Healthy Peanut Butter and Jam Squares

This delectable sweet and healthy dessert comes from Toronto’s own earth and city. Oats, almonds and dates are mixed together for the base, then topped with a layer of natural peanut butter blended with banana and sea salt, a layer of jam and finished off with the remaining crumble.

Ingredients (makes 12 squares):

Crumble:
3 1/2 cups gluten-free oats
2 1/2 cups raw almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 cups dates, pitted

Filling:
2 cups natural peanut butter
2 ripe bananas
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cups dates, pitted
2 Tbsp water
1 cup jam of your choice
3 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Grind almonds in a food processor until it becomes a fine meal and place into a mixing bowl. Grind oats the same way, then add the almond meal back in.
2. Add cinnamon and sea salt, and with the food processor running add in dates a few at a time, until the mixture starts to come together. Press 3/4 of this mixture into a parchment lined 9″ x 13″ pan.

3. Blend peanut butter, bananas and sea salt together in a food processor.
4. In the same style as the almonds/oats mixture, feed the dates in a few at a time until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture seems too thick to spread with a spatula, add a little water as necessary.
5. Spread this mixture over the pressed base in the pan.
6. You can mix chia seeds into the jam if you like, then spread the jam over top of the peanut butter layer.

7. Then add the remaining crumble on top.
8. Refrigerate overnight and cut into squares. Store squares in the fridge to prevent melting.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.ca/healthy-eating/blog/healthy-peanut-butter-jam-squares-34103/