almond coconut macaroon bars (gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, grain-free - WOW!)

I still can't get over how much I love, Love, LOVE, these bars. How can something so simple, with only 5 ingredients, be so delicious and addicting, stabilize my blood sugar for hours, never give me the foggy-head feeling, and fit about every single friend's diet in my group of friends? Yeah, WOW.

Try them! After you get the basic ratio, mix them up. Put in exactly what you like. This paleo-style recipe will be a go-to for years. My preparation instructions use a food processor, because that is how I make shortbread (and countless other things), and the process here is just like shortbread.

Ingredients

1 cup finely shredded non-sweetened coconut (if you can't find finely shredded, shred it more finely in your food processor before adding anything else)
1 cup almond flour (we get ours at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
4 Tbls maple syrup or honey
1 pinch sea salt (optional)

Preparation

In your food processor, combine the finely shredded coconut, the almond flour, and the sea salt, if desired.

Pulse in the coconut oil or butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the vanilla and maple syrup or honey and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.

Press into an ungreased pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the sides lightly brown.

Store in the refrigerator and they will become chewy, sweet, and very macaroony.