Energy Bars – NO Bake

Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious.  I”m sorry you’ve had to wait this long…these energy bites are irresistible.

They are so simple to make (no-bake) and very versatile since you can substitute different dried fruits and nuts each time you make them.  Our dried fruit of choice has been cranberries, however; this past week, we only had a bit of those on hand (tragedy, I know) so, we chopped up some prunes (really?  yes, really) and used 1/4 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup prunes…fantastic!  Kids gobbled them up.

Mix it up and try a different nut butter too, if you are inclined.  NUT ALLERGY? No problem, forget the nuts and add extra sunflower seeds, or add pumpkin seeds!  Sun butter is a great substitute for any nut butter too.

They are a great energy-boosting snack, and easy to toss in kids’ lunchboxes too.  And, huge thanks to my friend, Michelle…these are a variation from the original recipe she shared many years ago. Please share in the comments below your favorite variations.

Bonus, they are also freezer-friendly!  Yay for easy, pocketbook-friendly energy bars, we affectionately call them Tasty Bites!

** update since our original post…we just made a batch this week which included oats, brown rice cereal, chopped (lightly salted) cashews, and golden raisins. They were a hit!

Energy Bars – NO Bake

Servings

4-12

servings

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (we use old fashioned)

• 1 cup crispy brown rice cereal

• 1 cup cranberries, golden raisins or other dried fruit

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts)

• 2 Tablespoons toasted wheat germ (optional)

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup****

• 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon peanut butter

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• abundant love

Directions

• Prepare mini muffin pan by lining with muffin cups or coating with a bit of oil (safflower or coconut oil work well)
• In a large bowl, stir together: oats, crispy rice cereal, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and pecans.
• In a small pot, combine brown rice syrup and peanut butter, heat until it just starts to bubble.* Remove from heat, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined.
• Pour warm goo over the dry ingredients and coat completely. We use our hands to gently mix this mess. Ha, messy goodness.
• Spoon mixture into muffin pan and press into each “bite” to pack the ingredients in there.
• Let them cool completely to “set” and then store in an airtight container.**

Notes

• * If you prefer to microwave the peanut butter and syrup mixture, this works also…try 30 seconds to start and then mix and assess and heat again until just bubbly.
• ** These tasty bites can be stored on the counter for about a week (if they last that long) or in the refrigerator or freezer.
• *** Feel free to substitute various dried fruits, seeds, and nuts to your liking; measurements are the same.
• **** 3 Tablespoons maple syrup combined with 3 Tablespoons brown rice syrup works perfectly great here instead of just the brown rice syrup…you have options!