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!