First posted: Nov 12, 2015
Power Bars (Gluten and Sugar Free)
These are good. These are packed full of all kinds of natural, nutritious, healthy, delicious amazingness; they are no-bake and take about 10 minutes to make; and they are the perfect alternative pick-me-up when all you want to do mid-afternoon is pick up a sweet fizzy drink or another coffee or a bag of something sugary and scarily processed. Rob and Sophie get sent off to work and school (respectively) with one or two in their lunchboxes, and this version has a nice chocolatiness to it which Sophie gave a very enthusiastic four-year-old thumbs up to yesterday when she helped me make them.
A few caveats before I continue – I make just palm-sized guys, because they’re so nutrient-dense and quite sweet, that’s all you need. Also, they have dates in them, and they are very high in natural sugars (fructose) – in fact, I always explain them to Sophie as ‘nature’s caramels’, so tread lightly, just one at a time will do. This is why I balance out the bulk of the recipe with lower-sugar dried fruits like apricots or cranberries. On the flip side, there are lots of slow energy releasing ingredients, like dried apricots and ground almonds and mixed seeds; and food superheroes like cacao, baobab powder, chia seeds and coconut oil. Finally, you might need to go on a hunt to the nearest health shop to find a few of the ingredients, and they can be a little on the pricey side. You won’t regret it though, because they’re unrefined and release good, healthy energy slowly, a little bit goes a really long way. And just build up bit by bit, if you leave something off the list below it’s not a train smash. Buy one or two ingredients a month and add them to your stash.
Ingredients
Cooks in: Serves:Makes about 24
- 1 cup blanched almonds (or 1 cup ground almonds; or raw cashew nuts)
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds (if available, don't worry if not)
- 1 cup dates (loosely packed)
- 1 cup dried apricots or cranberries
- 1/4 cup mixed seeds
- 1 Tbsp cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp baobab powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup nut butter (I like macadamia, but peanut butter is also fine; this time I used a cacao nut butter, so it's very chocolatey)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- (You could also add in 1/2 cup oats and/or 1/2 cup dessicated coconut)
What to do
1. Add the almonds and chia seeds to the bowl of your food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs. 2. Add the dates and apricots/cranberries to a large heat-proof bowl or glass jug and cover with hot water. Leave to soak while you blend the almonds. 3. Once the almonds are the right consistency, drain the dried fruit (reserving the liquid) and add to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Blitz well for up to 5 minutes, until you have a fairly smooth, sticky paste. Add in a little of the reserved fruit-soaking water as you blend if you need to. You don't want the mixture to be too wet though as then you won't get nice solid bars. 4. Tip the mixture into your lined baking tray, and spread and smooth out using the back of a tablespoon (dipped in water from time to time so it doesn't stick to the mixture). 5. Place the baking tray in the freezer for up to an hour, remove and cut into squares. Wrap in baking paper and store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. Photo Credit: @CurtisGallon
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Gluten Free
Refined-sugar Free
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