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Homemade Healthy Energy Bars

I love quick snacks when I’m working, on the go and traveling – but the stale taste of most processed energy bars just doesn’t do it for me. That’s why I usually prefer to make my own trail mix, granola to snack on or make homemade healthy energy bars like these! These bars are so simple and require no baking. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. 

Healthy Energy Bars

Homemade Healthy Energy Bars
 
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons goji berries
  • 8 Medjool dates
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
Instructions
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and begin to chop slowly. Increase the speed as you begin to notice the ingredients mixing together.
  2. Once the ingredients are mixed together, remove from the food processor, and place into an 8x8 dish. Make sure to press down with your spoon or spatula to create a large, compact square.
  3. Place in the refrigerator for roughly 1-3 hours before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
**Please use all organic ingredients if possible**

 

Please share this recipe with your loved ones!

Xo,

Vani 

 

P.S. These bars are a featured recipe in this month’s Food Babe Eating Guide program. Each month members get a whole new set of Food Babe approved menu items, recipes, a weekly grocery list and bonuses! You can check it out here if you are interested in joining and supporting a healthy organic lifestyle that can help you lose weight for good, and keep it off! 

 

 

 

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49 responses to “Homemade Healthy Energy Bars

  1. These sound great! Adding the nutritional information would be helpful for those of us counting calories.

      1. I notice that in most of your recipes, for example, the maca root one , do not include your financial disclosure and also that you have an agreement with them. As someone who claims everything need to be labelled, this sounds like an oxymoron. Do you have a specific reason for the lack of disclosures ?

    1. nutritional information for those of us dieting and how many servings for portion control.

    2. Going for quality over quantity often obliterates the need to count calories because if you eat quality, nutrient dense foods instead of “empty calories” the cravings from malnutrition go away as the simple need to fill your belly is replaced with the need for the nutrients like protein, vitamins etc. Then you feel the need for a handful of almonds for protein to keep your muscles strong, instead of just whatever is filling or available etc.

      1. Yes, Bob Loblaw! Calorie counting is not a healthy approach. We have learned so much about healthy eating the past few years. We’ve learned the impact of inadequate sleep, excessive stress on our weight and health. “Low fat” was not the answer either since there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats…not to mention the higher sugar content that replaced the fat, just to touch on a few recently known factors in diet/weight management.

      2. I was gaining weight while eating healthy and exercising! Nuts, avacado and coconut have a lot of calories. I had no idea I was was eating so many until I starting using myfitnesspal.

    1. Depends on serving size, if 8 bars, there’s 3 grams of protein per 100 calories. If you make them bigger for serving size 6, there’s 4 grams of protein per servings (about 150 calories)…

      1. These are the nutrition facts I came up with, after crunching the numbers myself. If there are 8 servings in this recipe, then the following rings true: 236 calories, 12 grams fat, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, per bar. Of course it depends on the brands and varieties of ingredients used; this is what I found based on what was written on the backs of the bags of my dates, hemp seed, chia, etc. 🙂

    1. Sprouted oats are best and they should be fermented in a little water overnight at room temperature.

      Personally I use organic sprouted oats.

    2. My body does not like oats, so I tend to avoid any recipe that has oats in the ingredients. However, I have found that quinoa hot cereal flakes is a great substitute. I buy the Ancient Harvest brand. Much healthier than oats and tastes good, too.

  2. These look wonderful! However if cut into 8 servings you are looking at 590 calories and 40 grams of fat! My diet can’t support that. =(

    1. Kelly – We have calculated 109 calories per bar, if cut into 8 pieces. What recipe calculator are you using?

      1. I plugged it into the recipe calculator on MyFitness Pal. I definitely like your number better!

        Thank you!

    2. @kelly, the title says “energy bars” these are packed with “calories” which equals “energy”. If you’re fat then you already have inbuilt energy in the form of readily available fat and should avoid these bars. If you’re lean and are going for a 10k run then these may be a good idea – especially if they are clean and organic like these.

      1. Thanks Moochy! I have “inbuilt” energy as you have referred to it. 5K is the max run for me at this time. And yes I like the clean & organic aspect of the recipe too. =)

  3. Hi, Vani

    Thanks for posting this recipe! Medjool dates are very healthy across the board, and even though they are not low calorie, they are low to low/medium for their glycemic index according to Silliker labs, who did a Glycemic Index study on Medjool dates. They tested from 53-56 on the Glycemic Index, with low Glycemic Index being 55 or lower. A lot of this has to do with the beta-d-glucan fiber found in dates which slows the digestion process of the sugars in the small intestine. Dates also contain potassium, copper, magnesium, and manganese.

    Another interesting article I found was on date consumption for women who are in later stages of preganancy. Here is the link to that article:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280989

    It was great seeing you at the Longevity Now Conference. I was the one who left you with the 5 lb box of dates while you were at the book signing. I hope you enjoyed them.

    Please keep fighting the good fight in all that you are doing. Your efforts are generating lots of momentum and inspiring people every day. Thank you for your passion and for your dedication to the cause.

    -Jason

    1. I use sprouted oats and ferment them in a little water overnight. That’s it.

      Am I going to die?

  4. Hi Vani,

    where can I find goji berries?? I’m thinking about using cranberries if I can’t find the goji ones.

    Thanks 🙂

    1. I have found goji berries both on line and at the bulk food store. Thankfully they carry a wide variety of organic and healthful foods at our bulk store. If you can find them, they are so much better than cranberries.

  5. So glad Panera is responding. I do eat there because it is healthier than most places, but I noticed most of their food is VERY HIGH in sodium—-definitely NOT healthy!!!!!

  6. I make something very similar and have also tried cranberries or currants for the fruit when I’m out of gogi berries- They’re so expensive! I’m sure I’ll love your recipe!

  7. sounds yummy
    try this for a homemade healthy candy.
    cut a fig in two and clean out the meaty part with a butter knife
    mix the fig meat with a date so it become as one.
    now mix in a teaspoon of nut butter and get it deeply into the mix.
    shape it into a tiny ball
    finally roll the ball in coconut flakes

  8. Sounds wonderful. I live in central fl, where can I buy all the ingredients to make the bars? Not too many health shops that carry those ingredients in this part of Florida.

  9. Growing older can be better with the Food Babe helping us with great food like this!

    1. I am thinking that with everything dried and just mixed together we likely would not need to keep refrigerated or dehydrate. Not sure how others feel, but I would totally eat these on a long ride to fuel up as they are, but maybe add some pink salt for the extra sodium, and I love the little crunch of sea salt! Happy Trails 🙂

  10. These are good! My 9 year old even likes them. Thanks for the recipe. I added a pinch of salt.

  11. Thank you so much for these energy bars! I love that they are not baked like flapjacks – even my stress-plagued teenage daughter currently in exams likes them and it’s hard to make her like healthy food at the moment These bars are tasty, filling AND healthy 🙂

  12. Oh my goodness! Just tried these little babies today…..and the verdict is in from my hubby and oldest daughter. Yummy! So Darrell asked when they would be ready (he thought they had to be baked) to his disappointment, they still needed to be chilled, but when I cut them while he was cutting the lawn they were a welcome surprise for an afternoon treat. This recipe is a keeper and I love that they have pumpkin seeds. Next time I will add a sprinkle of pink sea salt for after workout boost post sweat-fest, and a little extra contrast. Thanks for sharing! Yeah my family likes another healthy treat 🙂

  13. Hi! I love these and they look so good. However, I do have a small request… Can you do a post about store bought protein bars? I know you say you like these best, and I don’t disagree. But it might be nice to know which ones are good to buy off the shelves. I always go for Luna or Cliff bars, but are those really the best ones out there? My roommate is obsessed with QUEST bars, but I don’t know if those are healthy?? There are so many in the grocery stores to choose from, sometimes it gets confusing!!
    I’d love it if you can do a post about other types of store bought bars, and I think others might enjoy that read as well.
    Thank you!

  14. I just made these, and just WOW. Much tastier than anything from a store. Thanks so much for all that you do….

  15. Great bars couldn’t fine goji berries, used dried cranberries instead. Love them. Thanks

  16. What makes these hold together when they are room temperature or do they fall apart into crumbs?

  17. These sound simple, healthy & delicious! But I actually have a coconut oil allergy and am wondering what I could substitute instead? Thanks so much!

    1. Subbing with water works fine – also makes them lower calorie. Runny almond, peanut, or cashew butter would work great as well!

  18. I just made these for the first time. Very good but mine fall apart and won’t stick together. Any tips?

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