Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Energy Bars

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Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes: 12 

Ingredients
2 cups quick oats
1 cup wheat germ
½ cup flaked or shredded coconut, unsweetened
½ cup flax meal
1½ cups peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Method
Line a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir quick oats, wheat germ, coconut, flax meal, peanut butter, honey and vanilla until evenly distributed and mixture becomes thick. If you’re noticing that the mix isn’t holding together, add another ¼ cup of peanut butter and pour in a little more honey. Or, if it seems to be too gooey to hold together, add more oats. Once you’ve mixed the ingredients, press evenly into prepared dish and refrigerate for 1 hour. Once set, cut into bars.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together chocolate chips and butter, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over bars and place in the fridge until chocolate has hardened — about 15 minutes.

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.