These bars are a ready-to-use energy supply. They are quick and easy to prepare and have no added sugar. They are precious for those who practice endurance sports, but also for those who want a snack that is practical to take with them. They contain carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and a good amount of fiber; cocoa beans add more antioxidant, phytocompounds and magnesium.
Serving size: about 8 - 2 oz bars
Ingredients
- 2 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 4 tbs raisins
- 2 tbs cocoa nibs
- 2 ripe bananas
Directions
Step 1
Soak the raisins in warm water for about 5 minutes. Put the oatmeal and hazelnuts in a food processor and grind them into small grains. Chop the soaked raisins into small pieces.
Step 2
Put the minced oatmeal and hazelnuts in a bowl, add the chopped raisins and cocoa nibs. Peel the two bananas and mash the pulp inside a plate with a fork; add it to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well until a thick dough forms.
Step 3
On a piece of baking paper, roll out the dough with your hands to form a square or rectangle about ½ inch thick. If you have a food dryer, you can dry the dough at 104°F for 8-10 hours, or until the desired consistency. If you don't have a dryer, you can put the dough in a ventilated oven at 284°F in two steps: the first one for 10 minutes, after which you can cut the bars spacing them a little bit from each other; the second one for another 10 minutes to finish drying them.
Pro Tips:
Store the energy bars in the refrigerator for up to a week into an airtight container.
Low-temperature dried bars retain more nutrients than oven-dried bars.
There are lots of ways to change the composition of these bars: if you prefer them sweeter, you can add dates or dried apricots; you can also add goji berries, walnuts and/or almonds, and so on.
I recommend trying them with a Choco Cream topping.
