I got tired of paying $10 a box (2016 price) for energy bars so I decided to make my own. Later I priced how much it costs to make them from scratch, and I only ended up saving 50 cents. They're just as tasty and I can edit the recipe as I please, so in the end its worth it.
Makes 8 large bars or 16 small square-shaped bars
Ingredients
1 cup nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup (12-15 whole) pitted dried dates
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Mini chocolate chips for garnish
Directions
- Roasting your nuts is optional, nuts can be used raw or roasted; roasting will add a toasty, nutty depth to the bars. Spray or toss with a tiny amount of oil before you roast them. If desired, roast the nuts at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until fragrant and golden.
- Combine all the ingredients except the mini chocolate chips in a food processor. Pulse a few times just to break them up. Separate the dates if they start to clump together. Process continuously for 30 seconds. By this point, the ingredients should all have broken down into crumb-sized pieces. Scrape the edges of the bowl and beneath the blade to make sure nothing is sticking.
- Process continuously until a ball is formed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue processing for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients clump together and gather into a ball. If it doesn't come together into a ball, you may need to add a few more dates.
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Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on the bottom of an 8x8 square pan, allow at least two of the sides to come up higher along the edges. Then press into a thick square and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or 15 minutes in the freezer. After the dough has chilled, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press into the semi firm dough. Chill a little longer, another 15 minutes in the freezer or an hour in the fridge.
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Using the higher edges of the parchment or wax paper lift the whole batch of bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Divide into bars. Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small squares, as desired. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or wax paper.
- Store the bars. Store the bars in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The bars can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer and will be firm, but chewy. Room-temperature bars are perfectly fine to eat and can be kept in a lunch bag or backpack all day, but will be more soft and paste-like.
Note
- If you're using the already pitted dates (pits removed), you may need to use a few more to make them stick together. I've found the already pitted to be a little less sticky.
