No-bake grain free energy bars

As much as I like to carry hard-boiled eggs around the farm for when I need a little energy boost on-the-go, they really are a smush hazard. These no-bake, GRAIN FREE energy bars are perfect for kids and adults alike.
Pack them for school, tote them around work, have them on hand around the farm, or save for a post-mall-walking recovery snack. (Pump those arms! Rock that tracksuit!)
While these are definitely dense in carbs, the nuts and coconut make them more filling – and the coconut adds healthy fat, too.
I just addedย a modification to add a shot of protein…and if it’s still not enough, have some chicken thighs when you get home.
While most “energy bars” on the market contain flour, grains and refined sugars, these use nothing but real, whole ingredients – and not many! And they’re EASY to make.
no bake energy bars
 
Note: if these get warm, they WILL fall apart! (It’s OK: no-bake energy soup tastes good too.) The coconut butter, which solidifies in cool tempsย (hello, January) is what helps keeps them firm, along with the gooey dried fruit. If you make these over the summer, be sure to keep them cool! I store mine in the refrigerator.

No-bake grain-free energy bars
Author: Liz
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 bars
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dates, roughly chopped and pressed in to the measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins (you can also try dried unsweetened cherries, cranberries, apricot, or other gooey dried fruit)
  • 2 cups nuts (I used a mix of almonds, pecans and cashews, which I know are not TECHNICALLY nuts [i]sosueme[/i], but the variety is up to you)
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (I use [url href=”https://secure.ttpurchase.com/754B94FA-1E0B-90B3-0E451ED258EAA267″ target=”_blank”][u]these[/u][/url])
  • 1/2 cup warmed coconut butter (sometimes called coconut manna or coconut cream concentrate; I use [url href=”https://secure.ttpurchase.com/754B94FA-1E0B-90B3-0E451ED258EAA267″ target=”_blank”][u]this brand[/u][/url], you can also get Artisana and Nutiva brands at health food stores)
  • 2 scoops of Vital Proteins [url href=”http://www.vitalproteins.com/collagen/collagen-peptides.html” target=”_blank”]collagen peptides[/url] for protein (OR 1 scoop of collagen peptides and 1 scoop of Vital Proteins [url href=”http://www.vitalproteins.com/collagen/organic-pasture-raised-grass-fed-whey-protein.html” target=”_blank”]whey protein[/url])
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Put the dried fruit in a food processor and pulse until it’s well-chopped and getting a little pasty.
  2. Add nuts, coconut flakes, coconut butter, protein (optional), salt, cinnamon and pulse until a nice blobby chunky mixture forms.
  3. Transfer the mixture into a 8×8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper and smush it down evenly into the dish with your fingers.
  4. Put the dish in the refrigerator to cool; after at least 1 hour, remove, cut into bars, and put bars back in the fridge until you’re ready for one. (You can also wait and cut bars as needed.)

 
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

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15 Responses

    1. I am not smart enough or culinary enough to tell ya for sure! I think cashew butter probably gets a tad less “hard” than coconut butter, but if it’s relatively thick, it might work. Coconut oil might not provide the same density as the coconut butter. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful! If you try, let me know how it goes!

    1. Tamara, I don’t provide nutrition information specifically because I believe (like I say in my book Eat the Yolks) that there is MUCH more to how our body deals with food than macronutrients and calories. In fact, macros and calories can be very misleading when it comes to the actual physiology of metabolism, which is why I don’t encourage people to micromanage those things, unless they have a medical reason for it – in which case, I definitely encourage you to plug the ingredients into FitDay or NutritionData to see! (And if you’ve got a medical reason to do so, you’re probably one step ahead of me there.) Thanks for reading!

  1. Do they need to be stored in the fridge? We’re traveling internationally soon and would love to make these to have as snacks on the plane. We will have a mini-fridge in our room for longer term storage but they will likely be out for 24 hours before we can make it to our room.

    1. Yes, they probably do if the temperatures outside are going to be lower than normal fridge temperature ๐Ÿ™‚ I have carried little lunch cooler bags with ice packs on planes to hold my fresh food, though, so that might be an option!

  2. I make something very similar without the coconut butter โ€ฆ I find chopping the nuts first works better for me. I pour them into a bowl while I chop the dried fruit, then smoosh them all together. Cinnamon makes a great flavor addition!

  3. I love treats and snacks that involve no baking. They are quick and simple to make. Especially if your away somewhere and don’t have an oven handy. Hard boiled eggs do give you a quick energy boost, but they can become a bit boring and who wants to be sat eating eggs when you want some energy. These bars and much more attractive than an egg. Do you know how many calories are in each bar?

    1. Hi Adam! I don’t, because I generally don’t count calories at all and usually don’t encourage others to do so unless they have very specific body composition goals. But that’s just me! It’s part of my charm ๐Ÿ˜‰ I know many folks like to know, though – if you do, just run the ingredients through NutritionData and divide based on the serving size you like!

      1. No worries Liz. Thanks for replying. I thought I would ask just in case you did know. I am one who likes to know when I am staying focused on what I am eating. But by the sound of these bars and the look of them, I don’t think I need to worry about how many holes are in my belt buckle

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