I’ve been looking for some “energy bar” types of grab-and-go snacks but the commercial bars I’ve tried have either tasted bad to me, been loaded with sugars, or make me feel bloated and unwell. For that reason, I decided to try making my own and I’m glad I did. I will definitely play around with my recipe and incorporate more protein into the next batch, but these are tasty and satisfying. I didn’t follow any specific recipe; rather, I read a whole bunch of recipes online to get a general idea about how to make these types of bars come together and then winged it. The following is what I came up with.
You will need:
- 3 cups pitted dates
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1.5 cup mixed nuts (I used peanuts, walnuts, cashews)
- 1/3 cup flax seed
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 scoops (31g/each) vanilla why isolate protein powder. You can use any flavour or brand of protein powder you like.
- Parchment paper and your choice of pan or tray (I would have preferred to use an 8×8 or a 9×9 baking dish but I don’t have one that small so I used my 9×13 and only spread the mixture to just over half the pan.)
- Food processor (I purchased this one from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Am4lci )
Method:
- Add the pitted dates and the coconut oil to the food processor and blend until it’s a smooth, thick paste.
- Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Blend again to incorporate.
- Add all the nuts and flax seed. Blend until they are as fine as you would like them. I blended mine to a very small consistency.
- Add unsweetened cocoa, whey protein powder, and mini chocolate chips (the choc chips are optional and you could substitute with cacao nibs, dried cherries or blueberries, coconut flakes, etc.). Blend again until everything is well incorporated.
- Line your tray or pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and spread to fill an 8×8 or 9×9, or approximate using a larger pan like I did. (You could also roll them into balls and roll them in something like dried coconut, cocoa powder, etc. but the pan method is quick and easy.)
- Set in the fridge for an hour or more.
Above: Blended dates, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice.
Above: All ingredients blended together.
Above: Mixture spread into a parchment-lined pan.
I cut mine into 36 squares with each square having 103 calories and 2.8 grams of protein (calories and protein are the two main things I’m meant to be tracking right now). Depending on what ingredients you use, your nutritional values will vary.
I’ve been storing mine in an airtight container in the fridge. They are tasty, so easy to grab, and I know exactly what is in them! Next time I make them, I plan to add more protein powder by adding another 2-4 scoops of the whey isolate to the recipe but that’s because I would like them to pack more protein punch for my personal dietary needs. In Canada, we have something called an Eatmore Bar and these remind me a bit of those!
This is the first time I’ve owned a food processor and I’m quite happy with the one I purchased (link up in the “You will need” list). It is noisy, which my dogs don’t appreciate, and I do need to keep my hand firmly on the top when it’s blending very heavy/dense items to keep it still but for the price this food processor was a great investment, for me. It’s easy to operate, easy to clean (dishwasher safe), and I look forward to trying it out for all kinds of recipes!