I keep seeing all of these copycat energy bar recipes floating around the internet lately... many different variations on the same theme:
nuts + dried fruit (usually dates) + extra flavorings x a quick zip in the food processor =
raw energy bars similar to Larabars
I thought these might be a good grab-and-go breakfast option for me and Tim. We've been exercising in the mornings before he heads to work and I start my work-from-home routine, but since we're not very good at getting up early, there's not a lot of time in between for a sit down breakfast of any sort.
I decided to use this recipe for chocolate and coconut flavored energy bars. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a bust and required much troubleshooting to achieve the ultimate product. The recipe calls for dates (Medjool, but I used Deglet Noor, which perhaps was part of the problem), nuts (almonds and walnuts), dried unsweetened coconut and cocoa powder. The ratios (dry to wet) seemed to be off for me, though, as my final product was much too dry and very crumbly:
I had to almost double the amount of dates in order to get a sticky enough consistency to form the bars. Plus a couple tablespoons of honey, just in case:
In the end, we liked them ok, but we want to try one of the other
recipes for a different flavor combination. I think I was hoping for a
little more chocolate flavor myself. I'll definitely give it another
try. Perhaps chocolate chip? Or peanut butter chocolate?