Energy Bars

I sort of got sidetracked the other night when I was reading Green Market Baking Book: 100 Delicious Recipes for Naturally Sweet & Savory Treats, and found myself making these energy bars instead of dinner. Luckily DH stepped in and made some yummy chicken over pasta with my homemade pasta sauce.

FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE: Energy Bars

1/4 cup butter

1 cup dried figs, tough stems removed (the recipe originally called for raisins but I had figs on hand)

1/4 cup water (you can also use apple juice or milk, but I had a feeling the calories were already getting up there)

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup oat flakes (can also use quinoa or rye flakes, but those buggers are pricey. You could also probably use oatmeal – it looked virtually the same)

1 cup peanuts (chopped; again, can use any nut here)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

1/3 cup honey

1. Chop the figs; add along with the vanilla and water in a small bowl, stir, and let sit.

2. In a saute’ pan, melt the butter; add peanuts and flakes and saute’ until darkened and it starts to smell really good; add cinnamon and salt and cook another minute or so.

3. Whisk eggs and honey into the bowl with the other wet ingredients; mix well; then add in the oat mixture.

4. Press into the bottom of an 8×8 pan and bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until the edges start pulling away from the pan. Invert and cool on a rack. Cut into bars. Will keep for 1 week.

Servings: 8

The Verdict: Although not a lot of protein, the ingredients are wholesome so these would be great for a quick breakfast or after a hard day of training. I like ‘em, but DH thought they were a bit bland. It would be fun to experiment with different flakes/nuts/dried fruits.-/

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (3.6 ounces).

Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 355.79

Calories From Fat (43%) 151.55

% Daily Value

Total Fat 17.73g 27%

Saturated Fat 5.57g 28%

Cholesterol 68.13mg 23%

Sodium 168.89mg 7%

Potassium 359.46mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 43.64g 15%

Fiber 5.96g 24%

Sugar 21.76g

Protein 9.63g 19%

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