How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy

Bars at Home
Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-3-ingredient-energy-bars-at-home-cooking-
lessons-from-the-kitchn-1!3"#$
%&mp to the recipe
'ower bars( )ake them at home with only three ingredients and a food processor.
'repare for yo&r minds to be blown. *eady+ ,omemade energy bars. Three ingredients.
-o cooking. -o tricks. -o kidding.
. am a h&ge fan of chewy/ n&tty/ fr&it-filled energy bars of the sort made by L0rabar.
These little bars are eno&gh to sp&r me on to an afternoon work-o&t and keep The ,angry
at bay. .t was looking at the ingredient list of my fa1orite Cherry 'ie L0rabar that made
me first consider making them myself. The ingredients were 2&st dates/ almonds/ and
cherries. 3o simple. 3o incredibly mind-blowing.
. tinkered with ratios a bit/ b&t in the end/ . decided to take the most straight-forward
path: e4&al parts dried fr&its/ n&ts/ and pitted dates. 5hi66 them together in a food
processor &ntil they combine into a thick paste/ press into a s4&are/ chill/ and chop into
s4&ares for snacking. 7one.
)y fa1orite is still cherries/ almonds/ and dates 8which are pict&red here9/ b&t yo& can
swap o&t the cherries and almonds for any dried fr&it or n&t. Keep the dates/ tho&gh. They
act as a binder and also sweeten the bars witho&t needing s&gar.
:o& can also play aro&nd with adding other ingredients into the mi;: a few tablespoons of
chia seeds/ a handf&l of cocon&t/ e1en some chocolate chips. <gain/ keep the same ratio
of the base ingredients 81 part dried fr&it : 1 part n&t : 1 part dates9/ and add the e;tras a
bit at a time &ntil yo& get a taste and te;t&re that yo& like.
)aking energy bars really is that simple. :o&=ll ne1er need to b&y them again.
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
Makes 8 large bars or 16 small square-shaped bars
What You Need
Ingredients
1 c&p n&ts
1 c&p dried fr&it
1 c&p 81>-1? whole9 dates/ pitted
Equipment
@ood processor
'lastic wrap or wa; paper
3harp knife
Instructions
1. Roast the nuts optiona!"# -&ts can be &sed raw or roastedA roasting will add a
toasty/ n&tty depth to the bars. .f desired/ roast the n&ts at 3?"B@ for 1"-1>
min&tes/ &ntil fragrant and golden. <llow to cool before &sing. 83ee: ,ow to
*oast -&ts in the C1en9
>. $om%ine the nuts& dried 'ruit& and dates in a 'ood processor# Combine all the
ingredients in a food processor. '&lse a few times 2&st to break them &p. 3eparate
the dates if they start to cl&mp together.
3. (rocess continuous!y 'or 3) seconds# Dy this point/ the ingredients sho&ld all
ha1e broken down into cr&mb-si6ed pieces. 3crape the edges of the bowl and
beneath the blade to make s&re nothing is sticking.
!. (rocess continuous!y unti! a %a!! is 'ormed& *-+ minutes# Contin&e processing
for another 1-> min&tes/ &ntil the ingredients cl&mp together and gather into a
ball.
?. (ress into a thick square and chi!!# Lay a piece of plastic wrap or wa; paper on
yo&r work s&rface and d&mp the power bar do&gh on top. 'ress the do&gh with
yo&r hands &ntil it forms a thick s4&are/ ro&ghly E ; E in si6e. 5rap and chill for
at least an ho&r or o1ernight.
#. ,i-ide into %ars# Fnwrap the chilled power bar do&gh and transfer to a c&tting
board. C&t into large bars or 1# small s4&ares/ as desired. 5rap each bar in
plastic wrap or wa; paper.
G. .tore the %ars# 3tore the bars in the fridge for se1eral weeks or in the free6er for
&p to three months. The bars can be eaten straight from the fridge or free6er and
will be firm/ b&t chewy. *oom-temperat&re bars are perfectly fine to eat and can
be kept in a l&nch bag or backpack all day/ b&t will be more soft and paste-like.
/dditiona! Notes0
Energy Ba!!s0 The power bar do&gh can also be shaped into small balls.
*efrigerate &ntil firm/ then wrap in plastic for longer storage.
1ry 1hese $om%inations2 Cherry-almond/ apricot-almond/ cranberry-pecan/
apple-cinnamon-waln&t
1ry 1hese /dd-Ins2 3hredded cocon&t/ chia seeds/ chocolate chips/ cacao nibs/
cocoa powder/ crystali6ed ginger/ gro&nd cinnamon/ gro&nd n&tmeg/ gro&nd
cardamom/ lemon 6est/ lime 6est
5ant more smart t&torials for getting things done aro&nd the home+