(Optional but Recommended) Soak the medjool dates in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can skip this step but the hydration and added softness makes them much easier to process. Drain and squeeze off the excess liquid.

Rough chop the medjool dates and set aside.

Place the nuts in your food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are in medium to large chunks. Add the chopped medjool dates and process just until the mixture starts to come together into a ball. The mixture will be sticky.

Transfer the date-nut mixture to a parchment-lined, standard-size loaf pan and press into a single, even layer, making sure to press into the sides of the pan.

Using a bowl, melt the chocolate chips in your microwave in 20-30 second increments at 60-70% power. The chocolate should be smooth and easy to stir with a spatula. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the date nut mixture and spread evenly with a spatula or by gently tilting the loaf pan, front to back, side to side, to allow the chocolate to spread toward the edges. Rap the pan on the counter to pop any air bubbles in the chocolate. Optional: Sprinkle more nuts, seeds and sea salt on top of the chocolate if desired.

Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until the chocolate has firmed up enough to slice the sheet into bars. To slice, lift the date-nut sheet up with the parchment paper and cut on a board into eight long bars or bite-size pieces. Uneaten bars will keep in the refrigerator for several days.