Almond Craze: Gluten Free Power Bars

My parents were headed on a week long trip to the beautiful mountains of Colorado, and being super clean and gluten free eaters, I was bound to make them something unpackaged and hassle-free to easily throw in with their luggage. That is when I discovered the world of Elana's Pantry, which led me to her extraordinary Almond Power Bar Recipe.Perfect for busy bees, professionals on the go, teachers who need an afternoon energy boost, travelers, and snackers!Gluten Free Almond Power BarsWhat You'll Need: 2 cups almonds (raw)½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a Vitamix)½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut½ cup creamy roasted almond butter½ teaspoon celtic sea salt½ cup coconut oil4 drops stevia1 tablespoon agave nectar1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)Directions

1. Place almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, almond butter and salt in a food processor
2. Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds
3. In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat
4. Remove coconut oil from stove, stir stevia, agave and vanilla into oil
5. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste
6. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens
8. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously
9. Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens
10. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve

Makes 20 bars