Homemade Energy Bars

One is a no-bake variety, the other two need to be baked, but are simple and straightforward, without a lot of complicated steps. The unbaked recipe is vegan, the recipes for the baked ones can be made vegan simply by substituting Earth Balance for the butter, or by using an oil of your choice instead of butter (and reducing the honey slightly and using more demarara sugar instead to address the consistency of the mixture.)


No Bake Energy Bar #11 cups crispy rice cereal
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking oat
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped dates or raisins (may sub out any dried fruit)
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted mixed nuts
1/4 cup honey or molasses (or other similar liquid sweetener)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)

Mix the crispy rice cereal, oats, ground flax, raisins, and nuts in a large bowl. Set aside.

Warm honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and almond extract and mix well until completely combined with no lumps.

Pour warm honey and peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or well-buttered hands until completely combined. Dump into an 8 or 9 inch buttered square pan and cover using wax paper or parchment paper. Chill in fridge.

Cut into 10 or 12 bars. Wrap well in plastic wrap or sandwich baggies (the non zip kind doubled over are economical and ideal for this) and store in fridge or freeze for longer keeping. If you freeze, place individually wrapped bars into a gallon size zip plastic bag to avoid freezer burn.

Baked Energy Bar #11 cup of any nut butter
1/2 cup demarara (sugar in the raw)
1/2 cup honey or molasses or rice syrup
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter or NON-hydrogenated margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins (or any dried fruit)
1/2 cup chocolate or carob chips

Oven temp - 350 degrees F.
Cream together the nut butter, butter, demarara sugar, honey, and vanilla until very well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly mix. Using well buttered hands, press the mixture into 13 x 9 inch buttered pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool and cut into about 20 bars. Pack as in recipe above.

If subbing dried cherries or apricots for the raisins, almond extract goes well instead of vanilla extract. If subbing dried apples, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice goes well instead of vanilla extract.

Baked Energy Bars (Brownie Style) #21 cup of any nut butter
1/2 cup demarara sugar (sugar in the raw) or regular sugar
1/2 cup honey or molasses or rice syrup
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter or NON-hydrogenated margerine
2 tsp vanilla (or 1 tsp of peppermint if you want choco-mint bars)
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Oven temp - 350 degrees F.
Cream together the nut butter, butter, demarara sugar, honey, and vanilla until very well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly mix. Using well buttered hands, press the mixture into 13 x 9 inch buttered pan.