A girl on the go needs energy and these bars do just that. I enjoy preparing these Homemade Cranberry, Nut, and Chocolate Quinoa Energy bars on the weekend so they are easy to grab during the hectic week.
Hello Healthy, Meet Delicious!!
Not only are these homemade energy bars good for you, they also taste great. They are packed with a protein mixture of oats, quinoa, and almonds with added sweetness of dried cranberries and mini chocolate chips.
These bars are great for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack and are sure to give you the energy you need to get through the day. Make these bars ahead of time and you have a on-the-go snack all week.
How to make these energy bars:
To make these bars, Preheat oven to 350 degree F and start by lining a baking dish with 1 piece of parchment paper and then criss-cross another piece of parchment paper so the two pieces fold over the pan.
Add quinoa and water to small pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff quinoa with a fork, transfer to a medium-sized bowl and let quinoa cool completely.
Mix together the oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and ground flax-seed in a large bowl.Combine the egg, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and quinoa and stir until just blended then combine and mix with the oats mixture. Stir in craisins, almonds, and chocolate chips.
I use my Pampered Chef Measuring Cup Set that sits flat on the countertop for easy measuring. I also love these cups because they snap together at the handles and nest for compact storage.
Spread the batter evenly over the pan, packing down to evenly coat pan. Drizzle with more honey, if you desire.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is brown. Allow to cool completely. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow bars to set. Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars and refrigerate or freeze to store.
It’s important to let these bars cool completely and then refrigerate for about 30 minutes before cutting into bars. The bars will fall apart if you don’t follow these steps.
- ⅓ cup quinoa, rinsed well
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups quick rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 T. ground flax seed, optional
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup) + 1 T to drizzle on top
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup craisins
- ⅓ cup almonds, crushed
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
- Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with 1 pieces of parchment paper and then criss-cross another piece of parchment paper so the two pieces fold over the pan.
- Add quinoa and water to small pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff quinoa with a fork, transfer to a medium-sized bowl and let quinoa cool completely.
- Mix together the oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and ground flax seed in a large bowl.
- Combine the egg, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and quinoa and stir until just blended then combine and mix with the oats mixture.
- Stir in craisins, almonds, and chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly over the pan, packing down to evenly coat pan. Drizzle with more honey, if you desire.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is brown.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow bars to set.
- Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut into bars and refrigerate or freeze to store.
*To store, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or in plastic bag and keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to a month.
Also try my Homemade Granola or No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bites for healthy, on-the-go snacks that keep you full of energy.
Shop Products I used in this recipe:
