Emergency snack for hungry children. Indulgent comfort food. Protein packed energy boost for hiking, biking or endurance sports. Whatever your need for a couple mouthfuls of power packed food to stave off the hunger pangs; these energy bars are now an essential in my pantry. Not only are they delectably delicious but they are nutritious and easy to whip up.
INDULGENT ENERGY BARS
3 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Honey (or maple syrup)
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Teaspoon Baobab powder
1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Cacao Nibs
1/2 Cup Almond (chopped)
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cranberries
1/2 Cup Medjool Dates (chopped)
Soak seeds and nuts overnight then dry and roast. Lightly roast your rolled oats. This can take about 15 minutes at 160 C in the oven. Toasting the nuts and seeds in a dry pan is quicker.
On a low heat melt the coconut oil, honey, salt and cinnamon. While melting the "syrup" prepare your pyrex dish. You need to oil and line the pyrex dish with parchment paper.
Once the ingredients are roasted (and the syprup melted) carefully mix the cacao nibs, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, baobab and oats together. Add the vanilla extract to the warm syrup and pour into the dry ingredients as you lightly stir. Ensure everything is coated and thoroughly mixed.
Spoon your dough into the prepared pyrex dish and press very firmly down into your dish. Then place in the oven for about 15 minutes at 160 C. You don't want to cook the energy bars, just ensure they set firmly as a solid bar, not crumbly. Once done allow the slab to cool and pop into the refrigerator for two hours. Make sure they are well chilled, and set, before cutting. They store very well for a month in the fridge.
In this day and age of fast food, this type of snack is my idea of real fast food. It keeps little tummies full and is a wonderful homeschooling project for the kids to make. Considering our very busy country life I need a variety of healthy snacks that will replenish the energy levels while we continue long, hard hours out on the homestead. These indulgent energy bars ticks all the boxes. They're chock full of nutrition, superfoods and enough sweetness to satisfy any craving.