Name: Air-Fryer Date-Almond Snack Bars
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: ⅔ cup whole raw almonds , cashews, pecans, and/or walnuts; 5 tablespoons raw pepitas and/or sunflower seeds; 2 tablespoons whole flax seeds and/or sesame seeds; 3 ounces (85 grams) pitted dates; 2 tablespoons warm water; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Why This Recipe Works

To make a delicious and nutritious snack (or breakfast) bar packed with protein and fiber, we first toasted a collection of nuts and seeds in a cake pan. A blitzed mix of dates and a touch of maple syrup helped hold everything together when we pressed the mixture back in the same cake pan. Lining the pan with foil made it easy to get the bars in and out. The result was evenly toasted wedges with good crunch and a slight chew. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup, here.

Before You Begin

You will need a 6-inch round nonstick or silicone cake pan for this recipe; before starting this recipe, confirm your air fryer allows enough space for the pan.

Instructions

Combine almonds, pepitas, and flax seeds in 6-inch nonstick round cake pan. Place pan in air-fryer basket. Place basket into air fryer; set temperature to 350 degrees; and cook until nuts and seeds are toasted and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Transfer nut mixture to food processor and let cool slightly; reserve pan. Process nut mixture until ground medium-fine, 15 to 20 seconds; transfer to large bowl. Process dates, warm water, maple syrup, orange zest, salt, and cinnamon in now-empty processor until finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Stir date mixture into nut mixture, folding and pressing with rubber spatula, until well combined.

Line now-empty pan with aluminum foil, pressing foil into corners of pan, and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into even layer with greased spatula. Return pan to air-fryer basket and return basket to air fryer. Set temperature to 300 degrees and cook until bars are evenly browned, 14 to 20 minutes.

Let bars cool in pan for 15 minutes. Using foil sling, remove bars from pan and transfer to wire rack. Discard foil and let bars cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut bars into 8 wedges and serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.)