A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I could make “Energy/Protein Bars that don’t break the bank”. A box of 12 of the kind that he likes costs $25, which is $2.08 per bar. To be honest, I didn’t think that it was possible, and this experiment pretty much proved it: cost per bar ended up at $1.88, not including my time. Nuts, dried fruit, coconut butter, cocoa powder and nibs … all very pricey. I could probably bring the price down for 10 or 15 cents if I bought in huge volumes / bulk, but seeing this was an experiment, I went with normal sized purchases. Also, never having made energy bars before (and to be honest, I never really even thought about making them before now), I didn’t know how they would turn out, or if he would like them. If you like energy bars, these are pretty good. If you are “eh” on the topic of energy bars, you might not like them. I think that they are “good not great”.
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no bake… all that.
Ingredients
20 pitted dates (about 1 cup)
1-2 cups of warm water
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided (reserve a few teaspoons for sprinkling on top)
1 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup coconut butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 tablespoons cocoa nibs, divided (reserve a few teaspoons for sprinkling on top)
pinch of salt
Direction
Create a parchment paper sling for an 8 x8 inch baking pan. In a small work bowl, soak the dates in the warm water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
In your food processor, combine dates, almonds, coconut, cocoa powder, coconut butter, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse until ingredients are mixed. Don’t worry if the cashews aren’t fully chopped up; this adds texture to the bars. By hand, mix in the dried cranberries.
Place the mixture into your prepared pan and press until level, sprinkling on the reserved coconut and cocoa nibs. You can use your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to four hours. Lift the bars out of the pan by the sling and cut into bars. Enjoy immediately or wrap individually. These do not need to be refrigerated, but can be.
