TeamWILD’s Sarah Worah shares a great dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan energy bar recipe. If your looking for a more natural option for fueling your exercise, this is a nice option. Enjoy!
Homemade Energy Bars
~ Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegan ~
Recently, I was chosen to attend a Progressive Session put on by Oakley and Shape magazine. Oakley and Shape chose 200 women to attend and was a day full of boot camps, yoga, nutrition, and other fun activities. While attending one of the nutrition lectures, I met a fellow Sports RD who gave me this great energy bar recipe. It is a great allergy-free, special diet friendly recipe that can be used to fuel any WILD training program. Make into balls instead of bars for easy packing and consumption on the bike or during runs.
While I got a few extra samples at the Oakley Day, I wanted to make more. The weather is finally getting nicer and my bike rides are going to move outdoors with increased time in the saddle. These are going to be great fuel to take with me and break up the monotony of sugary energy chews and sports supplements.
Total hands-on time: about 20 minutes
Step 1: Get all your ingredients measured out.
Step 2: Blend the nuts. Make sure to not over-blend so you still have good chunks of nuts in your bars/balls. Place in bowl and add seeds.
Step 3: Blend dried fruit (except prunes) with spices and remaining ingredients, blend until finely ground.
Step 4: Add to bowl with nuts and seeds.
Step 5: Blend prunes 5-6 at a time until mushy and add to bowl with other ingredients.
Step 6: Spray hands with a little cooking spray and mix ingredients by hand until combined.
Step 7: Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and press mixture into pan.
Step 8: Place in freezer for 30 minutes or until set and cut into squares. Makes 30 pieces. (Can also be rolled into balls and placed on cookie sheet in freezer to set)
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup each of pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts (non-salted)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup (or 10 dried) apricots
- 10 dates (pitted, whole)
- 1/2 tsp ginger (powder)
- 1/2 tsp cloves (powder)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 tsp expresso coffee (finely ground – or any strong coffee)
- 1 tbsp dried coconut shavings (unsweetened)
- 25 prunes (whole)
- 1 cup rice krispies (I used gluten-free brown rice kris pies)
- In food processor blend pecans, almonds, cashews, and walnuts for 10 quick pulses until almost ground (a few little thicker pieces)
- In large bowl place ground nuts and add whole (not blended or ground) pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- In food processor blend dates, apricots, and spices down to coconut until finely ground. Combine in large bowel with other ingredients.
- In food processor, blend 6-7 prunes at a time until mushy and add to bowl. Do this 2-3 times until they are mushy in bowl to help with sticking to the other ingredients.
- Add rice kris pies to bowl and combine with my hands (sprayed with a little non-stick spray) to combine until sticky – this gets very sticky! Be sure hands are clean or wear gloves.
- On a non-stick cookie sheet (sprayed with a little non-stick spray), press bar ingredients into cookie sheet until almost covered.
- Place in freezer for 30 minutes and then slice with a plastic knife.
I made 30 squares (2 inch X 2 inch) – you can roll into balls if that is easier (plan for 30 balls)
Nutrition per square/ball:
- 83 calories
- 5g fat
- 9g carbs
- 1.4g fiber
- 4.5g sugar
- 2g protein
