Aunty Liz’s Energy Bars
Aunty Liz’s Energy Bars
These energy bars are the best part of my breakfast, hands down! When we visited my family in New Brunswick, my aunt made them for dessert and I was immediately hooked. They taste like dessert but are secretly jam packed with nutrients. They are loaded with seeds; chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds. Seeds are an important source of nutrients and should be a part of your everyday diet. Each of them have unique benefits including fibre, antioxidants, healthy fats and plant-based proteins.
You will feel so good knowing all of the goodness that you are consuming with just one of these bars! I will make a batch of them as part of my meal prep for the week to ensure I am getting what I need, even on those busy mornings. They are so easy to make, delicious and they only take 15 minutes and then they’re into the oven. They’re so good on their own but one of my favourite ways to eat them is to crumble it on top of plain yogurt like granola; yum!
Maca Cacao Energy Bars
There are a few ingredients in this recipe, but it’s worth every one, I promise! It can be a bit of work buying all of the ingredients, but once you have them on hand it’s easy.
Cocoa nibs - I love the addition of cocoa nibs in this recipe. They add a really nice crunch to the bars. Unlike chocolate chips, they don’t melt!
Cocoa powder - Adding cocoa powder helps to give the bars that brownie-like flavour and texture. It is also high in minerals such as magnesium and antioxidants!
Coconut - Adding a little shredded or desiccated coconut helps give the bars a bit of body. It adds texture, flavour and a bit of chew.
Maca powder - Maca powder is an adaptogen that is high in antioxidants and helps to improve energy and mood and balance hormones; very important. You can find this at most health food stores.
Seeds - These bars are all about the seeds! Specifically, we are adding a mix of sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.
Tahini - Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so we are getting the nutrients from yet another type of seed! It’s one of the main “wet” ingredients that helps to hold the bars together.
Peanut butter - Peanut butter also acts as a binder but adds flavour and texture as well.
Maple Syrup - We are adding a little maple syrup to sweeten the bars. It will also help to give them that delicious chewy texture. You could use honey in place of maple syrup if you prefer.
Coconut oil - We don’t need much, but adding a little coconut oil helps to keep the bars moist and prevent them from becoming dry or crumbly.
Aunty Liz's Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cocoa nibs
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup shredded coconut
- 2 tsp maca powder
- 4 tsp sunflower seeds, 2 ground, 2 whole
- 1 ½ tsp ground flaxseed
- 3 tsp chia seeds, 2 ground, 1 whole
- ½ cup ground pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup tahini
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, maca powder, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and salt until combined.
- In a small saucepan, heat the tahini, peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil until melted and no chunks remain.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Spread with a spatula into the prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes. (They will look slightly soft and uncooked but they will firm up as they cool).
- Let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Enjoy!