Frozen coconut macadamia bars

I came across this recipe somehow or other - it is a "Mark's Daily Apple" post. I was intrigued because I wanted to find something to eat that is sort of like eating dark chocolate, but without the sugar. This definitely gives the same crunch, and it is really filling. I found that when I made it, I expected it to be sweeter - maybe more hopeful thinking on my part since the only "sweet" ingredients are coconut oil and coconut flakes. (It occurs to me now I could try putting chocolate powder and stevia in the mix too....hmmm.)

The final bars turned out nice, even without any sweet flavor. The chia seeds give a nice crunch, and they are cool and nice in the heat. It seems like a great snack or way to get some extra fat in, which fills me up since sometimes I could eat A LOT of veggies and meat before getting full. It's actually a little like eating a chilled bar of coconut manna. I did do some smearing of honey over the finished bar and it was super delicious, but you know, no longer without sugar! ha.

One thing is that these bars pretty much need to be eaten directly out of the freezer or they will start to melt. You could bring them on a cold weather camping trip I think, but coconut oil has a melting point of 74 degrees, so these bars need to be somewhere below that to ensure a solid bar. I found myself wishing I could bring them for part of my work lunch, but alas.

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (60 g)
1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted macadamia nuts (150 to 160 g)
3/4 cup melted coconut oil (180 ml)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (15 ml)
Pinch of sea salt (I used maldon flakes and it was so good!)

Preheat oven to 350 ºF.
Put the coconut flakes in a pan and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about five minutes.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. (I had a 9" circular glass pie plate that I used and did not line with parchment - it worked out just fine.)
Process the macadamia nuts and coconut oil in a food processor until very smooth. Add the coconut flakes and chia seeds and pulse a few times.
Pour the batter into the 8×8 pan. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top.
Cut into bars and store in the freezer - or if you are like me, just keep that glass pie plate in there and carve out a piece now and again!