I am always looking for new snacks both sweet and savory that are healthy. By "healthy" I mean made from real whole foods with no sketchy additives and some nutritional boost. I also prefer snacks I can make quickly that are grab and go.
A yoga teacher friend of mine made some energy bars, several years back and posted them on Facebook. I was inspired to come up with my own version of a cashew based energy bar. I love the creaminess of cashews and also how neutral their flavor is so you can add and mix in whatever you like. Hopefully, this recipe inspires you to be creative too. The only downside is that they have to stay in the fridge or freezer or they will soften to almost a “butter” rather than a bar or a ball.
CASHEW ENERGY BARS
Gluten-Free Grain-Free Dairy-Free Vegan Optional
Ingredients
1.5 cups “raw” cashews ( whole or pieces)
3 dates chopped
2 tsp virgin unrefined coconut oil
1 tbs raw honey ( or maple syrup to make vegan, or half a packet or two drops of Stevia if that's how you roll)
1 tbs flax seed meal*
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ginger (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 tsp maca powder (optional)
More optional add ins/add ons:
Cacao nibs
Coconut sweetened Dark Chocolate ( chopped and mixed in, melted and dipped or whole pieces placed under the bar )
Pecans
Hemp Seeds
Oats
Granola
Dried cherries
Whatever your little heart desires.
Procedure
Place cashews* in a food processor. Process for 30 seconds.
Add coconut oil and salt. Process for another 30 seconds.
Add the rest of ingredients except the dates. Process until the mixture becomes a ball. Stopping to scrap down the sides as needed with a spatula. This should take less than 5 minutes.
Add in half of the chopped dates at the end. Process another 30 seconds.
Place the ball onto a cutting board or clean surface and flatten out. Fold in the rest of the dates.
Form into bars. This should make 5-6 bars depending on the size you like. Or Form into balls about 1.5 inches. This should make at least 15.
Add toppings or add ins. Or dip into melted coconut sweetened chocolate. If doing this place on parchment paper first.
Store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for a firmer bar. If dipped in chocolate and with pecans added might even give a “snickers” like experience. Or you can store in Tupperware or glass in the fridge
*Notes
CASHEWS: “Raw” cashews are in quotes because no cashews in the United States are truly raw but are lightly steam pasteurized. This is said just to differentiate between these and “Roasted” cashews. They may also be sold in stores simply, as cashews.
FLAX SEED: For nutritional purposes it is important that the flax seed be meal and not whole seeds as whole seeds have no nutritional value because they just pass through the body whole and are not broken down to receive the omega 3s and fiber. If you can’t find the meal you can grind whole seeds yourself in a coffee grinder or spice mill.
SIDE NOTE. The reason no cashews are raw in this country is because cashews grow on a plant in the poison ivy family that is potentially poisonous so they need to be cooked for safety to remove any of the plant residue.
I would love to hear your thoughts if you try this and what add ins you come up with!
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