Happy February!
So how are those New Year’s resolutions working out for ya? Many times by February or March, resolutions are becoming a distant memory. And Super Bowl Sunday is a diet devastator! Hopefully, if you decided to lead a healthier lifestyle, you’re sticking with it.
Last week my friend, Anika, and I were talking between cases at work, and the conversation drifted to the energy bar she was eating. I was curious as to what was in it as it appeared to be homemade.
Anika wasn’t able to give me a detailed recipe because she just throws ingredients in a bowl until it looks right. When I tasted one, I realized whatever she had done, she got it right.
Anika told me what ingredients were used, but it was now up to me to figure out the rest. So here’s what I came up with.
Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bars:
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 2 cups oats
- 2 to 3 tablespoons flax seed (Anika used chia seeds)
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup agave
Process almonds in food processor, add oats and flax seed and continue processing (I usually grind my flax seed in my coffee grinder for a more refined result).
Transfer to a large bowl and process chocolate pieces or chips in the food processor just enough to make smaller pieces. Add the processed chocolate and the cocoa powder to the bowl with the oat mixture. Mix together.
Add honey, agave and peanut butter to the dry mixture; combine well.
Once this is well-combined, press into a baking dish and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Cut into squares and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week. You can experiment with chopped dried fruit, different nuts and chocolate. Use your imagination!
Perfect after a hard workout!
Enjoy!
