Chia Energy Bars
From KAF
Don't let the name scare you, these whole-grain bars taste like a treat! Crunchy, chewy, and flavorful, they're a satisfying way to energize your day. There are many variations and ways to tailor these bars to your family's specific tastes. Almond butter with sliced almonds and cranberries; peanut butter with chocolate chips and peanuts; or our favorite, unsalted peanut butter with cranberries, dried apples, and pecans.
Reviews...
01/30/2015
NewFieGirl from West Bloomfield MI
recipe sounds fantastic however I'm allergic to quinoa. Any suggestions for a substitute?
This protein-packed recipe is flexible when it comes to substituting--I would suggest substituting millet, amaranth or couscous in place of the quinoa. Even cooked brown rice could work in a pinch (although it might make the bars slightly sticky). Whichever grain you choose to use, be sure to have 1/2 cup in volume after you have cooked the grain. Good luck and happy baking! --Kye@KAF
12/29/2014
Kiera from Tucson, AZ
I haven't made these (yet), but to make them actually vegan, the honey would need to be replaced with...agave syrup? maple syrup? Perhaps decreasing the amount? Thoughts?
You can certainly try agave or maple syrup. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you. Jon@KAF
10/31/2014
Kate from Denver, CO
As written, this recipe is a tad too sweet for my taste, but that's easily adjusted. They seem to keep well and are excellent with a cup of tea for a mid-morning break.
10/27/2014
Jessica from Meridian, ID
So easy to throw together on Sunday for the week and a fabulous source of protein!
10/04/2014
Betsy from Dallas, TX
I made these for work and they disappeared quickly. I used the whole egg and the bars cooked up fine. I want to try more variations. I think I might try substituting cooked steel cut oats for the cooked quinoa since I always have it on hand. I love this type of recipe. You can play with it and not worry about failure.
09/25/2014
Dianemw from KAF Community
I made 2 double batches, one with almond butter and one with sunflower butter, and baked each in a 9x13 pan for 23 minutes. Both came out really good. The chocolate chips added to one batch completely melted when I mixed in the warm honey mixture, which resulted in chocolate bars rather than chocolate chip, but still yummy. For future, chips need to be added when mixture is cooled. Will be making many more of these. Possible combinations are endless!
09/22/2014
Kalisa from
These energy bars are a great little treat for my weekly lunchboxes! Don't expect them to taste like the bars you can buy at the store, because they simply won't, but I found them tasty on their own merit. The texture is chewy and the flavors are good. You can add pretty much anything you want (nuts, dried fruits, seeds, chocolate chips) to customize the flavor. Keep in mind that whatever you add should compliment the nut butter you use because that will be a predominant flavor. I used peanut butter and added dried cranberries and Jammy Bits. Tastes like a PB&J energy bar! The only "odd" thing that stands out to me is the texture of the Chia seeds. They are small and crunchy and will take a little getting used to, but hey, still good! I think the energy bars would be fine if you decided to leave the Chia seeds out (although it would lack their nutritional value).
- 9
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1/4 cup whole flax meal
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup dried fruit, nuts, etc.
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup peanut (or almond) butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8" x 8" pan, or line it with parchment.
Toss together the oats, quinoa, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, dried fruit, and egg white in a medium-mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Warm the honey, nut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until well blended. Don't let it boil, just let it get warm and fluid enough to blend easily with the dry ingredients, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until everything is coated.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake the bars for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the oats on the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
To serve, cut into squares.