Place coconut, flax, almonds, and salt in food processor and process until finely chopped. Be sure they are finely chopped or the bars will not stick together.
Add dates, and almond and vanilla flavor, and process until dates are finely chopped. Mixture should begin to stick together. See note 2!
Add granola, and process until all ingredients well mixed and granola is chopped.
Press mixture into an 8-inch x 8-inch pan. Cut into squares. (See note on yield.)
Notes
1. I grind my flax seeds in a coffee grinder to make flax meal.2. The exact amount of dates needed depends on the type of dates you use. Some are moister and some are drier. The only way to know how many you will need is to test your mixture (after step 2). It should stick together when squeezed in between fingers. (If it doesn't, you need more dates.)3. This recipe requires a large (12- to 14-cup) food processor. If your food processor is smaller, divide recipe in half and press into a loaf pan instead of an 8-inch pan.Yield:Makes sixteen 1 3/4-inch squares or twenty 1 1/2- x 1 3/4-inch. Best stored in freezer.Make Ahead Tip:These bars freeze well. They can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.