Peanut Butter Date Krispy Treats (Gluten-free and Vegan)

Makes 5 small bars.

In a medium bowl, combine the dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chia seeds, cinnamon, and oats. Don’t add the brown rice crisp cereal just yet. I make this recipe without any processors or blenders by simply mixing the ingredients by hand. Mash everything into a ball. It gets a little messy but it’s fun, especially for the kids. It’s like kneading dough. Just keep pressing and rolling the ingredients until combined. Then add the brown rice crisps to the dough at the very end. It takes some work to press all the crisps into the dough but think of it as exercise!

You can use plastic wrap or parchment paper if you want a perfectly formed bar. Press the dough into a rectangle. Slice it into 5 equal portions.