Get your energy at the bar.

A simple and healthy bar works miracles when the energy’s anywhere but there. Or at least, it will have to do until we can afford that 3-month long vacation in tahini Tahiti.

Substitute your favorite nuts and dried fruits for the ones listed here: I’ve tried several variations and have yet to be disappointed.

Couple extra bonuses? The bars freeze really well. And they’re gluten-free, too.

Energy Bars

Non-stick cooking spray
4 teaspoons (9 g) flax meal
1 1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) warm water
2 tablespoons (42 g) agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (20 g) brown rice flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (121 g) equal amounts dried cranberries and dried raspberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup (99 g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly coat an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10-cm) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk warm water and flax until combined. Whisk in agave and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped fruits and nuts.
Fold wet ingredients into dry.
Press down firmly with the back of a spoon into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Loosely cover pan with a piece of foil if the bars brown up too quickly.
Let cool on a wire rack, still in pan, for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before cutting.

Yield: 4 bars

77 Comments »

  1. Mihl said,

    April 7, 2009 at 3:06 am

    I need energy, lots of it! Trow some bars at me :)

    Reply

  2. Mihl said,

    April 7, 2009 at 3:06 am

    Throw…I think I’ll never get that typing issue of mine under control…

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    perfection = boring. I love me some C.

    Reply

  3. snugglebunny said,

    April 7, 2009 at 3:40 am

    Horay!! A energy bar that doesn’t need a 9×13 pan. Which is great since I don’t have one and never will, no space nor need. But I only have white rice flour, would that also work?

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    I’m sure it would.

    Reply

  4. shalini said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:14 am

    Oooh, that looks really great!

    Reply

  5. Kiersten said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:16 am

    I have been looking for a bar recipe like this for a long time. All of the other recipes I find have too much sugar in them. This one sounds perfect though!

    Reply

  6. VeggieGirl said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:18 am

    Looks BEYOND fabulous.

    Reply

  7. Gina said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:20 am

    Oooh, Celine, they look yummy!!

    Reply

  8. Mara @ What's For Dinner? said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:35 am

    These look fab!!! If I don’t NEED the GF thing, would regular AP flour work? Or WW?

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    I’m 99.99% sure it’d be fine.

    Reply

  9. Nicole said,

    April 7, 2009 at 5:00 am

    These look perfect. I can’t wait to make them :)

    Reply

  10. Ricki said,

    April 7, 2009 at 5:10 am

    Looks perfect. And I love the post title–you are too cute!

    Reply

  11. kittee said,

    April 7, 2009 at 5:48 am

    bless you celine.
    xo
    kittee

    Reply

  12. A&N said,

    April 7, 2009 at 5:50 am

    That looks just as good as store bought bars! Wonderful :)

    Reply

  13. Tami (Vegan Appetite) said,

    April 7, 2009 at 5:53 am

    Celine, as always….. you make the most incredible stuff.

    You had me at ‘bar’.

    Reply

  14. Kelly said,

    April 7, 2009 at 6:57 am

    I agree with Tami. That picture absolutely sucks me in. Not to beat a dead horse, but I cannot wait for the cookbook. I’ve recently started sending baked goods to soldiers stationed overseas and I’m wondering if this bar would keep well if I packaged it using my food saver before sending over…hmmm.

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    try making a first batch and see if it holds? I believe it would, but it’d be best to make sure of it before going through the trouble of sending it overseas.

    Reply

  15. Sat said,

    April 7, 2009 at 7:05 am

    Perfect timing! I’ve been looking for something since Target stopped selling my favorite trail mix bars.

    Reply

  16. veggievixen said,

    April 7, 2009 at 7:20 am

    great recipe! i definitely want to try making my own granola/energy bars. sounds fun!

    Reply

  17. Bianca- Vegan Crunk said,

    April 7, 2009 at 7:56 am

    I’ve always wanted to try making my own bars. That’s be a perfect pre-workout snack. I’ll keep this in mind!! BTW, a vacation in tahini would be awesome. :-)

    Reply

  18. Jes said,

    April 7, 2009 at 8:02 am

    Energy? What’s that? And I think you’re on a life-long vacation with tahini! :)

    Reply

  19. Josiane said,

    April 7, 2009 at 8:49 am

    Your recipe is unlike any other recipe I’ve seen for bars so far – very interesting and intriguing! I have to give it a try! Those things are so useful when I travel… having a new kind of bars to add to my repertoire will be great!

    Reply

  20. Shelby said,

    April 7, 2009 at 9:37 am

    Sounds great! I’ll have to make them when I run out of snack bars. The ones I buy are getting too expensive.

    Reply

  21. Steph (I am Bee) said,

    April 7, 2009 at 10:21 am

    these look so simple and yummy!

    Reply

  22. Deb Schiff said,

    April 7, 2009 at 10:23 am

    Can you imagine how nice and shiny your skin would look after a vacation in Tahini. ;D
    Lovely bars.

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    that would be a nice change from the scales I sport these days.

    Reply

  23. Sanja said,

    April 7, 2009 at 10:38 am

    O, they look wonderful! I love healthy bar recipes. Now I only need to find dried raspberries…
    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  24. Rosa said,

    April 7, 2009 at 10:44 am

    What gorgeous bars! A great source of energy and pleasure!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply

  25. eliane said,

    April 7, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    the arrope worked nicely for the cookies, so I bet it will work for these bars too.

    I pictured a big lake of tahini when I read the post… not for me.

    Reply

  26. Courtney said,

    April 7, 2009 at 2:14 pm

    These look great! How do they keep? I would like to make them to send in a care-package to someone who is gluten free…do you think they would last 2-3 days well wrapped in tin-foil?

    Thanks!
    Courtney

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    I think it should be fine. you could try it with a first batch to make sure they’ll be edible for the person, if you want to be absolutely sure.

    Reply

  27. Ani said,

    April 7, 2009 at 3:46 pm

    Are you in my head? Everytime I get online looking for recipes for a certain type of thing you have just posted that very thing. It’s both creepy and delicious. Thank you.

    Reply

  28. Charlotte said,

    April 7, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    Thanks for this! I’m really in need of a good energy/snack/granola bar recipe and this looks perfect. Yum!

    Reply

  29. dreamin'itvegan said,

    April 7, 2009 at 4:08 pm

    Now these are some energy bars to make!

    Reply

  30. Andrea said,

    April 7, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    I’d love to have a freezer full of these!

    Reply

  31. Elyse said,

    April 7, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    Mmm, I love homemade energy bars. These look and sound delicious–the perfect pick-me-up! Can’t wait to make some of my own.

    Reply

  32. Vegetation said,

    April 7, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    Oh Celine! These look incredible! I’ll definitely be making them. I’ve been wanting something healthier than the crummy store bought museli bars for the kids but hadn’t come across anything that was telling me to make it…..until now :D

    Reply

  33. Sal said,

    April 8, 2009 at 4:33 am

    This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been craving this week but having no luck finding a recipe for! YAY!

    Reply

  34. Sarah said,

    April 8, 2009 at 5:35 am

    Perfect timing! I made my first batch of homemade granola bars yesterday and was just searching for some alternative recipies/ideas. I’ll have to try these next!

    Reply

  35. gine said,

    April 8, 2009 at 7:46 am

    mmmmmm…. delicious!!! I need energy :-)!!!

    Reply

  36. melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 a Day said,

    April 8, 2009 at 7:55 am

    Yum! I am SOOOO going to make these.

    Reply

  37. Laurel said,

    April 8, 2009 at 8:36 am

    Celine:

    Thanks for the GF recipes. I love you.
    I thought homemade bars would be so easy. Yeah. I got out my food processor and threw in some dates, some raw cashews, some raw coconut, and chocolate chips. What’s wrong with chocolate? Anyway, the were obviously way too sweet. I kept wishing I’d add some dried cranberries as well. But, they were sooo sticky and too soft. I never thought of adding a bit of flour in and baking them. I’ll report back on my perfect bars. Thanks again.

    Reply

  38. tahinitoo said,

    April 8, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Heh, heh, heh… A vacation in tahini… I love that. I love these bars too. They seem to be a bit different that the test recipe, yes? Still amazingly yummy. Bars.

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    don’t think I’ve made any changes to it, Amy. it’s just trying to mess with your head.

    Reply

  39. Afsoon said,

    April 8, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Nom NOM! Reminds me of the Lunabar I just had and hour ago…although I think this recipe looks a lot better (and I bet it taste better too, that was not my fave Lunabar). GO TAHINI!!! Woot Woot! Say it all day long, girl! lol

    Reply

  40. Emmie said,

    April 8, 2009 at 9:48 pm

    Looks good!

    Reply

  41. melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 a Day said,

    April 8, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=90968

    I posted the recipe here for the mayo

    Reply

  42. Jodye said,

    April 8, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    Oh, I could definitely go for some energy if it is provided in delicious bar form! The fig and walnut variation sounds amazing!

    Reply

  43. vegan on stage said,

    April 9, 2009 at 6:06 pm

    Omg im making this… im sitting here with my mouth open!

    Reply

  44. Culinary Cory said,

    April 9, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    Love this! They look so good.

    Reply

  45. Shellyfish said,

    April 10, 2009 at 3:47 am

    What’s this? More bar goodness? What are you trying to do to me??? These seem a little different from the testers – so, that means I get to make them, too, you know, just to be sure…
    I’ll go with you to tahini any day!

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    non non, c’est la même recette, juré craché par terre!

    Reply

  46. Shellyfish said,

    April 10, 2009 at 3:52 am

    Ok, I just checked and it’s the same recipe – I’m obviously suffering from ‘tête de sinusite’!

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    oh merde, t’es malade?

    Reply

  47. laci said,

    April 10, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    So simple and nourishing! :-)

    P.S. Are you French?

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    oui. from the French-speaking part of Switzerland actually, but Mom’s French.

    Reply

  48. Asha said,

    April 10, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Fantastic!!! These would be perfect to take on a hiking or camping trip.. or even on a long bike ride. I love making healthy ‘bars’ for traveling purposes. I love your blog! I’ve followed it for a while now but I think this is my first time actually commenting. :)

    Reply

  49. marika @ madcap said,

    April 10, 2009 at 8:30 pm

    This is too awesome – you’re killing me…I must make this!

    Reply

  50. lesley said,

    April 12, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    Sounds good to me! : )

    Reply

  51. Hello Veggie said,

    April 13, 2009 at 7:07 am

    Oh my oh my, these look fabulous. I love the photo.
    xoxo

    Reply

  52. Angela said,

    April 13, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    Hi there,

    I made these tonight following the recipe exactly and I was disappointed to find that the bars fell apart and wouldn’t hold together. Any ideas what went wrong?

    Otherwise they tasted delicious!

    Angela

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    not sure what could have happened, Angela: these have been tested a lot and no one had a problem with them.
    which dried fruit/nut combo did you use?

    Reply

  53. Natalie said,

    April 13, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    Love your site’s new look! It’s simplistic, clean, and inviting!

    Reply

  54. sarah said,

    April 14, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Yum!!

    Reply

  55. Marybakes said,

    April 14, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    These sound great and I love bars that can be frozen – you never know when you might have a craving!

    Reply

  56. Diann said,

    April 14, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    Oooh, Celine, these look incredibly delicious!

    Reply

  57. Vaala said,

    April 15, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    I had been looking for a recipe for some kind of bar for lunches and stuff – perhaps I needn’t look any longer?!

    Reply

  58. Recipe Hit List: Homemade Granola Recipes : TipNut.com said,

    April 16, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    [...] Homemade Energy Bars: A simple and healthy bar works miracles when the energy’s anywhere but there. Or at least, it will have to do until we can afford that 3-month long vacation in tahini Tahiti. Substitute your favorite nuts and dried fruits for the ones listed here: I’ve tried several variations and have yet to be disappointed. Couple extra bonuses? The bars freeze really well. And they’re gluten-free, too. Recipe found at Have Cake, Will Travel. [...]

  59. Angela said,

    April 16, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    Hi Celine, I used dried cranberries and blueberries and pecans.

    I think it might have been the fact that I didn’t let it cool in the pan 100% before removing it?

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    that could be it. might want to let it cool in the pan completely, even place it in the fridge for a while once cooled before slicing.

    Reply

  60. andrea e. said,

    May 4, 2009 at 11:58 pm

    gimme some, please !
    (hah,.i’d make them myself, but i don’t have some of the listed ingredients : ( !

    Reply

  61. andrea e. said,

    May 5, 2009 at 9:52 am

    well, i’m out of flax meal right now…and never bought brown rice flour before. i guess i could get it at a health store. : )

    Reply

  62. Joanne said,

    May 5, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    Ces barres d’énergie sont de loin les meilleures que j’ai goutées. Canneberges, framboises et pacanes est un mixte du tonnerre! Un gros merci!!!

    Reply

    Celine Reply:

    je suis bien contente, Joanne!

    Reply

  63. Jay (The Vegan Foodie) said,

    May 12, 2009 at 5:59 pm

    These look amazing! I really want to make these homemade energy bars!

    Reply

  64. Patty said,

    March 7, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    …but why the tiny batch? Are they so good, you’re afraid you’ll eat them all if you make a larger batch? ;)
    I’ve just started making granola bars here in Mexico, using chia seeds as the binder. Chia rocks.
    xop

    Reply

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