Blueberry Maple Pecan Energy Bars

Making your own energy bars at home is easy, simple and fun!  The best part is you can tailor them to your own nutritional needs or swap out ingredients so that you don’t get bored.  The bars I am sharing with you today are not only delicious but they are packed with fiber, healthy oils, and protein.  They keep in the refrigerator for a long time, and they are great for pulling out when you need a quick boost and don’t want to reach for something unhealthy.  If you wanted to make these completely fruit sweetened, swap out the maple syrup for 1/3 cup dates, pitted.

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 12 | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free rolled oats (divided)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the pecans, 1 cup of the oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, maple syrup, sea salt and coconut oil and process until everything is finely chopped and the consistency of dough. Add the blueberries and remaining oats, and pulse until distributed. Press the mixture into a square on a parchment lined tray, and place in the freezer until firm (about 45 minutes). Cut into 12 bars. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a few months.