and combine them with the dates, honey, almond butter- stir until everything is equally mashed and while you do this either break your bar into chunks and drop them into the mix OR grate the bar in to the bowl while you mix it up
  • lay some plastic wrap at the bottom of your pan
  • put the mixture into the pan , spread it out then cover with another piece of plastic and mash it down into a thick bar
  • throw it in the freezer for around 20 mins, then cut and serve!