Homemade Protein Bars

One of my favorite things to make these days is raw protein bars. My fetish began about a year ago when I learned to make date energy balls, which are basically just dates, nuts, and maybe some coconut swirled in a food processor. They are delicious and quickly helped reduce my cookie habit (throw in a couple handfuls of chocolate chips and vanilla and you have vegan cookie "dough" that is killer!). This was also the beginning of my commitment to myself and family to buy less packaged crap. I cannot tell you how many boxes of granola bars we went through each week. I spent years convinced that the high fiber content of my favorite granola bar outweighed the detriment of the variety of manufactured ingredients I saw on the label, not to mention that I could eat 2 of those bars and not feel remotely full. I started to realize that making my own bars was an easy way to cut back on unnecessary packaging and give my family food that I trust to be 100% healthful.  Flash forward a year, and I've matured so much with this concept :) I really wanted to add some protein in there, more omega-3s, more fruit, and just a touch of complex carbs to balance out the snack concoction. Each time I make these, they turn out slightly different, but always damn good (and so filling) - so have fun with it and just follow the basic rule - dump and blend.

I've been playing around with this recipe for months and finally got around to measuring my ingredients  so I could pass this keeper of a recipe along to all my friends. They are super addicting, so prepare yourself. I highly recommend freezing the squares in snack bags so they stay really fresh and are ready as needed.  The one thing to note is that these bars do not stay firm for very long once out of the refrigerator. They don't taste bad at all, just a little soft. At first this bugged me, but you know what? Its a little troubling to me that food companies can make a "natural" fruit/nut bar stay firm. The other good thing to know is that these can be enjoyed straight out of the freezer, too.  No down time needed. Enjoy, you little health nut!

Katie's Protein Bars

Ingredients:

10-12 dates, seed removed

1/2 tsp vanilla

several pinches cinnamon

1 1/4 cup nuts ( I like to mix walnuts and almonds)

1/2 generous cup nut/seed butter (my favorite is a peanut/almond butter combo)

2-3 Tbsp coconut or almond flour

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup apricots (or dried cherries)

1/2 cup oats (or more if you want)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp almond/soy milk (if needed)

Add-ins:

~1/2 cup slivered almonds

cranberries (about 1/2 cup)

dark chocolate chips

sesame/poppy seeds

sunflower seeds

flax seeds (or ground flax)
Wheat germ

Method to the madness:

Blend dates in food processor until completely mashed up and soft - making a thick paste. Add vanilla and cinnamon and swirl again. Add nuts and blend to desired consistency - I usually like them finely ground. This can take a minute or two. Add the nut butter next and keep blending. 

Next add the coconut flour, shredded coconut and apricots. Pulse until well chopped. Add the oats and chia seed next. If dry, add the almond milk and blend again.

Put the date mixture into a large bowl and start adding your add-ins. I always add chocolate chips and the slivered almonds add a perfect crunch.  I love using cranberries and sunflower seeds, too. Just be creative and stir in what strikes you. 

Press mixture firmly into an 8x8 pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting into squares. Makes 12 squares. 

*I store a few in the refrigerator in a plastic snack bag and then put the rest in the freezer and take them out as needed. I go through one batch a week of these bad boys. 

*If your mixture is dry, add more almond milk, or a Tbsp of melted coconut oil or canola oil, or add a little extra nut butter. You can also use applesauce.

*If your mixture is too wet (as mine were in the batch pictured) try adding extra coconut or almond flour. You can also add more oats which will absorb some of the moisture. 

*I did a nutrient analysis of my recipe and its no shocker that this is not a low-calorie food. Its also not a low-fat food. But is full of protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, and much lower in sodium than packaged bars. One bar contains about 250 calories, 19 grams of fat, 10 grams of sugar, and 8.5 grams of protein. Much of the time, I find that half a bar is all i need to tie me over until lunch or after a good workout. So don't freak out about the calories. If we can learn to eat what our bodies dictate, then the rest will fall into place effortlessly. Just choose foods that are real, healthy, and give you pleasure.

*To increase the protein, feel free to add protein powder to the mixture. I'm not crazy about how it has turned out for me, but maybe a plain/unflavored version would work better. Let me know if you have success!