Breakfast bars, snack bars, granola bars, energy bars? Call them what you will, these homemade healthy energy bars are just perfect for grabbing on the run, lunchbox material or sitting down with a cuppa. They’re not only healthy but very tasty too. Packed full of energy boosting ingredients, the recipe is virtually fat free and contains no dairy and no refined sugar.
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Do you sometimes have an urgent desire to bake? I seem to get it quite frequently. One such day, I was pondering what to make. I’d recently baked a batch of brownies and we had a lot of Easter chocolate in the house, so I was keen for something a little less sugar and butter laden.
Cue energy bars. I was initially inspired by Carl Legge’s recipe for Breakfast Muesli Bars. He uses no sugar other than fruit and no butter, but unusually adds egg and tea.
I’d also had my eye on Pam Corbin’s Fruit and Nut Honey Bars from her book Cakes for a while. Hers do incorporate rather a lot of sugar though. So using a bit of one, a bit of the other and a bit of my own, I came up with some very delicious, but healthy energy bars.
Dive Right In
- What Is An Energy Bar?
- Healthy Energy Bars
- Ingredients And Variations
- How To Make Healthy Energy Bars
- Smoked Chilli Energy Bars
- Other Recipes For Healthy Sweet Bakes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
What Is An Energy Bar?
Energy bars are generally ready-made cereal bars that contain protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibre and various micronutrients. Healthy ones are great for boosting energy before, during and after exercise. They make a convenient on-the-go snack and can stand in for breakfast or lunch when you’re in a rush.
Such bars typically contain cereals such as oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. But beware, many commercial brands are packed with sugar, fat and goodness knows what else. Read your ingredients carefully, or better still make a batch of my healthy energy bars.
Healthy Energy Bars
The first time I baked these healthy energy bars, I made them with an egg. However, I’ve now refined the recipe somewhat to make them almost wholly plant-based. The only ingredient that isn’t is honey. And if you’re wanting to make these bars vegan, that’s easily sorted out. Just use vegan honey, maple syrup or agave syrup instead.
To replace the egg, I’ve added a little peanut butter and chia seeds for the protein, fat and binding elements. These together with sticky dates and honey hold the bars together wondrously well.
The real secret though is soaking the dried fruit in tea and orange juice before mixing in the dry ingredients. It works a treat.
Not only are these bars full of energy, they are very tasty too. There’s plenty in there to enliven your palate. With their chewy texture and contrasting crunchy nuts and toasted seeds, “this is the slowest fast food you’ll meet”, quipped CT. Even he couldn’t gulp them down in two seconds.
I’ve tried to make these energy bars as healthy as possible and they’re mostly refined sugar-free. However, I used 70% dark chocolate in this recipe, so there is a trace of sugar to be found. Luckily, you can easily sort this and use 100% chocolate for a completely sugar free version.
The only fat comes in the form of nuts, seeds and a little peanut butter. As for the carbs, they mostly come in the form of healthy oats and dried fruit.
For a gluten-free version, just make sure you use gluten-free oats and swap the malted wheat flakes for jumbo oats.
Ingredients And Variations
There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe. But the variety of textures and flavours they all bring make this totally worth it.
There are so many variations you can make to these energy bars, the possibilities are endless really. Just go with whatever nuts, dried fruit, seeds and grain flakes you have in the cupboard. Just keep the ratios the same.
Dried Fruit
It’s a good idea to stick to the dates as they’re not only very sweet but have a good sticky quality which helps bind the bars together. But other than that pretty much anything goes.
Swapping the apricots for prunes is one of my favourite variations. Like dates, prunes have a glorious sticky quality which helps withe the binding, but they also give a lovely depth of flavour.
I like to use goji berries and dried wild blueberries for their health giving qualities rather than their deliciousness. But there are lots of other options out there and some of them are much tastier. Dried cranberries, raisins, sour cherries and white mulberries are all good substitutes.
Tea
A warm flavoursome liquid like tea is ideal for soaking the fruit in. I use rooibos because that’s the tea I drink most often. When I remember, I add a slice of fresh ginger whilst it’s brewing.
Earl Grey is a particularly good tea for these healthy energy bars. Its distinctive bergamot flavour highlight the orange’s citrusy notes. But pretty much any type of tea should work.
Orange
Orange gives freshness and zing to the bars. Try to use an organic orange if you can, as we use the zest as well as the juice for this recipe.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter gives a little fat and a bit of additional protein to these energy bars. But more importantly it helps to bind them together. I use smooth peanut butter, but crunchy is fine too. Just make sure the peanut butter is as pure as possible. The best contain only peanuts and salt.
Instead of peanut butter, you can use cashew nut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter or tahini. I think I’ve covered them all, but if you know of a nut or seed butter I haven’t come across, do tell.
Honey
There are so many flavours going on in these healthy energy bars, there’s not much point in using specialist honey. Having said that, it’s always good to support local beekeepers if you can.
Grains
Most energy bars are made with oats and mine are no exception. Porridge oats (rolled oats) are good for absorbing moisture and flavour and jumbo oats are good for texture. The majority of the oats in my recipe are the finer ones, but there are some of the larger ones too.
I’ve also included malted wheat flakes which have a lovely flavour and give additional texture. However, it’s fine to substitute them for more jumbo oats if that’s all you have. Also if you want to make these bars gluten-free, don’t use the wheat flakes and ensure that the oats are labelled gluten-free.
Nuts And Seeds
When it comes to the nuts and seeds part of the recipe, you can really ring the changes. I’ve used brazil nuts, but any nuts will work. Or if you’re not sure, go with a mix of nuts instead of sticking to one type.
The linseeds and chia seeds both help to bind the ingredients together as there is no egg to do this. They are, of course, highly nutritious too. If you don’t have both, use more of the one you do have, but it’s nice to go with the two if you can.
Sprinkling seeds over the top, gives a lovely contrasting crunch to the chewy bar beneath. The seeds roast as the bars bake. I like to use pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for contrasting colour as well as the different health properties they bring.
Sesame seeds and poppy seeds are good alternatives. Or try a mix of both black and white sesame seeds.
Chocolate
It’s an unexpected pleasure when you take a bite of these energy bars and get a burst of chocolatey goodness. I highly recommend adding a few chunks of it.
If you want to keep the bars refined-sugar-free you’ll need to make sure the chocolate is 100%. However, I mostly use 70% as it’s more palatable and generally cheaper too. The amount of sugar in the chocolate is negligible compared to the rest of the ingredients, so I’m happy for the sugar-free credentials to slide a bit.
It’s hard to buy good quality chocolate chips, so either go with couverture chocolate buttons or roughly chop up a bar of chocolate.
Spices
I haven’t added any spices to these healthy energy bars. I don’t think they need them as there are so many flavours going on. However, if you fancy a bit of spice a teaspoon of mixed spice, pumpkin spice or cinnamon will add warm spicy notes.
When I first created these bars, I used smoked chilli honey instead of ordinary honey. So that’s always an option too. See the section on Smoked Chilli Energy Bars for more on this.
How To Make Healthy Energy Bars
Although the variety of ingredients in these healthy energy bars means a bit of extra time spent weighing and measuring, the method is so simple they take virtually no time to prepare at all. If you want to get ahead though, soak the fruit overnight.
You’ll find all ingredients and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1. Soak Fruit
Make a small pot of your chosen tea and allow it to cool a little.
Roughly chop the dates and apricots and place in a large bowl. Add the goji berries, blueberries, linseeds and chia seeds, then pour the warm tea over the top.
Grate in the orange zest, then squeeze in the juice.
Stir everything together, then cover the bowl with a suitable sized plate and leave it to soak for at least fifteen minutes. Overnight is ideal.
Step 2. Melt Peanut Butter
Whilst the fruit is soaking, put the honey and peanut butter in a small pan. Place over a low heat and melt them together until runny. Leave to cool a little, then stir into the soaked fruit.
Step 3. Mix
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir everything together with a sturdy metal spoon until everything is well combined.
Lightly grease your tin or line it with baking paper if you prefer. I use a silicone mould* as there’s no need to line it and it makes the job of removing the finished bake really easy.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin.
Smooth and level the top by pressing it down with the back of a sturdy metal spoon. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the top.
Step 4. Bake
Place on the middle shelf of your preheated oven. Then bake until golden and the seeds look nicely roasted, but not actually brown.
Place the tin on a wire rack to cool, then cut into fifteen bars. Just be careful not to damage your tin or silicone mould.
Store in an airtight container and eat within eight days. The seeds will become less crunchy over time. For optimum crunchiness, eat on the day of baking.
Smoked Chilli Energy Bars
Smoked chilli energy bars may sound a little odd. But when I was sent a pot of Mexican Smoked Chilli Honey from Gran Luchito to try out, I thought I’d give them a go.
The smoked Mexican chilli gives an intriguing and unexpected nudge to the senses, with the fiery chilli and smoky flavour coming through quite quickly. It’s not your average energy bar for sure.
It wasn’t until I was set on an unstoppable course that I tasted the smoked chilli honey and actually read the ingredients. The aroma from the jar was distinctly savoury as well as smokey.
I discovered that onion, garlic and vinegar are added as well as the smoked chillies and honey. OK, not quite what I’d been expecting. But my Marmite brownies worked so why not this?
Sweet, savoury and distinctly hot, this is the sort of condiment which I’ve shown can be added to sweet as well as savoury dishes. My energy bars were not only robust enough to take this powerful flavour, but were actually enhanced by it.
If you fancy trying out smoked chilli energy bars, just swap the honey in the recipe for chipotle chilli honey*. Then let me know what you think.
Other Recipes For Healthy Sweet Bakes You Might Like
- Breakfast banana bread
- Cashew nut butter brownies
- Carrot cake with cashew icing (vegan)
- Chocolate coconut cannellini cake (vegan)
- Coconut chocolate chip cookies
- Malted superfood bars (vegan)
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these healthy energy bars, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making refined sugar-free bales?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more refined sugar-free recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Healthy Energy Bars. PIN IT.
Healthy Energy Bars: Dairy And Refined Sugar Free
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g dates dried and ready pitted
- 100 g dried apricots (I used unsulphured)
- 25 g goji berries
- 25 g dried blueberries (I used dried wild blueberries)
- 25 g linseeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 125 ml warm tea (I used rooibos with a slice of fresh ginger)
- 1 organic orange zest and juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 150 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
- 50 g jumbo oats
- 50 g malted wheat flakes or just use more jumbo oats
- 50 g brazil nuts roughly chopped
- 50 g dark chocolate roughly chopped (I used 70%)
- 25 g sunflower seeds
- 25 g pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Roughly chop the dates and apricots and place in a large bowl.100 g dates, 100 g dried apricots
- Add the goji berries, blueberries, linseeds and chia seeds.25 g goji berries, 25 g dried blueberries, 25 g linseeds, 1 tbsp chia seeds
- Pour the warm tea over the top.125 ml warm tea
- Grate in the zest of an organic orange, then squeeze in the juice.1 organic orange
- Stir everything together, then cover the bowl with a suitable sized plate and leave it to soak for at least fifteen minutes.
- Whilst the fruit is soaking, put the honey and peanut butter in a small pan. Place over a low heat and melt them together until runny. Leave to cool a little, then stir into the fruit.2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp peanut butter
- Meanwhile set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir everything together with a sturdy metal spoon until everything is combined.150 g rolled oats (porridge oats), 50 g jumbo oats, 50 g malted wheat flakes, 50 g brazil nuts, 50 g dark chocolate
- Scrape the mixture into a 23 cm (9 inch) square silicone mould or lined tin.
- Smooth and level the top by pressing down on it with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the seeds over the top.25 g sunflower seeds, 25 g pumpkin seeds
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The seeds should look roasted, but not actually brown and the oat mix golden.
- Allow to cool, then cut into 12 or 15 bars.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sending these healthy energy bars off to Vanesther of Bangers & Mash for The Spice Trail where it’s all things Mexican this month. In fact the prize offered this time is some Gran Luchito goodies including this honey. So enter and you might get lucky.
These refined sugar-free snacks also fit in very nicely to this month’s Family Foodies where, to counteract all the chocolate floating about over Easter, the theme is Healthy Snacks. Lou of Eat Your Veg is hosting but alternates with Venesther of Bangers & Mash.
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Karlie says
I had a lot of dates sitting around in my fridge and this was the perfect use for them. Delicious and they save well too.
Choclette says
Glad the energy bars helped use up your dates. And yes, they keep really well. Thanks for feeding back.
Cindy says
So much flavor! I love soaking the fruit in tea! Brilliant!
Choclette says
Yes indeed. It gives an unexpected, but delightful tone to the bars.
Erin says
We loved these energy bars and will use them for hikes this winter! I replaced the honey with agave to make them vegan and they turned out terrific!
Choclette says
That’s great Erin. Indeed they work well with agave and maple syrup too. Thanks for letting us know and enjoy your hiking.
Sam says
These bars are so healthy and they taste amazing too! Will be great to make ahead and take to work.
Holly says
I love so many of your recipes and these bars are fabulous! The blend of flavors is spot on and pairs so well with a cup of hot tea. Thank you!
Choclette says
Thank you Holly, that’s lovely to hear. A pick-me-up energy bar is so useful to have on hand.
Lou, Eat Your Veg says
What a truly inspiring and unique recipe Choclette, and certainly the most flavoursome energy bars I’ve ever come across! Choca full of good stuff too. The chilli honey’s sublime isn’t it, great for baking with adding quite a subtle flavour. Thanks so much for linking up your fabulous recipe to Family Foodies ‘Healthy Snacks’ event.
bangers-and-mash.com says
These look incredible – absolutely packed full of big flavours and so healthy too. Plus I adore Gran Luchito’s chilli honey so these are a real winner with me. Great entry for this month’s Spice Trail challenge. Thanks so much for sharing.
Sylvia F. says
Wow, what a combo! They look so scrumptious!
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
Amazingly healthy and quite delicious-sounding! Great combination of fruit, nuts and oats. I particularly love the use of the tea in there alongside the honey!
The Caked Crusader says
I’m a total chilli nut so these get a bit ‘yes’ from me!
Jane Sarchet says
Bet they taste great Choccy, fancy giving them a bash myself 🙂
Janie x
Deena Kakaya says
Dont think I would have thought to add smoked chilli to energy bars and I love that it was your first thought to put them into bakes! they certainly look gorgeous and nutritious with a good amount of sweetness and crunch x
Emma Julia says
I wonder if the additional savoury flavours in the bars created an almost umami flavour?
These sound simply delicious.
fiona maclean says
They look very good and errrmmm almost healthy:)
Elizabeth says
That honey sounds fantastic! Mmm smoked chilli… yum! I like what you’ve done with it too; a great on-the-go breakfast idea.
Ren Behan says
I have some of the smoked chilli honey left and also smoked chocolate chips! Could be a match made in heaven as I haven’t been able to think of anything else to do with them :-))
Nayna Kanabar says
This sounds like an interesting combination of ingredients.
Karen Booth says
I love that smoked chilli honey! I could inhale it!! Lovely little bars!
Karen Booth says
I love that smoked chilli honey! I could inhale it!! Lovely little bars!
Janice Pattie says
Sounds great, lovely crunchy seeds
belleau kitchen says
what a genius idea… and healthy no? love the chilli and chocolate, im so intrigued by the smokey flavour too.
Johanna GGG says
I love smoky flavours and find these bars something I would like to try – the honey sounds quite something – I love honey but it is so sweet that some smoky chilli sounds a great idea (though not too much chilli please). And it made me smile to see this recipe so soon after you found my coconut bacon chocolate bark an odd mixture of flavours 🙂 I think you might enjoy it after all
Aunt Bee says
Smoked Chili Honey sounds delicious!!!
Carl Legge says
Great stuff Choclette, I love to see how recipes develop, coalese and make new things. I will certainly give this a try.