Perfect for plotting a busy week of outdoor adventures, work meetings, or a busy home life.
Jump to RecipeI was flipping through my beloved Bon Appetit Magazine the other day and found a cool video feature that was in line with these three new culinary goals; I have no interest in spending $5 on a pre-packaged energy bar, have a whole pantry full of nuts, seeds, grains and dried fruits to use, and have a busy week of outdoor adventures, meetings and late evening trainer rides to make it through. I make portable energy bars + snacks often (this, this and this are favorites) but these were new flavors to try! New textures! And new ideas that are more than worthwhile sharing here.
The foundation behind awesome homemade energy bars is ridiculously easy. To make your own formula at home, you’ll need:
plus
add
**adapted slightly from a recipe featured in Bon Appetit January ’15**
Flavors are FUN, yes, but they also are the mechanisms by which our bodies nourish themselves. Flavors basically tell our bodies what the food is giving us – on a nutritional and energetic level. Our bodies then prepare enzymes to break those components down, assimilate them, and turn them into fuel for our vibrant lives. We can’t eat just one flavor and get all of the things we need, so learning to track the flavors in our foods helps us to be sure that we’re really getting all of the things we need in our meals. This particular recipe has four of six flavors. The more flavors we can enjoy in any meal or food, the happier and more balanced our bodies will be. If you’re wanting to learn more about how the flavors we eat fuel our bodies – energetically and nutritively, check out this little blog post.
Perfect for plotting a busy week of outdoor adventures, work meetings, or a busy home life.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment, leaving overhang on all sides.
Toast cashews, sesame seeds, and flaxseed in separate areas on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally (but not mixing), until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.
Set aside 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds and 1 Tbsp. flaxseed.
Process cashews and remaining seeds with wheat germ, salt, and cardamom in a food processor with a blade attachment until mostly finely chopped (chunks are not a bad thing here!). Place in a medium bowl and set aside.
Bring maple syrup and coconut oil to a boil in a small saucepan; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour over cashew mixture and stir to coat.
Press mixture firmly into prepared pan with wet hands (it will be sticky). Top with reserved seeds; press to adhere. Bake until golden brown, 25–30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.