Easy Energy Bars

A lot of you have been anxiously awaiting this recipe since I teased you all with a photo on Instagram last week. Well the wait is over… here it is!

The recipe for these homemade energy bars is something I’ve been holding onto for quite a while. But now that I’ve made them and realized just how tasty they are and just how easy they are to make, I consider myself a complete and total homemade-granola-bar convert. I doubt I’ll ever buy another granola bar again.

These bars are dense and chewy, just the way I like ’em, personally. If you like yours a little more on the crunchy side, I’d recommend lowering your oven temp and baking longer… an easy adjustment. They’re just sweet enough to satisfy without tasting like a candy bar… another feature I like. Plus, all of the sweetness comes from wholesome ingredients like dried fruit and a little pure maple syrup, not from chemically processed sugary additives. No strange ingredients here! I love that these bars as satisfying to my health-conscious self as they are to my taste buds. A total win-win all the way around.

Try ’em and see if you’re not converted too!

Easy Energy Bars
slightly adapted from The Food You Crave
yields 16 bars – 170 calories each

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/2 cup shelled unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup dry nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place all of the ingredients, except for the syrup and eggs, in a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add the syrup and the eggs and pulse until everything is well combined. (The mixture will resemble a coarse paste.)
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and cut. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.