super food energy bars with cacao

These are chock full of super foods to provide your body and mind with long-lasting energy to get through your busy (or leisurely) day. What have they got? Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cacao nibs, raisins, dates and coconut. You can't beat this recipe as far as nutrition goes. Try to find organic varieties of each ingredient - and of course raw! 

I was snacking on the mix as I made the recipe and immediately felt a difference, they gave me enough strength to get through a workout and then they made an excellent post-exercise snack, paired with my green protein smoothie. I had a bit of extra mix that I shaped into tiny cupcakes and I thought... hey, I could top these off with dark chocolate to make it a sweet super food treat. Done. 

If you want real, raw, cruelty-free, high quality, efficient and delicious energy bars - you've got 'em right here. Don't look at those sugar- and refined protein powder-filled candy bars in the grocery store that for some inexplicable reason happen to be called "power bars". It's a joke. The best brand on the market is the Larabar (or the Clif bar for more protein) but you can make better recipes yourself, plus add in a bunch of other awesome ingredients. You've got the power! Get it...

super food energy bars with cacao: makes about 15 bars

1 cup walnuts

1/3 cup chia seeds

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut flakes 

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup dates 

1-2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, if needed

Throw the dry ingredients (keep a little bit of each ingredient to add in a second) in your food processor, then add the dates and raisins and process until everything it starts to stick together. If too dry, add more dates or coconut oil. Put in the remaining dry ingredients you left out and mix in with your hands. Press into a lined pan and set in the fridge for an hour or more. Cut into bars and store for up to one week. If you have extra, shape them into cupcakes and top off with raw chocolate.

Hemp-anola

recipe modified from eat, drink & be vegan wheat-free, gluten-free option, soy-free 

3 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free for that option)
1 cup hemp seed nuts
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond slivers (or can use chopped almonds or other nuts, eg pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts (skins removed) or cashews)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground cardamom
1⁄4 tsp + 1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp blackstrap molasses
2/3 cup brown rice syrup
3-4 tbsp organic neutral-flavored oil (see note)
¾ - 1 cup raisins or chopped apricots (or other dried fruit)

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, hemp seeds, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir until well combined. In another bowl, mix vanilla and molasses to thin out, then stir in brown rice syrup and oil. Add wet mixture to dry, stirring to combine well. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer to baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 28–33 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure granola browns evenly. Remove from oven, stir in dried fruit, and let cool completely. Makes about 6 1/2 cups.

Notes:

1) You may use whole almonds, chopped, or other chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts (skins removed).

2) For a lower fat version, you can reduce oil to 2-3 tbsp.

3) Try storing larger clusters of this cereal in bags or small containers for snacking on the go.