Homemade Energy Bars

 

Okay, this is not exactly an "upgrade" despite being in this area of my site. But the proper engine fuel when you are triking long distances, matters. I got tired of paying inflated prices for so-called energy bars, and decided to upgrade the junk in stores by making my own energy bars instead. Here's the recipe I came up with. The mix makes about three dozen small bars. It works well for me, so in the hope that you will like it too:

  •      1 C muesli (I get mine from bulk bins at the local health food store - organic oats and other organic ingredients, no GMO "foods" here please)
  •      1 C whole wheat flour or spelt flour or gluten free flour if celiac disease is an issue
  •      2 tsp baking powder (I use the kind without aluminum or similar toxic additives, from the local health food store)
  •      1/2 C raw sunflower seeds
  •      1/2 C whatever other nuts you have on hand or can gather from your own trees (there are several large nut trees growing wild down the road - we gather those and dry them every fall)
  •      1/2 C organic flame raisins (every other type contains sulfur and other chemical preservatives)
  •      1 C organic coconut milk (do not use non-organic, as this stuff is laced with pesticides otherwise)
  •      1/2 C organic peanut butter (same caveat)
  •      1/4 C oil (cold pressed grape-seed oil works well - no trans-fats or other horrors. You can easily distill your own oils if you have a small garden. How-to directions at you local library.)
  •      1C orange juice
  •      water as needed
  •      OPTIONAL: add a sprinkling of carob powder, coconut flakes, or whatever grabs your fancy. I particularly like to add black crushed cardamon seeds, but YMMV.

Preheat oven to 190 C. (Quiz: Guess how many countries in the world do not use the metric system. Give up? Two - both of them somewhat backwards, ha ha.)

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet and mix completely. Add a little water until the mixture is wet but not runny - sort of like a loose mud. Then drip about a teaspoon or so per cookie onto a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 20-30 mins until brownish. When done and cooled,  I put most of the cookies into freezer bags, then into the freezer. I take out just a few to thaw the night before I ride. They keep much fresher for much longer this way.

These taste good, give lots of energy, and are not heavy in the stomach while riding hard and fast. Enjoy.