Easy & nutritious power bar recipes
Power bars are the ideal portable snack, especially when they’re homemade. Better than store-bought power bars, which may contain hidden sugars and chemicals, DIY all-natural power bars deliver essential protein, healthy fats, and fiber quickly and easily. What’s more, they’re cost-effective, they let you control the ingredients, and you can adapt them to your dietary strictures. Here are four power bar recipes to energize and satisfy you.
1. Honey almond power bars
Time: 75 minutes
This power bar contains nuts, seeds, oats, and almond butter, which makes it great for breakfast on the go. Moreover, these power bars are dairy-free, high in fiber, low in sodium, and vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 cup whole-grain puffed cereal
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup dried apricots
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of cardamom
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, add oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, cereal, cranberries, apricots, and raisins
- Toss to combine
- In a saucepan, add the almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt
- Heat on medium low, stirring until the mixture lightly bubbles (5 minutes or so)
- Pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients
- Mix with a spoon or spatula until everything is covered
- Transfer to the prepared pan
- Press the mixture down firmly with your hands
- Refrigerate until firm (about an hour)
- Cut into 8 bars
2. Peanut power bars
Time: 75 minutes
This bar, high in carbohydrates, is filled with nuts, seeds, fruit, and oats, making it a great grab n’ go pre-workout snack. Best of all, it’s dairy-free and vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry roasted salted peanuts
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups toasted rice cereal
- Pinch of cinnamon
Directions
- Coat a 9 in. x 13 in. baking pan with cooking spray
- In a large bowl the peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, oats, rice cereal, and wheat germ
- In a second large, microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey
- Microwave contents of second bowl until it bubbles (about 60 seconds)
- Add the vanilla and cinnamon
- Stir until blended
- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients
- Stir until coated
- Transfer the mixture to the sprayed baking pan
- Press down firmly with your hands
- Allow to harden for 60 minutes
- Cut into bars
3. Apricot–walnut power bars
Time: 100 minutes
These all-natural power bars are packed with protein, And they contain a secret ingredient: silken tofu. Packed with fiber, healthy fats, and protein, these power bars will fuel you for hours.
You will need a food processor.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 cups puffed-grain Kashi cereal
- 2 cups chopped dried apricots
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces silken tofu, drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Coat a large pan with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, add oats, walnuts, puffed cereal, dried apricots, flour, and salt
- Stir to combine
- In a food processor, purée the tofu, egg, oil, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth
- make a well in the center of the oat mixture
- Fold in the tofu mixture until combined
- Spread evenly in the prepared pan
- Bake 40 minutes until firm in the center and golden brown
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars
4. Chocolate fruit and nut power bars
Time: 60-90 minutes
These homemade power bars, packed with healthy fats, protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, are ideal as a morning snack and pre- and post-workout meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw chopped peanuts
- 1/2 cup crispy brown rice cereal
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup dried blueberries
- 6 chopped dried apricots
- 4 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 5 tablespoons agave syrup
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325° F
- line the bottom and sides of a square 8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, add the peanuts, rice cereal, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, blueberries, apricots, and chocolate chips together
- Drizzle with agave syrup
- Stir until combined
- Spread the mixture in the prepared pan
- Press the mixture down with your hands
- Bake until the mixture turns golden at the edges (30 minutes or so)
- Allow to cool for 15 to 30 minutes
- Cut into 6 bars
References
- “10 Easy Recipes for Homemade Energy Bars,” Shape, January 22, 2015.
- “20 Power Bar Recipes to Amp Up Your Energy,” Brit+Co, May 12, 2014.
- “How To Make 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home,” Kitchn, January 10, 2017.
- “How to Make Homemade Protein Power Bars,” Men’s Health, March 15, 2017.
