EatingWell Energy Bars

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Instead of buying pricy energy bars, fuel your fitness routine with this great-tasting homemade energy bar recipe. Whether you use these energy bars as a pre-workout snack or to refuel and recover post-workout, they'll give your body what it needs. Best of all, you can make this energy bar recipe in minutes.

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Cook Time:
15 mins
Additional Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
12 bars
Nutrition Profile:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

  • ½ cup crispy brown rice cereal

  • ½ cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats

  • 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

  • ¼ cup dried blueberries

  • 6 dried apricots, diced

  • 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

  • 5 tablespoons brown rice syrup or light corn syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

  2. Combine peanuts, rice cereal, oats, pumpkin (or sunflower) seeds, blueberries, apricots and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Drizzle with syrup and gently stir until thoroughly combined. Spread in the prepared baking pan. Coat another piece of foil with cooking spray and place on the bar mixture, sprayed-side down. Place another pan on top and press firmly to compress the mixture. (Pressing before baking helps the bars hold together after baking.) Remove top pan and foil.

  3. Bake until just beginning to turn golden at the edges, 20 to 24 minutes (metal pan) or 30 to 35 minutes (glass pan). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

  4. Carefully lift the baked square out of the pan by holding the edges of the foil and place on a cutting board, leaving the foil underneath. Cut in half, then cut each half crosswise into 6 bars. Let cool completely before lifting the bars off the foil.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight between sheets of wax paper for up to 1 week. Or individually wrap in plastic and freeze.

People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use oats that are labeled “gluten-free,” as oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat and barley.

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2012

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

168 Calories
9g Fat
19g Carbs
5g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Serving Size 1 bar
Calories 168
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 9g
Added Sugars 6g 12%
Protein 5g 9%
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Vitamin A 64IU 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Folate 22mcg 6%
Sodium 28mg 1%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Magnesium 56mg 13%
Potassium 202mg 4%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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