Recipe: Easy Homemade Energy Bars

Do any of you keep a long “recipes to try” list? I do, in the form of (probably way too many) bookmarks in my browser. Homemade energy bars have been on my list for a while, and I finally got around to whipping them up on a quiet Friday evening, so I could take some along on Saturday for post-cross country race refueling.

Though I’d read multiple blog posts on how to make energy bars and understood the basic ingredients (dates are the one mandatory requirement) and technique, I decided to look at The Kitchn for more specific guidance. All you need is 1 cup of dates, 1 cup of nuts (your choice), and 1 cup of dried fruit (your choice). You can also add spices — I forgot, but next time I’ll sprinkle in some cinnamon and may also throw in a handful of oats to give the bars a bit more heft.

Homemade energy bars are so quick to make and taste delicious. They’re all-natural — just nuts and dried fruit — so you’re getting a lot of nutrition and energy in just a couple of bites. Two of my running club mates liked them so much that they asked for the recipe (here it is, J and B!).

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Easy Homemade Energy Bars (adapted from The Kitchn; makes 12-16 small bars)

Ingredients

1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup dried fruit of choice (I used 1/2 cup dried apricots + 1/2 cup raisins)
1 cup nuts of choice (I used 1/2 cup peanuts + 1/2 cup almonds)
optional: cinnamon or other spices, to taste
optional: 1/8-1/4 cup oats

Procedure

Put all the ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until everything breaks down and starts to form into a ball, 1-3 minutes. (You may have to stop periodically to scrape the mixture down from the sides or off the blade.)
Place the sticky mass on a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface, and use your fingers to press it out into a rectangle — press less for thicker bars, more for thinner ones.
Wrap the rectangle in plastic and chill for at least one hour, then cut into bars and store in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!