How to Make Homemade Energy Bars

Buying an Energy bar from a store can be a most aggravating experience. In order for these companies to mass produce a bar that is moist and can stay moist for months and months they end up using ingredients like saturated fats, added sugars, and high fructose corn syrup. So, now these Energy Bars aren't healthy, aren't full of energy. They just give you lots of sugar and fats. This energy comes at a high price. It's not the energy we want, it's not a real energy bar.

To get a real energy bar, you have to make it. When you make your own Energy bar you can make sure that it's actually good for you, that it gives you the right intake to give you Energy. Not fats, not sugars. Energy. But you also get to make sure it has the flavors that you prefer. And if you're used to paying up to 3 dollars per bar. Well, this recipe will cost you about 5 bucks for the whole thing, about 8 bars.

Okay, so how do we make this. We will need three ingredients. Just three.

You will need:
1 Cup of Nuts (135 grams)
1 Cup of Dried Fruit (135 grams)
1 Cup of pitted Dried Dates (190 grams)

The basic recipe calls for Dried Cranberries and Pecans.

Put the ingredients in your food processor. You may want to cut the dates and chop the pecans so they're smaller and will work a bit better in the food processor. Pulse the ingredients for 30 seconds. Then scrap the sides of the bowl as some of the pecans will stick to the sides. Then run the Food Processor again. This time you want to run it for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients start to form a very sticky ball. You'll be able to feel the Food Processor pulling with the weight of the ball.

Now take the sticky ball out and put it on some Plastic Wrap. The dates create a ton of oil. This can feel rather weird, but it's normal. You can use a cloth to soak some up or let it drain. I prefer to let it drain but this does make for a more solid bar. If you want chewy, leave the oil. It's not bad for you.

Once you are done draining the mixture you want to press it into an 8x8 square. You can line a pan with the plastic wrap and press it into that if you want. Cover with more plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least eight hours.

You have just made a very easy, very delicious energy bar. Once you get comfortable with the recipe you can start to mix things up. If you want to try a different Nut and Fruit combination try dried Cherries and Almonds, Dried Apple and Walnut, Cranberry with Orange and Almonds, or Apricot and Pecans.

If you want to add a nutty flavor to the recipe you can simply roast the nuts and cool them before mixing. To Roast nuts simply lay them out on a baking sheet and bake them in a 375 degree oven for ten minutes, tossing twice.

Because these bars tend to be rather wet, you can add a few extra ingredients and they will hold on nicely. Make sure you keep these ingredients to a minimum and don't try adding more than one at a time, as you can easily overwhelm the bar and it will not take shape. Add things like Lemon zest; spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or cardamon; chocolate powder; chocolate chips; pretzel pieces; shredded coconut; your favorite seeds; or crystallized ginger.

These bars are great for all kinds of occasions; camping, playing hockey, biking, snowmobiling, or just anytime you want a healthy burst of energy. Because you make them yourself they are healthy, they are tasty, you know what's in them, and they are cheap.