This homemade energy bar recipe is the perfect wholesome snack! It’s naturally sweet, featuring oats, chia seeds, and pecans.
Wholesome snacks is a topic Alex and I get asked about a lot. Now that we have kids, we think about it a lot too! This energy bar recipe is our newest invention for healthy snacks.
And let me tell you, our kids are OBSESSED with them, too! Not only are these kid approved, they’re perfect for adult snacking too. The sweet flavor is reminiscent of pecan pie, and they’re full of superfoods like pecans and chia seeds.
Ingredients in This Energy Bar Recipe
Why make an energy bar recipe at home instead of buying it? Well, it lets you control the ingredients so you know exactly what’s in it! They’re also slightly cheaper than store bought. The energy bars we like to make are similar to store bought Larabars. But our homemade version is about 2/3 less cost and you have ultimate control over the ingredients! Here’s what’s in them:
- Pecans
- Medjool dates
- Oats
- Chia seeds (gives a boost of protein, fiber and Omega 3s!)
5 Star Reader Reviews
“Amazing recipe and a perfect snack during the Daniel Fast!! These won’t last in my house! Thank you!!” -Kiara
“I made these yesterday and they turned out amazing! I ended up mashing the medjool dates with a wooden spoon and then added the chopped pecan mix to the dates. I just used my hands to mix it all together, turned out really good! No crumbling!” -Josie
How to Make Homemade Energy Bars
To make this energy bar recipe, you’ll need a large size food processor for blending the ingredients. Here are the basic steps:
- In a food processor, blend together Medjool dates, pecans, oats, chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until a sticky dough forms.
- Press it into an even layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake the bars for 30 minutes at 200 degrees, which helps to dry them out a bit and improves the texture so they’re not so sticky.
- Cut them into bars that are 3 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide.
Ingredient Spotlight: Pecans
Pecans are the star in this energy bar recipe! There are so many things Alex and I love about this nut. Pecans are:
- Nutritious: Pecans are very nutrient dense! They’re among the highest in “good” monounsaturated fats, and contain protein, fiber, flavonoids and essential minerals (copper, manganese and zinc).
- Versatile: They’re not just for pecan pie! They’re an easy snack right out of the bag or mixed with dried fruit for a fast trail mix. We love tossing them into our morning oatmeal, on yogurt, and onto green salads. Of course, using pecans in granola and energy bars is only natural.
- Local: Of all the major tree nuts eaten in the US, pecans are the only ones indigenous to America! They were originally grown wild and enjoyed by Native Americans. Now they’re harvested in over a dozen Southern states.
A Kid Friendly Snack
Our kids are so into these! They’re a great kid friendly snack that’s also naturally vegan and gluten free. Here are a few photos of our son Larson as a toddler gnawing on these pecan energy bars. (Where did our baby go?)
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
These energy bars stay good for 1 month refrigerated. Store them refrigerated in a sealed container between sheets of wax paper. If you’d like to package them for on the go snacking, cut out 4” x 6” rectangles of wax paper, wrap them around the bars, and secure them with tape.
Dietary Notes
This energy bar recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, dairy free, refined sugar free, and naturally sweet.
Homemade Energy Bar Recipe
Pin RecipeThis homemade energy bar recipe is the perfect wholesome snack! It’s naturally sweet, featuring oats, chia seeds, and pecans.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 15 Medjool dates (9 ounces)*
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- ½ cup gluten free oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F.
- Remove the pits from the dates with your fingers (they come right out!). Place the dates in the food processor and process or pulse until they are mainly chopped and a rough texture forms. Then add the remaining ingredients and process for a minute or so until a crumbly dough forms.
- Line a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Dump the dough into the center of the parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle that is 6” x 10.5”. Cut the dough into 14 bars that are 1.5” x 3”. (You don’t have to be as precise as we were, but we found it was easiest for cutting uniform bars!)
- Bake the bars for 30 minutes (this step helps to make the texture more dry and less sticky). Cool the bars to room temperature, then store refrigerated in a sealed container between sheets of wax paper. If you’d like to package them for on the go snacking, cut out 4” x 6” rectangles of wax paper, wrap them around the bars, and secure them with tape. Stays good for 1 month refrigerated (or more, but they may not last that long!).
Notes
* We recommend using Medjool dates: they’re a large, tender and sweet variety of dates that create the perfect texture for these bars. They’re available at most grocery stores; many times they are in the bulk or produce section, or packaged in the dried fruit section.
More Energy Bars and Bites
- Energy Balls (Peanut Butter Brownie!)
- Oatmeal Protein Bars
- No Bake Energy Bites
- Cashew No Bake Energy Bars
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/Aj2xcOf
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