I needed to make an energy bar for a class, so I found a Runner’s World article on the best homemade energy bars. I selected the “Hunger Busting Butter Bar”, which was deemed “Best for: Energy-lifting and hunger-busting”. It was!
One bonus was that I had (almost) all of the ingredients already. Almond butter was the only thing missing, but I don’t really love almond butter, so I never have it. I also love peanut butter, and of course I had that, so I used it instead.
I don’t love energy bars that are too sugary, and this was definitely not too sweet. However, it did act more like energy than a snack that would make me less hungry. So while I would not use it as a meal replacement, it would be perfect for a quick bite before or after a run.
The recipe (with my peanut butter modification) is below.
Hunger Busting Butter Bar
Ingredients:
140g (1 3/4 cups) rolled oats
115g (1/2 cup) peanut butter
8 medjool dates (pitted)
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp flax meal
60ml (1/4 cup) water
Directions:
Grind the oats in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to form a dough. Line an 8x8in pan with baking paper, put the mixture in and press down. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about an hour, then cut.
Makes 10 servings.
Notes:
- The nutrition information for 1/10th of the recipe is from MyFitnessPal.
- The suggested serving size of 1/10th of the entire recipe is a little big for a quick bite. One additional modification you might consider is to roll the dough into 1-inch balls instead of spreading into a pan. This would make them bite-sized, and even easier to take on the go.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.