Is it ironic that as I write about these energy bars, I’m yawning?
If only I had some left, I might have more energy. They didn’t last long. Not only did I wolf them down at every opportunity…but because I thought they were so good, I shoved them at anyone I could, insisting they had to try them.
That’s a good way to find yourself without anymore energy bars, thus yawning while writing a post. Lesson learned!
But I’ll do my best to muster up some enthusiasm and give these Almond Date and Hemp Energy Bars the attention they deserve!
I’ve seen so many recipes over the past several months using dates as the source of “sugar” in various desserts or energy bars and was dying to give them a try. I picked up a package of these Medjool dates at Trader Joe’s and eagerly sought out to make a healthy snack.
These were the perfect choice. The nutty flavor of the dry roasted almonds, the sweetness of the dates, the slightly tart flavor from the dried cranberries, the chewiness of their combined textures coated in honey…it was perfect.
Then throw in the flax, chia and hemp seeds and you have the amazing benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein, making it easy to see why these make such a delightful energy bar and perfect mid-day bite or pre-workout snack.
I had these made in under 30 minutes and they don’t contain any of the additives, preservatives or chemicals that are often found in the store-bought energy or granola bars!
Have I convinced you yet? Make these!
If you do, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
Almond Date and Hemp Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates approx 11-12
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup almonds I used dry roasted & unsalted
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- If your dates still have their pits, be sure to remove them!
- Pulse dates and almonds in food processor until chopped medium fine.
- Add cranberries, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts, and honey. Pulse 6 to 8 times or until ingredients are well blended.
- Line an 8×8 dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
- Place ingredients into dish and spread evenly while pressing down firmly to form a flat even top.
- You may need to wet the back of your spatula or use parchment paper to press down as the mixture may be sticky.
- Refrigerate 1-2 hours before cutting to get cleaner cuts. Once cut, I wrapped each of mine individually so they were ready to grab and take with me for a great energy snack!
- Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Spoonful of Honey.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
What a coincidence – I just posted a similar granola bar recipe! Great minds and all that!! This version looks great – absolutely gorgeous photos!
Kaylee Pauley says
Thank you! I just got yours in my inbox, they look wonderful as well!!
jamie lee says
This recipe looks wonderful and much easier than most homemade energy bars. I’m still learning (and loving it) so much about all these new seeds and what not. Can you use ground flaxseed meal and not put it through the food processor? Thank you!
Kaylee Pauley says
Hi Jamie – I totally feel ya, so many seeds, and which to grind vs which to use whole, it can be a lot!
But in answer to your question, yes, if you purchase ground flaxseed, or flaxseed meal, they are ready to go and you do not need to put them through a food processor. If you purchase whole flaxseeds, then you can put them in a NutriBullet or food processor to grind them up.
I love adding ground flaxseeds to my yogurt and smoothies, great for the extra fiber!
Ala says
Haha! Looks like I’m not the only one who also posted this recipe ^ @Helen. These are so great, I was oohing over more dates recipes from FG and here we are! Awesome, I’m all ready to grab a bar and start my energy-packed day too :) just thought I’d stop by first and say cheerios. cheerios!
Kaylee Pauley says
Ahh, I love it! Looks like we’re all on the same page!
Thanks for stopping by Ala! :)
Jackie Rybeck says
OMG….delish! Just starting on my paleo journey and made these for a snack! I added unsweetened coconut – wow!
Kaylee Pauley says
So glad you liked them, and what a great idea to add the coconut! :)
millie says
Yum! just what i was looking for! II have everything too! yay! will make it today! thank you!
Kaylee Pauley says
Hi Millie, I hope you enjoyed the Almond Date and Hemp Energy Bars – they’re a favorite of mine! :)
Noreen says
What have you found to be the most effective way to individually wrap these? Parchment, plastic, wax??? Just curious if the would stick terribly to plastic wrap.. Thanks – they look great.
Kaylee Pauley says
Hi Noreen, I wrapped each one individually in plastic wrap and had no problem at all with it sticking. I hope that helps! :)
Natalie Feibish says
Hi, there. Can you freeze these and defrost overnight? I “cook” for the month.
Kaylee Pauley says
Hi Natalie, I haven’t frozen these before but I would say you could absolutely freeze them. I freeze this sort of thing regularly and have excellent results each time. Just make sure you wrap them and keep them as air tight as possible. I typically wrap things in a couple layers of plastic wrap and them put them in a ziplock freezer bag. Good luck! :)
Sue Hnilicka says
I’m going to make these and add some fresh squeezed lemon! Can’t wait.
Kaylee Pauley says
The fresh squeezed lemon sounds like a wonderful addition! Let me know how they turn out! :)