One of the first things I used the oven for as a plant-based eater was energy bars.
A lot better to make your own in my opinion, as a lot of the bars you find in grocery stores are ridiculously sweet, are gone in two bites, are full of weird chemical-sounding ingredients, and cost a bomb. With your own energy bars, you can decide what goes into it, and you end up with a whole lot of hefty, wholesome bars to last you a long time at a fraction of the price.
The important thing in this recipe and all plant-based cake/cookie baking is having a binder ingredient, which keeps the mixture together and reduces crumbling once it’s ready to eat. In this recipe, it is chia seeds.
There’s no hard and fast rule to bar-baking. Feel free to experiment with your own ingredient combinations, like adding different kinds of grains, nuts and fruits in your own preferred ratios. Also a fun recipe to make with kids!
I particularly love bringing them along on my travels and hiking trips. Perfect also to have as breakfast on-the-go or as a quick nutritious snack in between meals. Goes great with coffee!
For gluten-free bars, check out my recipe for Peanut Choc Protein Bites.
Simple Energy Bars
Wholesome and tasty bars to have as breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack or to keep handy at the office, travels or hiking.
Ingredients
- BASE:
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup dried fruits
- 1/3 cup nuts / seeds
- 1/2 cup dark choc chips
Directions
- Step 1 Mash bananas in a large bowl.
- Step 2 Add oats, peanut butter, chia seeds and milk. Stir until it becomes an even mixture.
- Step 3 If you wish to use additional ingredients, add those in and stir until even.
- Step 4 Spread mixture across a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Step 5 Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 6 Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into bars or squares.
