Power Bars
For the past few months, I have been playing around with power bar recipes. When I'm on the go, I want to grab something that is packed with nutrition, not too sweet and plenty tasty.
I've made this power bar recipe a bunch of times now and my taste testers (that would be my husband who is a very direct and rather stringent critic) have given it their official seal of approval (that would be eating an entire tray in two days flat).
When I saw Heidi's video on power bars yesterday, I knew it was time to go ahead and post mine. For those of you who are not yet familiar with Heidi, I have mentioned her here a few times. She is my favorite food blogger and author of the delightful book, Super Natural Cooking
I love her power bar video --her voice is so soothing and the content so tranquil that it might put you into a trance. It's almost like watching a yoga video. Gorgeous shots of California's Big Sur interspersed with her recipe --what more can I say? See this delightful video yourself!
2 cups almonds (raw)
½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a Vita-Mix
(or other high speed blender))½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup unsalted creamy roasted almond butter
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup coconut oil
4 drops stevia
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
(optional)
- Place almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, almond butter and salt in a food processor
- Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds
- In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat
- Remove coconut oil from stove, stir stevia, agave and vanilla into oil
- Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste
- Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish
- Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens
- In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously
- Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens
- Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve
These no bake, high-protein, high-fiber bars are based upon Melissa Diane Smith's recipe for Amaretto Protein Bars in her book Going Against the Grain
By the way, the photo above is actually of Macadamia Power Bars. To make that recipe simply substitute raw macadamia nuts for the almonds and raw macadamia nut butter
Posted on February 1, 2008 in snacks by Elana
other entries you may like: Vanilla Almond Butter
or Candied Macadamia Nuts
or Vanilla Roasted Walnuts
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61 comments
That bar looks really good. I'm going to have to try the recipe out! Whenever I get time, I try to make my own snacks because let's face it...you can make them at home cheaper AND better for you.
Thanks for the recipe!
-W
Hey Elana,
So, I read in your profile how you do environmental consulting? The building I work in needs help, bigtime! It frustrates me how people can't even put garbage in the right receptacle and it ends up in the recycling! I received a package today that had "popcorn" in it and our mail room just told me to throw it away. I was wondering...in big buildings if they ever have interoffice recycling plans. For instance, I could offer my packaging to another mailroom that would use it. A big building is like a mini city and I get excited thinking about the possibilities for recycling. I thought I would ask you first, before I try to talk to the building management. We don't have a intranet...maybe that would have to be in place first?
btw- I made the almond flour choc. chip cookies and they are amazing!
Hi Kelly,
Since I left NYC I've not been as involved in environmental consulting, focusing more on food writing; though I'm happy to help with your question; for more information on NYC's local recycling law visit nyc.gov and check out local law 87. Since 1992 NYC has mandated that all commercial properties have a recycling program in place. A good place to start is to speak with your building manager, trash hauler or the NYC dept of sanitation.
As for the 'popcorn' issue that might not part of the city's mandated recycling program. You can save the packing peanuts in a bag by your desk and when it's full take it to Pak Mail so that they can reuse them. That's what I do.
Hope this helps and glad you liked the cookies!
Elana
These look so good, such a nice change from date-based bars. On your recommendation, I purchased the Dagoba chocodrops. I already have all the other ingredients except the stevia, so I think I'll just use sweetened shredded coconut instead. I also plan on making my own almond butter in my Cuisinart, per Gluten-Free Girl's instructions since I think it might be cheaper than the freshly-ground variety at Whole Foods.
By the way, how do you spoon out your coconut oil? I keep mine in the fridge, but it gets very hard to scoop or measure this way. Thanks, Elana!
Hi Elana;
This bar looks very interesting. I am on a gluten-free diet and also can't have coconut. Do you have any suggestions for a replacement? I am assuming I can substitute canola oil for the coconut oil.
Thanks!
W - thanks for stopping by. I completely agree about homemade food: cheaper, healthier, tastier, etc.!
~M - thanks for another great comment. I go through my coconut oil pretty quickly so do not refrigerate it, though it is still somewhat solid in the winter so I run a spoon under hot water before I dip it into the coconut oil which makes it a little easier to extract from the jar.
Diane - you could try to make this recipe work for you in a couple of different ways. One way might be to simply omit the shredded coconut altogether. Another way would be to increase the flax to make up for the missing coconut, or you could grind some almonds in the food processor and use those as a replacement. Let me know how it goes --happy experimenting!
I make several versions of energy bars as well. Nut butters, honey, and even a touch of maple syrup are great "glues" for sticking everything together! And I agree, it's often better and less expensive to make your own nut butters. I'm experimenting with coming up with a more savory energy bar right now. Something different. Sundried tomatoes, veggies, that kind of thing. Have you made anything like that? It's definitely fun to play with your food! Thanks -- you have a wonderful blog!
In good health,
Melissa
Tonight, after I had used my Cuisinart to make homemade almond butter (which is so much tastier than the freshly ground stuff at Whole Foods, which in turn is way tastier than the jarred stuff), I made these bars according to the changes I mentioned above. They are SUPER yummy! I love sweet saltiness. Next time, I'd like to incorporate some dried cranberries into the mixture, since my fiancé loves them. These will make a great treat to bring on my trip and also make sure my fiancé, who's staying behind, will have plenty of nutritious food to eat (I also left him with roasted vegetables and vegan lasagna).
By the way, I ended up making the coconut oil spoonable by putting the entire jar in a hot water bath for a few minutes, which worked great.
Elana, out of curiosity, why do you recommend raw almonds but then roasted almond butter? When I made my homemade almond butter (with a bit of salt, almond oil, and raspberry honey) I used unsalted roasted almonds, which I checked to make sure were free of flour dusting. It, too, resulted in salty sweet goodness. I can't wait to try this recipe with other nuts too! Thanks, Elana for this welcome and frugal change from commercial bars.
Hi Elana, I made these yesterday and they are brilliant. I changed the recipe slightly as I had different ingredients but they turned out great and my kids loved them!
I used cashews and cashew paste as that is what I had in the cupboard, I used an LSA mix as didn't have plain flaxseed and I can't get agave nectar in Australia so used a tablespoon of maple syrup.
Hubby loved them too and he doesn't usually like the things I make for the kids. They are GFCF and also soy and all additives, preservatives, colours, flavour free. So I pretty much have to make everything.
Thanks for a great site with some great ideas.
Heather
Melissa- I haven't yet experimented with a savory protein bar, though I've been very into pesto of late --with sundried tomatoes. If you do come up with a savory bar, please let me know, that sounds interesting.
~M-Thanks for your comment! I so enjoy hearing about other people's takes on my recipes. That is what they are there for --to experiment and play with, no rules!!! I love the idea of making the bars with homemade almond butter, I haven't made mixed up my own in the cuisinart for a couple of years now.
Per your question about almonds, I think you are referring to the almond milk recipe when you mention that I recommend raw almonds. I use raw almonds in that recipe, because if you soak them overnight they begin a "sprouting" process which activates live enzymes and contributes amazing energy to foods. Sprouting is incredible, for more info on this I would recommend reading Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions --a classic.
Your fiance is lucky that you left him some tasty bars. My husband really liked these bars too and when he went up skiing for the weekend I sent up a batch with him. They travel well. Take Care!
Heather-I am having a love affair with cashews right now. Cashew milk for smoothies and in my tea and also using cashews to make ice cream. I am glad to hear about your experiment using cashew paste for the bars and will try that out myself. So glad that both hubby and children liked this dish!
I am referring to this recipe, where you recommend 2 cups almonds (raw) and then almond butter (roasted tastes better).
I just finished the bars last night and can't wait to make more!
Oops, sorry about that! So, to answer your question, I use raw foods as much as possible because they have more live enzymes. However, for me, I like the taste of roasted almond butter A LOT more than raw almond butter. The nuttiness really comes out in the roasted. There's your answer :-)
Hi! I found you through a comment by "~M" on Gluten Free Mommy. These look amazing and I will definitely be trying them soon- I so much prefer making my own things instead of prepackaged, and I'm excited for these. :) I'm also going to have to keep an eye on this blog, your recipes look amazing!
<3 Beth
Hi Beth,
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know how you like some of these recipes as you make them. I would love to hear from you.
Elana
Hi Elana,
I LOVE these bars...what diet? ;-)
I like them even better with a bit of crunch. I find that I don't need to refrigerate before putting on the chocolate, I just press a thin layer of brown rice crisps into the mixture in the tray, then smooth on the chocolate. The chocolate keeps the crisps crunchy. I tried adding the crisps to the 'body' of the mixture but they tend to get soggy that way.
btw...I'm a web designer and I think your site looks fabulous.
Jane-
What a great idea to make the bars crunchy! I bet they taste fantastic that way. Thanks for your comment about the look of my site, it's much appreciated.
Elana
Elana, I loved these bars! Unfortunately, I didn't have chocolate at the time so I made them without. They are still yummy! They are the perfect snack. Thank you!
Elana, I am so enjoying your site, and have tried several of your wonderful recipes. I love these power bars. The last batch I made with 2 extra drops of stevia, and without the chocolate topping. I added about 1/3 cup of chopped homemade chocolate truffle to the mix once it had cooled, and before pressing it into a pan. Very yummers! Thanks so much for your effort at coming up with these great recipes! I like that this uses stevia and not much agave. I find stevia a challenge to use with sweets, without it tasting bitter, but it works really well in this.
Amanda -Thanks for the report and glad that they still worked without the chocolate which is just an addition to make them super decadent, though not necessary.
Jennifer -I know, isn't stevia a challenging ingredient to work with? For some reason it's subtle in this recipe and turns out ok. I like that you added chocolate truffle to the power bars --yum indeed and a great idea; thanks!
I was wondering what the nutritional breakdown of the bar would be?
Hi Natalie-
I don't currently have that information. I am working on a book which will very likely contain nutrition breakdowns for each dish featured in it. Thanks for stopping by.
Elana
Thanks for this recipe! We aren't a GF family but I am slightly gluten sensitive so I try to avoid it. We just this past week made a move from MI to CT and needed road snacks. I made these to take with us and they were a huge hit! My MIL who tried them during our stayover even thought they were cookies!
Lt Mascara -Thanks for the feedback, glad y'all enjoyed them.
Elana
I did the calories on this using Calorie King. I know, I know, it's not the calories, but the nutrition, but I couldn't help it :-) It amounts to about 270 for a 1.5 by 2 inch bar.
total: 4,474
divided by 20: 224
with 1 cup chocolate chips (all I could find)- 862
total: 5,336
divided by 20: 267
Katie- Thanks for posting this info which so many people have requested! You rock!!!
Elana
We just love these! You are my hero. I've looked
for many years for someone who eats like we do.
No sugar, no gluten and organic healthy recipes.
I substituted a few things...pecans and peanut butter to replace almonds, some coconut flour works great when short on flaxmeal, no vanila due to allergy and Earth Balance for half of coconut oil and they are so good they disappear in half
a day. You should have the crown!
Debbie,
Thanks for your comment and for letting us know how you revamped this recipe.
Elana
Instead of the chocolate chips, I mixed equal parts almond butter, cocoa, and coconut oil; then I used a half tablespoon agave (I only used a 1/2 T in the main recipe as well).
I dropped the almond mix by tablespoons and chilled them and then drizzled the chocolate over the top. Much lower sugar and super yummy!
I love this recipe. I have these around all the time now :)
Abigail-
This sounds delicious, thanks for sharing your version. I really appreciate it when people take "liberties" with my recipes!
Thanks,
Elana
Just made these and had to change the flax seeds as I didn't have any. I replaced the flax with sesame seeds then added an extra tablespoon of tahini to highlight the sesame. I also threw in a sprinkle of dried cranberries. I whizzed them up a bit longer too. It tasted so good before going into the pan! I don't think it even needs the chocolate it's so tasty but the hubby likes chocolate so I added a skiff of melted chocolate too as you did. I am considering making them again but instead rolling them into balls then in the chocolate for a holiday treat! Thank you for sharing your great recipe.
Nancy,
Your substitutions for this recipe are mouth watering; I will need to make it this way!
Thanks,
Elana
Your power bars look great. I'm going to make some. I notice your recipe makes 20. Would you tell me how big they are and give me an idea how many calories in each one.
Thanks
Gene Seymour
Gene - almost exactly two tablespoons is a serving :) I make mine in tablespoon drops and I get between 40-45...
Abigail
Gene -Thanks for stopping by. Please see my faq's for the answer to this and other frequently asked questions.
Abigail -Thanks :-)
I noticed that you do use a lot of almond butter and nuts.
these have saturated fats.
how do you explain the fat contents as nutritious.
I know that raw nuts have more live enzymes and are healthier.
I know they are gluten free... is there any other way to make
gluten free food without using a lot of nuts?
thanks
linda,
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. In fact, there is a decade and a half of research showing that the monounsaturated fats in nuts are full of anti-oxidants, heart healthy, lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, satiate appetite and prevent obesity.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to make gluten-free food without using a lot of nuts, however those types of recipes typically use high starch, high sugar ingredients which spike blood sugar and lack the nutrient dense compounds that nuts offer.
Hope this helps to answer your questions.
Best,
Elana
I think the recipe is fantastic but what is the actual nutritional breakdown specifically the protein- almonds are a good source but not that high in comparison to soy or milk products unfortunately. I noticed the calories have been calculated but do you have the breakdown on fiber and protein?
Morrie,
For the answer to this and other frequently asked questions, please see my faq's.
Thanks,
Elana
Hi Elana! These look great; ended up here when I tracked down Heidi's recipe again - I'm planning to make yours instead. I know you mention they get consumed quickly, but any idea how long they keep? Storage in fridge/on counter?
Thanks in advance!
Heather,
Glad you found us here and thanks for your comment.
I store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Elana
Hello Elana! What a great site. I am happy to have stumbled upon it today. I just made these bars and I find them very soft after a few minutes out of the fridge. Do you just eat them this way or would you should I try cutting back on the moist ingredients? I would love to be able to take them to work with me.
Either way the mix tasted GREAT before it was even in the pan! Thanks for the inspiration!
Onelasttime,
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
Since generally these bars are on the dry side, if anything (as you can see in the photo above) I'm just wondering if you might be making any substitutions to the recipe which might change its consistency. I ask this since so many other people have commented here that they've had an easy time with this recipe.
Please let me know how I can help.
Thanks,
Elana
Thank you for the response!
I didn't make substitutions however it is only my second time working with coconut oil and almond butter and both recipes were a little soft. I wonder if my almond oil is a bit oilier than normal? I can't remember the brand off hand.
They still taste great so i will try again. And I am hoping to make your granola soon too!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
Onelasttime,
Ok, let me know how it turns out next time you make it. If you buy your almond butter by the jar, just be sure to stir it very well and mix in all of the oil before you use it for the power bars (or anything else for that matter).
For coconut oil, I use Spectrum unrefined
; though I wouldn't think that would make much of a difference.
Keep me posted.
Elana
We have tried nearly 10 different recipes for bars and this is by far the best. Most contain too much sugar. We made this last night, and the bars are spectacular! Thank you...
Heidi -You are very welcome!
Hi,
I have been looking for a high protein, low GI, gluten free bar. The almond power bar looks delicious, so I'll try this. I am wondering how many grams of protein are in one bar. Can you tell me how to find this information?
Thanks,
Sharon
Sharon -Thanks for stopping by. Yes, just go to my faq's and there are links which you can use to obtain this information.
I finally got around to trying these -- wow! I love them! I substituted cocoa butter and part almond flour (to use them up) without incident. I was afraid the cocoa butter might make them too hard, but that didn't happen. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
@linda (who expressed concern about saturated fat content): the lipid hypothesis has been soundly disproven. Please read Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, it is the most important book on nutrition of our era.
I recently heard about your website from a friend who is now Gluten/dairy/Refined anything free. Although I don't have any food allergies I decided to try eating the same way for awhile and see how my body was effected. It's been a week so far and I'm loving it. I'm getting more creative with cooking for my family and just LOVE how many fresh, colorful, delicious ingredients I have been using as I cook. I feel healthier already. This was my first of your recipes to try, though I've scrolled through plenty, and can't wait to try some more. Thank you for sharing your research, recipes and experience here. I look forward to being a regular reader of your blog!
-Lynn
Made these tonight - minus the stevia and less chocolate. They were very good, thanks for the recipe.
Hi Elana,
I totally love your site and recipes ~ I just whipped this one up and made substitutions due to what I had on hand...added some hazelnuts to the raw almonds, used peanut butter instead of almond butter, whole chia seeds instead of flax meal, only had 1/4 c. shredded coconut but that was fine. Substituted 2 t.. xylitol grains instead of stevia. (What are your thoughts on xylitol?) Just had to melt the chocolate for topping, to which I added sesame seeds (2 T.) and cayenne (1/2 t.) Then topped it off with sprinkled sesame seeds.
One question: the big square slides out so easily for cutting, but how do you make clean cuts without breaks as you go? It all still tastes great but I wonder if there's a trick?
Thanks for the best food blog ever!
Nora
I just came across your blog and I LOVE it. I am a huge fan of Heidi!
I have a question about the bars- when they are at room temperature for a period of time, do they fall apart? Just curious because I have had this problem with some raw bars I made before.
Thanks!
Angela
Allison -Thanks for sharing your substitutions and the great book recommendation.
Lynn -Thanks so much for that sweet comment; I'm so glad you are enjoying my site!
Karen -Thanks for sharing your alterations to the recipe and you are very welcome :-)
Nora -Thanks for the compliments. I cut them with a very sharp knife and they hold together fairly well.
Angela -Thanks so much for stopping by. I haven't had problems with these breaking, though we eat them up within a day or two after I make them so I'm not sure I'm really answering your question all that well...
Yay! I'm glad I came across this recipe again. I've been gluten-free for years, but I just recently cut out corn and drastically cut down on rice. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to eat next weekend in Las Vegas =). (I'm also vegetarian and allergic to dairy.) I'm thinking I will make some of these, and maybe your banana walnut muffins and granola, since most of my meals will probably consist of vegetables and maybe beans and a little tofu, depending on what I can find. Thanks for all your recipes, I always love seeing them!
Power Bars are our favorite!!! I've made these multiple times and they are so simple and always yummy. They never last in my house more than 3 days and that is stretching it!
For anyone else allergic to cane sugar I melt 3 TBL coconut oil, 3 TBL roasted almond butter, ~2 TBL raw cacao, 1-2 TBL agave over low heat on the stove top and use that as my chocolate topping. It works great as long as you don't leave the bars out of the fridge for too long on a hot day because the coco oil will melt.
My husbands only complaint: This recipe dies NOT make 20 bars, (he thinks) it makes 10 :-)
Hello,
I'm allergic to almonds. Are cashews my only other option or would peanut butter and peanuts work (organic)?
Natalie, I love this recipe with cashew nut butter and pecans. I am allergic to almonds, too. Peanut butter and pecans are good too.
These look really good!
Can you freeze them? I'm trying to have 'portable' snacks that I can make ahead.
Thanks!
[...] homemade yogurt w/ fruit sauce and perhaps some power bars L: doctored up sardines (w/ salsa verde, sour cream, and avocado), salad. Leftover taco meat for K [...]
Hi Elana! Thank you so much for this recipe--I didn't substitute a single thing, and both my husband and I LOVE them!
Just wondering if you have thought of using
coconut milk before.
thanks