Fruit and Almond Bars- Man Cub Approved

These make great snacks for the man cub's school lunches or a snack, and they are also great money savers when you consider that one Larabar costs around $1.50 and gluten free rice bars cost around $5 for a box of 6, and contain lots of undesirable ingredients. I spent about $11 on ingredients for these, and made 18 bars. ($.60 each- not including the bits we tasted, and the fruit that got eaten in the car on the way home from TJ's).

**PAF disclaimer: The Trader Joe dried fruits contain sugar and sunflower oil.

Triple Fruit Bars
1/2 bag (4 oz) TJ's Triple Fruit Treat or you own dehydrated mango, cranberries and blueberries.
1/2 bag almond slivers (or any raw almonds)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tbs ground chia seeds
1 tbs raw organic honey

Orange Chocolate Cranberry Bars
1/2 bag almond slivers (or any raw almonds)
1 bag orange flavored cranberries
3tbs organic cocoa powder
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tbs ground chia seeds
1tbs raw organic honey
(You could make these more natural with plain dried cranberries and orange zest)

Almond Joy Bars
1/2 bag almond slivers
3 tbs cocoa powder
1 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
2tbs ground chia seeds
1 tbs raw organic honey

If you have a great food processor, you can probably just throw it all in. Mine is a little cheap one, so I finely chopped the almonds in it, and used a butcher knife to finely chop the fruit separately, and a mortar to grind the chia seeds. 

Mix all the ingredients together. 

Spread mixture onto wax paper, cover with more wax paper, and roll until it forms a dense rectangle about an inch thick. 

Cut into bars (some shaping is necessary here to pack the bars firm) and individually wrap tightly. 

Bars will firm up in the refrigerator as coconut oil hardens.  

Enjoy! 

Wrap in plastic wrap for portability and store in the refrigerator.
They might fall apart if they get too warm, but no one has complained yet!