Energy Bars Recipe. High Protein. All Variations

Energy Bars

Energy Bars. Let me start by listing a few things about this bars that will make you happy:

• NO store bought energy bars will come close to anything you will whip up at home.
• Homemade bars will take you just a few minutes
• Mine are high in protein: high protein energy bars are the holy grail
• A batch will make you a good 3 dozen bars
• Mix and match flavors. You can divide your basic batch into smaller batches, and add the add-ins of your choice in each smaller batch
• Best of all, homemade energy bars will cost you a fraction of the price of store bought, and you are sure your selections are all natural and wholesome.

Energy Balls

Follow exact same recipe.
Shape into walnut-size balls.
Squeeze the balls hard to compact them, so they maintain their firm texture

Protein Powder

The selections of protein powders seem infinite, and it can be quite daunting to choose the right one.

But you can follow the same guidelines as for any food items: Short and sweet ingredient list; natural ingredients; no sugar; unflavored or natural flavors and sweeteners.
They can at first seem quite expensive, but remember you are getting a whole mini meal every time you use them!

These (Pictured above) are some of the protein powder brands I use regularly, I am including them, just to get you started.

Date Paste

I love to use Date paste, all ready and softened for you. No extra moisture, malleable and delicious. Recommending the Date Lady Date Paste, (and all this brand’s excellent product line): super short ingredient list and very good price.
Of course in the absence of ready date paste, no problem soaking pitted medjool dates in warm water and draining thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe. You want nice chewy-firm texture, which means you dont want any extra moisture.

Ingredients

Yields about 3 dozen bars, or about 60 balls

Read all ingredients options before you make your selection. Play with all your options and get different exciting flavors with each batch!

• 1 pound date paste (link in intro), warmed in microwave
• 1 cup Tehina, peanut butter or almond butter, warmed in microwave
• 1 cup of your favorite protein powder (Suggested choices in intro. I use unflavored. If you like your energy bars a little sweeter, use a stevia-sweetened protein powder. The one I use most often is the PB2 Brand, peanut butter cocoa flavor)
• 1 cup egg white powder, collagen or gelatin powder
• 2 cups chopped roasted almonds or hazelnuts
• 1 cup finely ground old fashioned oats (or ground unblanched almonds if you would rather have a totally grain-free energy bar)
• 3 tablespoons psyllium powder

 I instruct you to microwave the date paste and the nut/seed butter, so they blend perfectly. Do not skip this step

Optional add-ins

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup cocoa nibs
• no nuts: use roasted seeds in the same measure (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia) and seed butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Substitutions

• Can’t have nuts? Use sunflower seed butter and seeds of your choice
• Don’t have date paste? Soak 2 cups pitted dates in warm water for a good few minutes, and drain. 
• Play with other fruit pastes: Apricot, prune, fig. Always unsweetened.
• Can’t afford the natural sweetness of dates or other dried fruit pastes? Replace with 2 cups unblanched almond powder, and add about 1 cup dark erythritol, or a few packets/teaspoons stevia or truvia. In this case you might need something sticky to bind the mixture. I would do 2 to 3 egg whites. Or two very ripe bananas (in this case increase the psyllium to 1/4 cup to insure the bars are nice and firm.

Instructions