Sometimes I get so busy doing things that I forget to eat breakfast and/or lunch. I know, I shouldn’t do that, but I do. I’ve tried various power or energy bars, but I find them too sweet, lacking in flavor, or really just not very healthy. So I make my own.
For this recipe, I set out to make an energy bar that tasted good, was high in all of the “good” stuff we’re supposed to be eating every day, and was full of things that I loved, like Indian Coriander. I’m also a huge fan of chia seeds, and using them eliminated the need to use oil or eggs in my energy bars. Chia seeds are full of essential fatty acids, antioxidents, calcium, iron, fiber, and are a source of natural extended energy. Yes, I will admit to sometimes putting chocolate chips in them, but chocolate is good for you, too, right?
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup water or juice
- ¼ cup Indian Coriander seeds
- ½ cup high-fiber cereal (like Fiber One or Bran Buds)
- ½ cup whole wheat, oat or spelt flour
- 1 cup Scottish or Irish oatmeal
- ½ teaspoon Murray River flake salt
- 1 cup raw or toasted nuts
- 1 cup dried fruit, in bite sized pieces
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Poudre Douce or Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil, making sure that you have extra hanging over the sides. (To make it easier to take the bars out of the pan.)
- In a small bowl, add the chia seeds and water. Whisk together with a fork, being careful to make sure that all of the seeds are submerged in the water. Set aside for 10 minutes, gently stirring after 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine Indian coriander, cereal, flour, oatmeal, salt, nuts, dried fruit and Poudre Douce. Mix together well.
- Add the maple syrup or honey and the orange zest and juice to the chia seeds. Stir well. Add to the ingredients in the large bowl and gently mix all of the ingredients together. This makes a slightly soft bar - if you want a more cake-like bar, add about 1/4 cup more juice.
- Scoop mixture into the foil-lined pan and press down to fill every corner, smoothing out as you do it. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes – when you touch the center of the bar mixture, it should be very firm. (If you want a drier, firmer bar, cook for an extra 5 - 10 minutes.)
- Let cool in the pan. Place a cutting board on top of the pan and flip it over, so that the pan is on top of the board. Unwrap the bar from the foil carefully, and cut the bar into pieces.
- Place in a zip-loc bag or covered container and keep in the refrigerator. These will keep for over a week.
Notes
I've found this to be a great recipe for experimentation and using up tasty odds and ends. Got a quarter cup left of fig butter? Put it in your next batch. Found an apple or banana you need to use? Mash the banana or grate the apple, and add it to your next batch. (These are also good with grated carrots, too.)
Don't be afraid to change up the ingredients in this recipe! Try different fruit and nut combinations, or you can even use pumpkin or sunflower seeds in place of the nuts!
