Homemade energy bars

from foodconfidence.com

{recipe} Homemade Energy Bars

by Danielle Omar on February 26, 2012

I’m a huge fan of energy bars.  I eat them quite a bit each week when I’m running around and need a quick snack.  I’m pretty particular about what I like — they must contain  peanut butter or some kind of nut and they can’t be too sweet.  I found this easy recipe for homemade bars from Averie over at Love Veggies and Yoga.  Hers are no-bake and vegan…but don’t let that stop you.  :-) In fact, after making these, you might not ever buy a bar again.
I love that you can add whatever you want to the mix to make these bars your own. For my next batch I’ll experiment with different flavors and textures, but for my first try I kept it pretty simple.  They only took  me 15 minutes to throw together,  below are the directions and some pictures.

Gather up all your ingredients and throw them in a bowl.

I did not do this, but I recommend you start with a layer of mashed banana, then add your ingredients. I skipped the banana and mine were a little crumbly.  So first, mash a banana into the bottom of the bowl, then layer in your ingredients.

I used:  

• 1.5 cup McCain’s quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped unsweetened cherries and a handful of raisin mix (any dried fruit will work)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave, honey)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

After everything is mixed up, it will look something like this.  If it’s too dry (mine was a bit) you can add a little coconut oil or more maple syrup.

Transfer and press the mixture into a tupperware-type container.  Freeze for a few hours!

After a few hours, slice the semi-frozen mixture into whatever size you want.

 I wrapped them up individually and will store in the freezer.

 These bars are vegan, dairy free, gluten free (if you use GF oats), and have no artificial sweeteners.

You can beef up the protein level by adding protein powder to the mix or increase fiber by tossing in some oat bran.  You can also add chopped nuts or change the taste completely by experimenting with different nut butters.   The possibilities are endless!