Homemade Nutrition Bars

[htwoopup]

There are a couple of really old threads about this but some of the linked pages on those are so old they now lead to computer nasty places so I thought it best to start a new thread.

Made these today...

IMG_0571 by Jon Mandel, on Flickr


This was the recipe that I used...

1 tsp coconut oil, melted
½ cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
⅓ cup (80mL) skim milk
1 tbsp (15mL) honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups (250g) old-fashioned oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
1 cup (140g) frozen unsweetened raspberries, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the oil and applesauce until smooth. Mix in the milk, honey and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Stir in the oats until evenly coated with the applesauce mixture. Gently fold in the raspberries.
Press the oat mixture into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 16-19 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into 10 bars.

Not truly happy with them as they are a bit on the dry side.

So, a few questions that I would love any and all ideas on...

Any thoughts on how to make them moister but still hold together?

Any good recipes for other bars that you have and would share?

Any recipes you have that would be more protein-centric as these are on the opposite side of the food spectrum and I would like a balance?

Thanks for any thoughts you folks have.

[nick k]

Those look awesome! Looking quickly at your recipe you could try a few adjustments to retain more moisture since it is so lean right now. Increase the amount of honey or add sugar, and maybe switch to whole milk. You could also add butter or a few tablespoons of a neutral oil like grapeseed. If you're trying to make something delicious and good on the bike the extra fat and sugar calories will be no harm, but the hygroscopic properties of the added sugar and the fat will go a long way towards retaining moisture. Brown sugar would be especially delicious!

[rwsaunders]

I’ve always been tempted to try the Team Sky rice cake recipe...not sure how long they last though. Nobody else in the house would eat them.

Team Sky Rice Cakes - The Su Chef

[Too Tall]

This is on point. Not 10 mins. ago I was talking with my neighbor about this.
FWIIW I've been having really good luck with unrefined coconut packets. I thought that the fat would be a problem however it goes down perfectly and would definitely add that to homemade bars.
Listening....

[boots2000]

This woman posts on the Enve site- On their "journal".
I had these- they were quite good and traveled pretty well in my pockets on rides.
Long Ride Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Bars - ENVE

[Octave]

I’ve always been tempted to try the Team Sky rice cake recipe...not sure how long they last though. Nobody else in the house would eat them.

Team Sky Rice Cakes - The Su Chef

They don't last long - don't freeze well in my experience, either. If you're making them (or Allen Lim's version, which I think is even better) make sure you've got friends to share them with.

I've got about 30 recipes for various homemade bars and I'm happy to share some if people are interested. All are vegan, most are high-fat and all of them are delicious.

The best recommendation I can make if you're going down this road is to make (or buy) some beeswax wraps or something similar. One of the reasons I switched to making homemade bars years ago was my frustration with all of the waste in packaging. A lot of the packaging once you get past the cardboard box isn't even really recyclable depending on where you live. I have a dozen wax wraps that are in constant rotation holding ride food and keeping leftovers covered in the fridge. They last years (as in, I made 15 of them 5 years ago and still have 12), are easy to make, and will save an endless amount of plastic baggies, sandwich wrap..etc. if you're making homemade bars.

[Too Tall]

Agreed. I've been making Lim's rice bombs off and on for years. Think of it as a fresh item, they do not keep well....maybe a few days. Boy-o-boy they are great and worth the effort.

[marley]

Agreed. I've been making Lim's rice bombs off and on for years. Think of it as a fresh item, they do not keep well....maybe a few days. Boy-o-boy they are great and worth the effort.

get a set of onigiri molds

- great way to get a tight ball and you can stuff them

[Too Tall]

get a set of onigiri molds

- great way to get a tight ball and you can stuff them

That's neat. Beats smooshing them around in my palms.

[htwoopup]

I've got about 30 recipes for various homemade bars and I'm happy to share some if people are interested. All are vegan, most are high-fat and all of them are delicious.

I would love at least a couple-few of them.

The bars on the Enve site that @boots2000 posted look good also and I am going to make up a batch.

I am on a mission to find a rotation of 4-5 "go to" staples in total so that I have some variety.

Thanks for anything you can share either here or in a message!

[htwoopup]

A little on the carb side with not much in the "staying power" food groups so more of a pick-me-up rather than solid fueling during a ride I think. But quite tasty. Think it is the large amount of cinnamon. Might up the applesauce a quarter of a cup from the following.

IMG_0604 by Jon Mandel, on Flickr

2 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup applesauce
2 TBL almond or peanut butter
2 TBL maple syrup
2 TBL honey
1 TBL vanilla extract
1 TBL cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Mix wet stuff.
Mix in oats.
Mix in dry stuff.

Press into baking dish. 350 for 18 minutes.

[pdxharth]

My attempt last year came out pretty well, like Lara bars with some added protein. The ones with the chocolate nibs were especially tasty. We froze them and they stayed good until they were gone. I'll post the link, but first, here are the notes I made for myself for next time:

I followed the ratio with blended nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews - try some pistachios next time) and mixed dried fruit (included dates, figs, and blueberries). Added maple baked coconut flakes. Added chocolate nibs to half the batch. Slightly more salt than recipe. Also added two scoops of protein powder (should try three scoops). They hold their shape ok, but almond butter may help it bind even better. Did not use cocoa powder.

Remember to drink the water!

Chocolate Coconut Copycat Bars

[wsteve464]

Peanut butter granola bars

Originally from this book, Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York's Most Creative Bakery, now with changes.

I highly recommend these. You can also make them into cookies 1-1 1/2 inch flattened ball cook for 10-13 minutes depending if you like soft or crispy. I use a 2 cup pyrex measure and fill it with the chocolate chips, coconut raisins seeds. You need a strong mixer for this.

4 cups (395g) rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (45g)
1/2 cup (80g) raisins
8 tablespoons (115g, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup (235g) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (375g) peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
shelled sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33cm) baking pan.

2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In a small bowl, mix the chocolate chips, coconut, and dried cherries.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl by hand, beat the butter and brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides, to make sure they’re well-incorporated.

5. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix, then add the oat mixture and mix on the lowest speed of the mixer for two minutes.

6. Mix in the chocolate chips, coconut, and cherries and stir until completely incorporated, making sure everything is well-mixed.

7. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle gently with some flakes of sea salt and bake until the top is golden brown and the center feels just set when you press it lightly, 20 to 25 minutes ( I do 28 min. as I like crispy) Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

[Gattonero]

My attempt last year came out pretty well, like Lara bars with some added protein. The ones with the chocolate nibs were especially tasty. We froze them and they stayed good until they were gone. I'll post the link, but first, here are the notes I made for myself for next time:

I followed the ratio with blended nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews - try some pistachios next time) and mixed dried fruit (included dates, figs, and blueberries). Added maple baked coconut flakes. Added chocolate nibs to half the batch. Slightly more salt than recipe. Also added two scoops of protein powder (should try three scoops). They hold their shape ok, but almond butter may help it bind even better. Did not use cocoa powder.

Remember to drink the water!

Chocolate Coconut Copycat Bars

Thanks for sharing this, I've made it several times and posting below an updated recipe with less fat (and metric measurements)

[Gattonero]

Following the original recipe from Katie (posted by Pdxharth) I've made my own variation.
The walnuts have been omitted in favour of a more balanced nutrition, less fat and a bit more carbs.

A couple of things to note:
-the quality of the dates is paramount. Do not use crappy ones, use Safawi or Medjool; the Deglet Nour are acceptable but not as sweet (the oats do leave a faint bitter aftertaste)
-the recipe can be summed up in 200gr dates+100gr almonds+100gr granola+60gr cocoa +60gr shredded coconut; everything else can be omitted
-you can add 100gr rolled oats, but add one spoon of honey or the raisins
-if using as a "go around bar" better to give it a quick bake, by leaving it in the fridge only makes it moist (and super-yummy!) but it's messy to eat while on the move

Raw Brownie Bar V2 (no bake)

220-230gr (200gr when the stone is removed) Safawi or Medjool dates
90gr raw almonds (about ½ cup)
60gr raw cashews
30gr pumpkin seeds
60gr unsweetened medium shredded coconut (about ⅔ cup)
60gr raw cocoa powder (⅓ cup)
100gr unsweetened granola/muesli
+-150gr cold water (about 1 cup) adjust according to the desired texture
1 heap teaspoon cinnamon powder
(optional 30gr raisins)

Put the dates in a (heat-resistant) bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes then drain and set aside.

Ground the almonds, cashews and (if using those) the pumpkin seeds and briefly mix them in the food processor.
Weight the shredded coconut and the cocoa powder, add the cinnamon and put all this in the food processor, briefly mix.
Add the water and make sure it's not too thick nor runny (that's why is important to start only with 150gr of water).

Quickly chop the dates in half or quarters and add them in the food processor. Mix until fairly smooth, if necessary add a couple of spoons of water.
If using raisins or sultanas, add them only now and briefly mix them so they don't get completely shredded, you want to have them mixed evenly with the rest, but kept whole if possible.

Lay the dough in a tray lined with greaseproof paper, sprinkle with a bit of shredded coconut, put another piece of greaseproof paper and roll with the pin.

Leave in the fridge overnight and keep refrigerated; or after a few hours it can be processed in the dehydrator to remove part of the moisture (makes it less sticky) or baked for 30-40min on mark4.

Enjoy!

[pdxharth]

Nice idea to give it a quick bake. That will be helpful. I’ll make these again as soon as school is out in a month (whew!)

Following the original recipe from Katie (posted by Pdxharth) I've made my own variation.
The walnuts have been omitted in favour of a more balanced nutrition, less fat and a bit more carbs.

A couple of things to note:
-the quality of the dates is paramount. Do not use crappy ones, use Safawi or Medjool; the Deglet Nour are acceptable but not as sweet (the oats do leave a faint bitter aftertaste)
-the recipe can be summed up in 200gr dates+100gr almonds+100gr granola+60gr cocoa +60gr shredded coconut; everything else can be omitted
-you can add 100gr rolled oats, but add one spoon of honey or the raisins
-if using as a "go around bar" better to give it a quick bake, by leaving it in the fridge only makes it moist (and super-yummy!) but it's messy to eat while on the move

[Gattonero]

Nice idea to give it a quick bake. That will be helpful. I’ll make these again as soon as school is out in a month (whew!)

I'm making them every week. Seems a better snack than anything else: not one gram of refined sugar, packed with the goodness of raw nuts and unsaturated fat. My diet is already on the low side of fats, so it's great.
When not baked, they're very moist and you eat more and more and lick you fingers. Haven't found any of my colleagues or friends who didn't!
The last couple of times, I've been baking them for 30-40 minutes on gas mark4 to get them dry inside, you don't want them to dry completely. And baked as such, they've lasted 3-4 days in a Tupperware at room temperature, or a week in the fridge. Could probably last longer, but I eat them well before

[slwrnu]

if you want to go really simple a baked potato with good peanut butter, wrapped in tin foil, stays warm for quite a while, contains most of what you need. much better than it sounds.

[Gattonero]

if you want to go really simple a baked potato with good peanut butter, wrapped in tin foil, stays warm for quite a while, contains most of what you need. much better than it sounds.

How long does it last outside the fridge?

[slwrnu]

the potato willl last for ages. It is not exactly haute cuisine, but you can microwave a potato in 5 mins, stuff with the peanut butter, wrap in foil, put in your backpack - or even your jersey. A friend put me onto this and it is a real boost if you are on a 3 hour run or cycle around the Thames. Super cheap as well. I took one on the London Marathon a couple of years ago and it worked very well. I didn't win though.