The idea of an energy bar is so appealing. Something you can throw into your bag to fish out when hunger strikes. The prepackaged energy bars that you find at your local market have the right idea—most are made with a lot of great ingredients like nuts, shredded coconut, and dried fruit . . . however, it’s the extra ingredients added in that go and ruin the whole thing. The biggest culprit is sugar. So I don’t purchase energy bars at the store. I simply bake them myself.
Now you too may create homemade, wholesome, no-suspicious-ingredient energy bars with this simple recipe. These Quinoa Energy Bars are made with energizing ingredients like quinoa, almond meal, walnuts, and raisins. You can also transform them into a dessert by simply warming them up and spreading them with coconut butter and raw honey—yum!
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 tablespoons raw honey
2¼ cups water
2 eggs
½ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup Almond Meal
1 tablespoon coconut flour
¼ cup arrowroot starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup black raisins
In a small pot, combine the quinoa, 1 tablespoon of the honey, and 2 cups of the water. Place over medium heat to reach a low boil, then decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease 12 mini loaf pans with coconut oil. If you are using pans that aren’t nonstick, then it’s a good idea to line the bottoms with parchment paper in addition to greasing with coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, melted coconut oil, remaining 1/4 cup water, remaining 1 tablespoon honey, and vinegar. Mix until fully combined.
In another bowl, combine the almond meal, coconut our, arrowroot starch, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix until fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the cooked quinoa, walnuts, and raisins. Reserve a handful of walnuts and raisins to sprinkle over the tops of the bars.
Divide the batter among the 12 mini loaf pans, filling them just about halfway and smoothing out the tops. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved walnuts and raisins.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden and set. Let the bars cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy as a nutritious, energy- packed, on-the-go snack.
Calories: 288
Fat: 19g
Carbohydrates: 23g
Sodium: 128mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 6g
Sugar: 7g