Place all the pitted dates into a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Allow them to soak for about 10-15 minutes.

While the dates are soaking, Combine all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl, from the old-fashioned oats to the cinnamon.

Once the dates are soft, drain the soaking water and place the soft dates into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until a paste forms.

Add the date paste, almond butter and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix everything together until a uniform dough forms.

Press the dough into your prepared pan until level, using the base of a cup to pack the mixture down well.

Bake the bars for 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown.

Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool on in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, carefully lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut them into bars.

If desired, melt the non-dairy chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the bars. Once the chocolate has cooled and hardened, store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.