Almond Pulp Chocolate Chip Bars
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal)
1 cup almond pulp or blanched almond flour (it helps if you leave the pulp in the refrigerator overnight to dry out a bit)
1 cup gluten-free whole rolled oats or quick oats
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy almond butter (unsweetened)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS (you'll need two bowls for mixing)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line an 8x8 (or 9x9) square pan with parchment paper for easy removal later.
In the first bowl, mix the maple syrup and ground flaxseed and set aside for 10 minutes to gel up (this is your egg replacement, and it's an important step).
In a second bowl, combine the almond pulp (or almond flour), oats, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
After the 10 minutes is up, stir in the almond butter and vanilla into the syrup and flaxseed mixture until very smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir for a couple of minutes until very sticky and absorbed, pressing with the back of your spoon to help mix.
Add the dough to the loaf pan and spread out evenly and flat with a rubber spatula.
For dough using almond pulp, bake for 30-32 minutes until very golden brown and firm on top. For dough using almond flour, bake about 27-30 minutes until very golden brown and firm on top.
Important
Cool 1 hour before cutting, or they will fall apart. They firm up a lot as they cool. If desired, melt some chocolate chips and drizzle the tops for added sweetness or for presentation purposes. Honestly, they are plenty delicious without it, I just did it more for looks. Slice very carefully into 8 bars. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. They will hold their shape very well this way and it makes for an easy grab-and-go snack!
Many many thanks Brandi for her fabulous and creative recipe!
