Homemade Energy Bars

[sister herb]

Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home

Makes 8 large bars or 16 small square-shaped bars

What You Need

Ingredients
1 cup nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup (12-15 whole) dates, pitted

Equipment
Food processor
Plastic wrap or wax paper
Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Roast the nuts (optional). Nuts can be used raw or roasted; roasting will add a toasty, nutty depth to the bars. If desired, roast the nuts at 350°F / 175 C for 10-12 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Allow to cool before using. (See how to roast nuts in the oven: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-nuts-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-181294 )
2. Combine the nuts, dried fruit, and dates in a food processor. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times just to break them up. Separate the dates if they start to clump together.
3. Process continuously for 30 seconds. By this point, the ingredients should all have broken down into crumb-sized pieces. Scrape the edges of the bowl and beneath the blade to make sure nothing is sticking.
4. Process continuously until a ball is formed, 1-2 minutes. Continue processing for another 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients clump together and gather into a ball.
5. Press into a thick square and chill. Lay a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on your work surface and dump the power bar dough on top. Press the dough with your hands until it forms a thick square, roughly 8" x 8" in size. Wrap and chill for at least an hour or overnight.
6. Divide into bars. Unwrap the chilled power bar dough and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small squares, as desired. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or wax paper.
7. Store the bars. Store the bars in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for up to three months. The bars can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer and will be firm, but chewy. Room-temperature bars are perfectly fine to eat and can be kept in a lunch bag or backpack all day, but will be more soft and paste-like.

Additional Notes:

• Energy Balls: The power bar dough can also be shaped into small balls. Refrigerate until firm, then wrap in plastic for longer storage.
• Try These Combinations! Cherry-almond, apricot-almond, cranberry-pecan, apple-cinnamon-walnut
• Try These Add-Ins! Shredded coconut, chia seeds, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, cocoa powder, crystalized ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, lemon zest, lime zest.

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-mak...t-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-184306

 

[sister herb]

Raw Superfood and Seed Energy Bars

Makes around 16 bars

Dry ingredients
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
4 tbs chia seeds
2 tbsp bee pollen (optional)

Wet ingredients
20 fresh medjool dates, pitted
6 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 whole vanilla bean, cut into pieces (including the pod) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add after blending
6 tbsp rolled oats
2 tbsp poppy seeds

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, pulse the dry ingredients quickly. Do not over-process, you want it a little crunchy. Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside. Add half of the dates and the rest of the wet ingredients to the food processor. Run the processor for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the dates one at a time while the machine is running until the mixture is smooth. You might have to help out by stirring around a few times with a fork or add a dash of water.

2. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, add oats and poppy seeds and stir until well combined (or use your hands to really get the mixture well combined!). Press the mixture evenly into a 11 x 7-inch baking dish, make sure it becomes quite compact. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Cut into bars. Wrap them in paper and store in an air-tight container. Will keep around a week in the fridge.

Source: http://www.nourishtheroots.com/2013/02/raw-superfood-and-seed-energy-bars.html

 

[Mabsoot]

Interesting, might be good pre-workout, but not an entire bar.

 

[queenislam]

Assalamu'alaikum!
masha'allah
our very own tti product
excellent effort sister
thanks for sharing
~Wassalam

 

[sister herb]

Apricot and Cashew Energy Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup*
• 1 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds*
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Line and 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or saran wrap, and set aside.
2. Pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly, place in a separate bowl.
3. Pulse apricots in food processor until finely chopped. Add all other ingredients to the apricot mixture and process until well combined.
4. Add the chopped cashews to the mixture and pulse until combined.
5. Firmly press the apricot mixture into the baking pan, using the flat surface of a measuring cup to create a flat even layer.
6. Place pan in the freezer for one hour, then remove and cut into 8 rectangle bars (or more or less, depending on desired size).
7. Place in an airtight container and store for up to one month in the fridge.
8. Enjoy!

*Note: If you don’t have agave syrup on hand, honey works too.

*Note: Instead of hemp seeds you can use also sesame seeds.

Source: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/2012/09/09/apricot-cashew-energy-bars/

 

[sister herb]

Gluten-Free Almond Joy Raw Bars

Makes 7-8 snack size bars

1/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup almonds
1 cup Medjool dates, seeds removed & quartered
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. g-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or non-sweetened
1/2 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

In the bowl of your food processor combine the nuts and dates. Process until a sticky dough is formed and the pieces of nuts and fruit are all similar sized pieces. Add the coconut oil and vanilla then process to combine well. Add the shredded coconut and dark chocolate chunks and pulse just until combined. Be careful not to over process at this point. Shape into equal sized bars, or roll into bite sized balls and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. These raw bars should keep in the refrigerator for about a week or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.

*Note:

Cashews: The essential “heart-friendly” monounsaturated-fatty acids; like oleic, and palmitoleic acid, in cashews help lower harmful cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.

Almonds: The mono-saturated fat, protein and potassium contained in almonds are really good for your heart. Almonds also contain vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant and reduces the risk of heart diseases. The presence of magnesium in almonds helps to avoid heart attacks and almonds help reduce C-reactive protein which causes artery-damaging inflammation.

Dates: Recent studies have shown that consumption of dates are good for those who have heart problems. They have the ability to lower LDL cholesterol and since dates are digested very easily they are great for supplying quick energy.

Coconut Oil: Natural, nonhydrogenated coconut oil tends to increase HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol that helps protect against heart disease, and improve your cholesterol profile. People who traditionally consume large quantities of coconut oil as part of their ordinary diet have a very low incidence of heart disease and have normal blood cholesterol levels.

Dark Chocolate: Flavanols in cocoa beans have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Flavanols — which are more prevalent in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate or white chocolate — also help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function.

Source: http://www.beardandbonnet.com/glute...2013-almond-joy-raw-bars-by-beard-and-bonnet/

 

[sister herb]

Blueberry Bliss Breakfast Bars

(Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)

• 1 + 1/2 cups 100% pure, uncontaminated, rolled oats***
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• Heaping 1/2 cup dried blueberries
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup pepitas* (See Note)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)

Serving: Makes 16 bars

Notes:

1. Substitute any nut/seed of choice or dried fruit as desired. Sliced apricot, cranberries, cherries, dates & fig are all delicious here.
2. ***Pure oatmeal does not contain gluten however many commercially sold oats do due to cross-contamination issues. If you are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease, be sure to seek out certified 'gluten-free' oatmeal.

Directions:

1. Line an 8"x 8" (or so) baking pan with parchment or wax paper such that the paper hangs over the edges (the pan I used is 7" x 10").
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
3. Add maple syrup or honey and apple sauce and mix to combine.
4. Add almond butter to mixture and mix until combined.
5. Place batter in prepared pan pressing down firmly with palm of hands (or mini-roller if you have one) and distributing as evenly as possible.
6. Allow pan to sit in freezer for approximately 1 hour.
7. Remove pan from freezer. Lift singular slab from pan by lifting up on paper. Set slab down and gently peel paper away. Slice slab diagonally into 8 long bars and then cut each long bar in half to create a total of 16 bars. I find these bars keep best in a sealed container/bag in the freezer.

A bowl full of goodness.



Try not to eat all the batter!



Press down firmly so that everything sticks together.



Voila! your slab ready to be cut into bars




*Note: Pepita (from Mexican Spanich: pepita de calabaza, "little seed of squash") is a Spanish culinary term for the pumpkin seed, the edible seed of a pumpkin or other cultivar of sqush (genus Cucurbita). The seeds are typically rather flat and asymmetrically oval, and light green in color inside a white hull. The word can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly refers to the roasted end product.

Source: http://www.inspirededibles.ca/2013/05/blueberry-bliss-breakfast-bars-raw.html