Homemade energy bars (granola bars)

We love these homemade energy bars in our house! As a quick snack on the go, a treat with the afternoon tea or a surprise in the otherwise healthy tiffin. I will not go as far as calling these bars healthy but they are not unhealthy either. Full of fiber, protein and oats, they really give you that small energy boost that is so needed sometimes. And they are a lot better than other sweeties, biscuits and fried snacks for sure. 

Make these homemade Energy Bars with your favorite ingredients

There are many reasons to love these bars, one of them being the flexibility of the ingredients. It never gets boring when you can change the seeds and nuts as you wish or as your pantry dictates. I have tried peanuts, hazelnuts, cashew nuts and almonds. All were delicious. unflower seeds and pumpkin seeds as the main seed with added chia seeds and/or flax seeds. It all works. The chia seeds and flax seeds are not mentioned below in the recipe but feel free to add about 50g of either seed without changing anything else. As a general note, keep it to 100 grams of any nuts and 100-150 grams of any seeds along with the oats, honey, sugar and butter. 

Making the homemade Energy Bars healthier

In my attempts to get the sugar and butter quantity down (always high on my agenda) I have tried many combinations. And the answer is, yes you can add less sugar or less butter. Or both. BUT the bars will not stick together as well. They will be more crumbly and more likely to break when you take the first bite. So less fat and sugar means less presentable. But if you are trying to watch your waistline or want to eat 5 at the time, you can reduce both to 50g and add a spoonful more of honey instead.

Getting the best seeds

Living in Goa with high humidity, it can be tricky to find good seeds. Especially sunflower seeds seem to become rancid quicker in the heat here. Sunflower seeds can usually keep for about 2-3 months in an airtight container or up to one year in the fridge. But it is important to be sure the seeds aren’t rancid before you add them in your recipe. If they are, they can spoil your food entirely. 

We use a lot of seeds in our baking. I am forever thinking up new tasty ways to get that little bit more nutrition into the kids -without it tasting too healthy. These healthy crackers are a favorite of ours too. Vegan and filled with seeds, they are healthy AND tasty! 

I always use the brand true elements, available on amazon.in. Their packaging is good, they have fair pricing and I have yet to have find a single spoiled seed. I also use the true elements honey for this recipe. 

How to melt the chocolate -you have to options.

Use the microwave

I always melt the chocolate in the microwave when it’s smaller quantities like here. Mostly because I don’t have the patience for the whole water bath thing. 😉 Always keep the microwave on defrost setting (lowest or second lowest setting depending on your microwave) and keep stirring every 30 seconds until it is fully melted and glossy. It will take a minute or two. 

Or use a water bath

If you don’t have a microwave, then heat about 200ml water in a pot and keep a bigger bowl with the chocolate inside on top. Let the water boil and stir as the chocolate melts. It will never burn using this method, but it does require more patience… and there are more dishes to wash afterwards 😉

You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free oats. 

Yield: Makes about 30 muesli bars. See the video or follow the step-by-step guide below.