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The Best Power Bars Ever: A Ketogenic Whole Food Snack

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The Best Power Bars Ever ~ A Whole Foods Snack!, A plate of chocolate covered energy bars.

Here’s my version of some pretty phenomenal power bars. A great source of protein, it’s a fun way to get those nutritious nuts, seeds and dried fruit into your diet. My purpose behind it was to have a good, but healthy, snack on hand. Several of our family members in particular were requesting something to give a boost of energy through the day.

You CAN make these ketogenic with the substitutions I have listed below the ingredients! They still hold together pretty well without the dried fruit and are still wonderful!

Thank you Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking for the inspiration. I’ll say that again…these power bars are de-LISH-us! Using four superfoods (flax or chia seed, coconut oil, raw honey, and raw almonds) these gluten-free bars pack a nutritional punch, and really fill you up between meals.
My daughter simply threw all the ingredients into the food processor and pulsed it for a few seconds, and they turned out beautifully.

You’ll have to decide whether these are a breakfast food or a pick-me-up power snack after a workout.

 

 

 

Power Bars Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almonds
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins (we used dates)
  • ½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
  • ½ cup raw peanut or almond butter  (we used sunflower seed butter)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
  • 1/4 cup honey (preferably raw to add enzymes)
  • 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 bag of dark chocolate chips in a small saucepan for the topping (we used 2.5-3 oz. Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate)

You can make these ketogenic if: 

  • you remove dried fruit
  • you use a nut butter with NO added sugar, especially raw (not processed) for greater nutrient power
  • Substitute 1 teaspoon of SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Concentrate for 1/4 cup of honey in the recipe.
  • substitute dark choc chips with Lily’s dark chocolate with stevia.  Lily’s are botanically sweetened with Stevia, have less than 2g of sugars per bag and the Dark Chocolate Chips are gluten free and vegan.

 

 

 

Directions:

    1. Place the top five ingredients into the processor (almonds, flax seed or chia, dried fruit, shredded coconut, and nut butter).
    2.  Pulse for 10-20 seconds. Let sit.
    3.  In a sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat (it melts at 76-77° so it may already be melted).
    4. Stir sea salt, raw honey, and vanilla into the liquid coconut oil. Add the coconut oil mixture into the food processor and blend until the ingredients all form a thick ball.
    5. Cover a 9 1/2″ x 13″ cookie sheet in parchment paper and spread out this thick paste into a thin rectangular layer. Place it into the refrigerator for an hour to chill or until it solidifies.
    6. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate for topping over very low heat, stirring continuously.
    7. Smooth melted chocolate thinly over the chilled base.
    8. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens.
    9. Remove power bars from refrigerator, cut into sections, and serve cold.

 

 

 

The Best Power Bars Ever ~ A Whole Foods Snack!, a collage of the 4 steps of making homemade whole food power bars

Voila!

The Best Power Bars Ever ~ A Whole Foods Snack!, homemade whole food power bars

Makes about 12-15 large bars. Store in refrigerator or freeze to enjoy later!

I love that these power bars are made with raw honey and coconut oil and not white or processed sugar and a hydrogenated oil; you could even lower that 1/4 c. of honey to 1/5 and still find these very satisfying. We will be doing this next time.

 

 

 

The Best Power Bars Ever ~ A Whole Foods Snack!, Nourishing Traditions, cookbook, book, Sally FallonI found this little excerpt on page 548 of my Nourishing Traditions cookbook:

“The latest explosive evidence incriminating table sugar as the chief architect of heart disease comes from the University of Hawaii (1972). C.C. Brooks and his colleagues fed pigs high-sugar diets. Sixty-eight of the eighty pigs developed heart disease in the left half of the heart. This backs up the contention that Dr. Yudkin and others have been making for many years.

A remarkable added finding was that in pigs in which 10 percent of the sugar was replaced by coconut oil or beef tallow the heart remained free from the endocarditis that afflicted the rest of the [other] animals. This may confound those who have been apprehensive about fat in the diet.” ~Edward Howell, MD, Enzyme Nutrition

 

 

 

For another energy boost during a busy day, check out My Version Of Good Girl Moonshine!

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The Best Power Bars Ever ~ A Whole Foods Snack!, a protein-rich power bar for snack, dessert or sweet treat 

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Thanks for reading!

Jacqueline
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Comments

  1. Looks amazing! I will definitely be making these since they are gluten-free! Thanks for sharing!
    Blessings,
    Leah

    • You are welcome, Leah! We are making them again for the weekend. We keep them frozen, and they are great for a hot day. Best served cold b/c of the coconut oil; otherwise, they get sloppy. Enjoy!

  2. Oh that looks good! You can dip styrofoam in chocolate and you got my attention (sadly!)… I am going to try and make these for I have a 3:00 sweet tooth that accompanies my green tea 🙂

    • Haha! JES, you make me S.M.I.L.E!!! Styrofoam? Really…. you know the darker the chocolate, the better for you (less sugar and more antioxidants), right?

  4. Yummmmmm…….

    Did I say YUM? Our family actually started making our own snack bars several months ago being tired of the hundred ingredient bars that wear off about two minutes after consumption. We use ingredients like peanut butter, low sugar cereal, raisins, and chocolate chips. We’re definitely homemade snack fans! Thanks for posting so deliciously. 🙂

  5. I’ve tried a variation of this recipe and they are so great to stick in my husband’s lunch!
    Easy to make and a great ‘power snack’.
    Thanks Jacqueline~

  6. I’m so glad you posted the recipe. I have thought about them ever since you brought us a batch right after our move. Can’t wait to make this soon!

  7. Mmm…those look quite tasty. I may have to try it (with a few minor changes, since my family is on the GAPS diet.)

  9. This sounds great! I need to make a few modifications so that my diabetic husband can enjoy them too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    • Dear Kari,
      I wish you and your dear husband Boo the peace of Christ. May you find your joy and substance from Jesus as he comforts you today. ‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”‘
      Praying for you!

    • You are welcome, Jill; I just really enjoy your writing and I am continually learning.
      Blessings!

  11. Just started paleo two weeks ago, and thought these would be perfect for a snack other than fruit. I made them and they are so good, however mine look different and didn’t stay together to well. My food processor is small so I had to do little patches then mix by hand. Any idea what the nutritional facts are?

  12. Made these last week and they are wonderful! I did not have vanilla so I used coconut extract and my husband loved them. Me, too! Now that I have vanilla again, I will make more today. No more searching for the ever-elusive healthy “granola bar” recipe. This is my staple now. I cut them and put them in the freezer and could eat them straight from there. My freezer saw a lot of action last week! *wink*

    Post more of your favorite recipes Mrs. Jacqueline! Please! 🙂

  14. Thank you for this recipe!! So good! Even without the chocolate 🙂 Always looking for healthy recipes! Thanks. Bless you <3

  15. I am allergic to honey . But I really want to try the recipe ,But I have no idea what to exchange honey with ?? Please Help

    • Hi, Jody Ann,
      One thought I had was maple syrup…the real thing, but it is so expensive these days. Also molasses works very nicely with many recipes, but is not as sweet (just richer)You also might want to look into coconut sugar…it’s pretty good for you! Hope you find out something that works for you…maybe let me know what you end up using 🙂

    • Hi,

      Try rice syrup. It is not as sweet as honey so you may need to use a little more or use a combo of rice syrup and maple/coconut.

  16. I just made these a few minutes ago. I used prunes, figs, and raisins. Of course that was not but a couple figs and 3-4 prunes, and a few raisins. I was looking how thick yours are. Mine are about half that. I used the 9×13 pan too. I believe I could have gotten by with a third cup of oil. They have a good taste.

  18. These sound wonderful, but my husband does not eat coconut. Any substitute you would recommend? Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    • Wow, Linda; I am stumped. Maybe I can put this question out on FB and see if anyone can think of anything… Hmmm! Follow on the Deep Roots Page and let’s see…

      • sesame seeds? i love seeds more than nuts and am always looking for ways to use them:) will have to try this soon- looks really yummy!
        i made a “candy” yesterday that was coconut oil, honey and chocolate powder. i added cinnamon to make it even healthier . adding some fruits and seeds ….humm might need to try that LOL

        • Donna,
          That sounds maa’velous! I do love sesame seeds. How about adding tahini (unless you soak the seeds and then dry them in a warm oven because of the phytic acid)?

    • Renee, I just sent you an email. I posted your question on my fb page and got a lot of good answers! Hope that helps 🙂

  19. Just had to drop in real quick! I ordered two large coconut oils for my uncle to bring with him. The next day, these power bars were on the menu! I had been craving them ever since you posted this! And they did NOT disappoint! They were DELISH!! Thanks for sharing this! In a few days, I will tackles the BONS 🙂 and I am sure they will live up to their name as well…

    • Oh, JES, I am tickled pink!!!! I’m so glad you love them, too!! It’s great your Uncle could bring the coconut oil with him ~ special delivery 🙂

  20. Any idea what I could use to substitute for the almonds? My son is allergic to all nuts. I saw a previous post about sesame seeds but I don’t think I would want 2 cups of them in a recipe. In many recipes I just leave out the nuts but in this one they seem to be a pretty big part of the recipe.

    • Loretta,
      What about oats? In this case, I would soak them overnight (10 hours min.),then drain them very well and lightly toast them in the oven at 200 degrees until they are almost dry. I won’t guarantee that they will be perfect, but it can’t hurt to experiment, and I think they would work. The soaking is to make them digestible, especially if your son is allergic to much at all, he will need his food to be digestible, and allow his gut to heal. Here is some ‘food’ for thought: https://deeprootsathome.com/soaking-beans-and-grains-byebye-phytic-acid-and-beano/ Please let me know how they turn out for you 🙂

  21. Well, I just made my first batch. Can’t wait to try them! We follow a Paleolithic diet but my daughter misses convenience/junk foods terribly. I’m sure these will pass the test! I halved the recipe since this wasn’t part of my weekly menu plan and used sunflower seeds instead of almonds and hemp protein powder instead of flax. They seem pretty crumbly before allowing to set in the fridge, I hope they firm up quite a bit.

    I happened upon your blog this morning and I must say, I love it! I already made my daughter some honey-cinnamon cough syrup, read your article on television viewing and how harmful it can be, and made one of your recipes. My mother passed away right after my wedding 7 years ago. I am always searching for mentors/role models in older women and I can already see that I have much wisdom and knowledge to gather from your site. I really appreciate what you are doing here. So from the bottom of my heart thank you. And I pray the Lord will reward you and bless you for your beautiful, kind heart.

    • Ahh, Andrea,
      I am so thankful for your kind words. They are a balm to my soul; I wonder sometimes if I am doing the right thing…it does take so much time, and yet, I feel the Lord giving me strength to continue. I would LOVE to know how the hemp protein powder does as far as consistency and taste. If it holds together, it would be a good alternate recipe, and may they satisfy those understandable cravings of your daughter 🙂 God bless you and yours!

      • The hemp protein powder did ok; the bars were pretty crumbly but I didn’t follow your recipe to a T and we didn’t have the chocolate layer either. It looks like that would help hold it all together as well. They did GREAT stored in the freezer. They remind me of a Larabar! I try to incorporate the hemp protein powder into my daughters’ diet daily (usually in a green smoothie) because it works wonders keeping her regular and she has a tendency to get stopped constipated.

        Again, blessings to you and thank you so much, for I am benefiting from your blog as is my entire family.

        -Andrea

        • Haha!! I think I knew what you meant 😉 We love them right out of the fridge, and they will get melty if they get too warm…So glad they tasted wonderful…thanks for likening them to a Lara Bar 🙂 Blessings and a hug!

    • Hello, Char,
      I looked over at Passionate Homemaking and don’t see one there either. Please let me know if you find a comparable!

  23. Unfortunately, Ghiardelli uses GMOs. I emailed the company last week after watching Genetic Roulette. I am going to try making my own choc. chips, but am not optimistic they will taste comparable. Otherwise, will try recipe as posted for my four little ones. 🙂

  24. I want to make these! Do you have any ideas for alternative toppings? I cannot eat chocolate/caffeine. I saw the comment about making them plain, but I love the idea of a topping spread on these.

    • Hi, Christa~ I have wondered how you are all doing! Blessings on you and your home 🙂

  26. I found this to be a very oily recipe with good flavor. To reduce the feel of oil I added 2/3c quinoa, ~ 1/2c brown rice flour and 2 scoops of unflavored/unsweetened whey-based protein powder and 3 tbsps of cinnamon for depth of flavor. I also added 1/4c each of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds with 3 tbsps of chia seeds to help draw up some of the oil. I found that with my added ingredients the dough remained sticky for binding during the cooling process but without the greasy feel. I think if I were to make this again and not add the flour, quinoa and whey, I would cut the oil in half and add coconut milk to incorporate fluid that way. Coconut oil is great but with all of the other oils from the nuts and seeds, it just seemed like too much and the greasiness on my hands made it unappetizing. However, the flavor is to die for.

  27. These bars are amazing. So good that they taste like a candy bar. I mixed up my nuts and did almonds, pecans and cashews and did prunes and dates for the fruit..I also added a scoop of vanilla protein powder. the mixture tasted so good out of the food processor bowl….and even better when set and firm! I skipped the chocolate because they tasted so good without it.brought some bars to friends to try and have been handing out the recipe! everyone agrees…best tasting healthy thing they have ever tasted! Thanks for posting.

    • Ohh! Thank you! I am so glad…and now I need to make them again 🙂 Lol You have me so hungry just talking about them 😀
      Have a blessed day in the Lord!

  28. Thanks for the visit today! I hope you have a safe trip during your visit. I did include a link to these power bars in my “20 foods that reduce cancer post” since the nuts and seeds contains essential fatty acids that help lower breast cancer rates. We just made 2 batches yesterday of these bars. One for now and one for the freezer. We can’t get enough of them. Thanks for sharing once again 🙂

  29. Oh, my! I just came across this recipe tonight…I must have seen it before via email, but for some reason, it caught my eye tonight! Anyhow, my son and I went out and got the ingredients, and we made these tonight. They are WONDERFUL!!!! Since I try to abstain from white refined sugar, we used the 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate, and as I melted it, I put in two packets of Stevia, just to give it a slight sweetness. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this…I wouldn’t have been able to make it before anyhow, because I did not own a food processor. Thank the Lord, I got one for Christmas, and this was my first time using it. I loved it! I hope all is well with you and your family. You are such a dear blessing to me! Much love to you. 🙂

    • Yay! I’m glad you found the recipe….it is one of my personal favorites and I never feel guilty eating these bars 😉 Enjoy that processor!

  32. Good morning Jacqueline! Hope all is well with you! 🙂 I featured this recipe today on our POST FROM THE PAST entry for the Art of Home-Making Mondays {This is where I feature a post from the link up archives that I have tried and appreciated.}. We have also prepared your quinoa pizza bites last month and they were a hit too! 🙂 Sending a warm embrace your way, my friend.

    Love,
    JES

    • Awww… I am so glad, Farmlifechick!! It is also a prompt to me to make them for this weekend’s company! 🙂
      Blessings!

  34. How can a person make these wonderful power bars if they don’t have a food processor? I have all the other small kitchen appliances, just no food processor and I’m not planning on buying one. Back before I moved and I lived near someone who had a food processor I made this recipe several times. It was wonderful!

    Do you have any ideas on how to adapt this recipe so that I could make it without a food processor?

    Could you email your answer to me?

    Thank you.

    Vivian Maddox

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