Place soaked dates in a food processor and pulse until pasty - they don’t need to be completely smooth.

Add all nuts to the food processor with the date paste and pulse several times to “chop” them into a crumbly texture - a few larger pieces are okay- don’t overmix!

Transfer the nuts/dates to a large mixing bowl and stir in coconut flakes, cinnamon, salt, and dried fruit to evenly combine.

Whisk together the melted coconut oil, coconut butter (or nut butter) and vanilla until very smooth. Pour over the nut/fruit mixture and stir to fully combine - I used a silicone spatula for this step. Thoroughly mix to make sure all the dry mixture is coated.

Line an 8 x 8” or 9 x 9” square pan with parchment paper along the bottom and sides, with extra up the sides for easy removal. Transfer mixture in and press down, using your hands, or another piece of parchment paper to get it packed tightly into the pan.

Cover the top with parchment or plastic wrap, then set in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm, or longer if you have time.

Remove pan from freezer and grab two ends of the parchment paper to remove the bars, set on a cutting board.

Using a long very sharp knife, cut into 20 bars.  You can wrap them in parchment individually storing in the fridge (for up to two weeks) or freezer for longer.

Bars will start to melt around room temp due to the coconut oil, so they’ll need to be kept chilled to stay firm. Enjoy!