Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Homemade Energy Bar with Coconut Flour

Homemade Energy Bars #glutenfree

Coconut Flour with Dark Chocolate Energy Bars made fresh in your own home! These are great for a grab-and-go energy food. Easy to make and even better to eat!

Whether you use these healthy energy bars as a pre-workout snack or to refuel and recover post-workout, you'll be getting the nutrition your body needs without all the sugars, preservatives and other unknowns in the store purchased brands.

Why coconut oil ? Coconut oil can reduce your appetite helping you eat less without even trying. It boost metabolism and helps increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Healthy, real-food.  If you want to learn more, check out Coconut Research Center.

Homemade Energy Bars #glutenfree

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup granola
- 1 cup coconut flour (organic)
- 1 1/2 cup uncooked oats
- 1 cup coconut oil (yes, this will keep your bars moist)
- 1 cup hole hazelnuts (any nut you enjoy)
- 1 cup raw honey (local)
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 cup raisin (soak for ten minutes in warm water)
- 3 eggs
- 3 or 4 tablespoons almond butter
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
- 3 tablespoons flax seed (whole)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- hand full or 2 of dark chocolate chips or break-up favorite chocolate bar into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Other options:
- Dried figs
- Lemon rind / peel
- Organic rice pop or leftover cooked rice
- Any dry fruit
- Almond flour
- Any unsweetened cereal
- Crystallized ginger





Tools:
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Big, strong spoon
- 2 Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife


Homemade Energy Bars #glutenfree

Truth be known, I added most ingredients from my pantry that were going to expire or I only had a small portion left. You don't have to follow this recipe to the 'T', but add what you enjoy eating and what you have in your pantry. Cooking is about having fun and enjoying your food!

1. In a big bowl add the eggs, vanilla, honey, coconut oil, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter and mix with a blender or with a big wooden spoon. It will be lumpy. That's OK.

2. In the same bowl, mix in the raisins, dates, and hazelnuts

3. Using the other clean bowl, add all other dry ingredients: Cinnamon, coconut flour, granola, oats, flax seed, chocolate chips or smashed bar (I used Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Imported From Belgium one pound bar).

4. Add the dry mix to the wet batter and stir with the big wooden spoon.

5. Pre-heat oven to about 325 degrees, place the parchment paper on the cookie sheet.

6. Using your spoon, dump batter on parchment paper and press batter down to make a flat 1 inch thick, massive bar. Use your hands and spoon to flatten out bumpy areas. Your hands will get sticky. It's OK. Cook bar for about 30 to 35 minutes. Checking in on the bar after 25 minutes. You do not want to burn the edges.

7. Once cooked, take parchment paper and massive bar out of the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes. Once cold, place on cutting board and cut into fun size bars. You can freeze a few, gift a few to your co-workers, and enjoy the rest. These bars last up to 4 months in the freeze.

These are great with ice cream, too!


Homemade energy bar recipes right here -- Snappyliving.com




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