Imagine having a little treat to yourself after a tiring work-out – I am talking about energy bars that too made at home. I have been intrigued by energy bars ever since I tasted one a couple of years ago. As with many recipes, I made a mental note to try making them at home. I looked at a couple of recipes, that called for rice Krispies and having never seen or heard about them, I put out the idea of making energy bars at home.
When Lina first talked about the Recipe Exchange Challenge, I so wanted to take part. I submitted my Shahi Tukra recipe and waited with bated breath for the other recipe entries to be made. While all the recipes sounded super tasty, I wanted something egg-less and that’s when I saw Zeba’s Raw Caramel and Walnut Bar recipe. I knew I had to pick it up as soon as I saw the recipe and her beautiful pictures. Zeba used Raw Cacao powder along with coconut oil and raw walnuts + almonds to create wonderful bars that would put any store bought stuff to shame. I was however a little worried as I have never spotted raw cacao powder anywhere in stores here. Same with coconut nectar. Lina and Zeba were very sweet to let me make some modifications to the original recipes and hence, here am I with it 😀 I used the ingredients that I had handy and converted the three layered bar into two layers. So it’s not exactly a raw caramel and walnut bar but instead dry fruit and nut high energy bar. I loved Zeba’s idea of using honey in the place of sugar and coconut oil in the place of butter. The bars turned out super yumm –they are chewy, tasty and a lot healthier than a piece of chocolate.
- Soak the de-pitted dates in orange zest and orange juice for atleast 10 mins (The longer the better). Meanwhile make a rough powder of the cashews and almonds. Put it into a bowl. In a mixer jar, blend the dates into a smooth paste with no water. Remove it onto the bowl as well. Add honey and mix well. If required, add a teaspoon of coconut oil (if the mixture gets sticky).
- Separate the mix into two equal halves. In one half, add a teaspoon or more of cocoa powder and mix well. Checkout how it tastes and add a bit more honey if required.
- In a greased pan (with coconut oil), spread & press the mix with cocoa powder to form half an inch thick layer. Set it in the freezer for 10 mins.
- Once the first layer is a bit firm, spread and press the second layer containing only the dates and nut mixture firmly on the first layer. If required, grease your fingers with a little coconut oil. Put it in the freezer for another 20-30 mins.
- Once both the layers are firm, cut it into bars of desired size. Keep it in the refrigerator for good shelf life.
- Enjoy after a work-out or quick snack.
Walnuts can be used in the place of cashews. I did not use raw dates but processed ripe dates for the ease of making. Soaking time may vary depending upon the type of dates used. Rice Krispies or coconut flakes would add to the crunch element. I couldn’t find them while trying these and these still turned out great. Adjust the quantity of honey as per sweetness required. I did not add much coconut oil expect for greasing unlike Zeba’s recipe. Feel free to increase it if required. Be careful with the orange juice. Too much of it can make the mix quite watery. Adjust cocoa powder as per liking.
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