Aug 9, 2015

DIY Energy Bars

Whether you are on the go all the time or you have children, a healthy snack is important. Their ideal to send off the school lunch, bring with you as you run errands, or take to work as a healthy lunch alternative. Even at bulk purchase stores, a package of energy bars is expensive. These are easy to make, and while they liked won't be around that long, they do last several weeks in the fridge. 



  • INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups rolled oats, old fashioned oats or quick cook steel cut oats 
  • 1 cup quinoa, millet, oats, teff or amaranth
  • 1 cup chopped nuts or seeds. I like to mix sunflower seeds, cashews, and ovens.
  • ½ cup chopped unsweetened dried fruit   Or 1/4 cups dried fruit +1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup nut butter of choice
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, olive oil, peanut oil or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place oats, grains, and nuts in a large skillet on medium heat. Cook, stirring every so often, until they smell toasty. Remove from heat and carefully pour into a large bowl.
  3. Meanwhile, combine honey/syrup, nut butter, oil, vanilla extract and salt in a small pot on medium heat. Cook, stirring to whisk, until melted and well combined. Pour over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Line a rectangle baking dish with aluminum foil or parchment paper so that some is coming out from the edges. This makes it easier to remove the bars after cooking. Pour the oat mixture in to the baking dish and press down to even out the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until browned around the edges. Remove and set aside to cool.
  5. Once at room temperature, place it in the fridge to chill, which makes it easier to cut. Once cold, cut into bars and store in the fridge until ready to eat.