–Medjool dates are an absolutely necessary ingredient, as they keep the bars moist, chewy, and add a natural sweetness.  Loads of fiber too!

-To remove the pits by hand, just simply break the dates in half with your hands and remove the pits.  Simple!

-To finely chop the macadamia nuts, just blend for a few seconds until chopped into smaller pieces.  When adding into the batter, don’t forget to leave some aside for the garnish!

-Adding instant coffee enhances the chocolate flavor of these bars.

-Adding shredded coconut gives a more coconut-ty flavor and tickles more taste buds.  Totally optional, but preferred.

-I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein, Vanilla flavor.  Each scoop yields 24g protein.  You can sub any other protein powder / flavor you wish, but keep in mind, it may alter the texture of the bars as not all protein powders are created equal.  You may have to experiment to find the right combination.

-I use extra large sized eggs.  If you have smaller eggs, add an extra egg white.

I use a Nutribullet RX to puree the dates.   It has a 2.3 HP motor, so I’d say it’s about a medium-powered blender.  For those with lower-powered blenders, adding more peanut butter and/or water to the dates before blending helps break them down easier.

-Add more macadamia nuts and/or dark chocolate chips if you so desire.

-I prefer a 70% or higher cacao dark chocolate squares for the drizzle because the darker the chocolate, the healthier it is, but you can use any type that you wish.

Certain schools of thought argue that you should mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and not vice versa, but I have done both ways, and I got the same result either way.

-After spreading batter onto the baking dish, add extra chocolate chips and macadamia nuts on top for extra pizzazz!

-When testing out the doneness of the batter. use the bottom of a fork and touch the surface.  If the top center surface is just about set, but still a little moist, then remove it from the oven.  You want to take it out just before it’s done.   Remember, it will still continue to cook even when removed from the oven.

-Enjoy these bars fresh out the oven with the warm, melted chocolate on top, or let the melted chocolate set in the fridge and enjoy it chilled.  Either way, they’re both super good!

-Store these in the fridge in an airtight container.  They should be good for about 5 days.

**Nutritional information is an approximation using Nutrifox, information found on Google, and my own calculations to the best of my knowledge.  It is not the definitive values or guaranteed to be 100% accurate information.  Use only as a reference.**