DIY ‘energy bars’

[chris_the_wrench]

We buy and eat alot of ‘energy bars’ aka cliff bars, balance bars, etc, etc. No real favorites, usually whatever is on sale and has some chocolate. Most taste mediocre and have a wide range of ingredients that Id prefer to avoid. But they are super handy to grab when running out the door for a ride/hike/ski/etc. I do eat alot of dried apples, nuts(trailmix), pb&j but I find that a challenge to eat with gloves or moving on the bike and my sandwiches always end up squashed!

Sporadically over the past few years I’ve been trying to search out and make a few diy recipes off the web and books. Most are based on dates as the binding agent that holds them together. I like dates but find that flavor overwhelms everything else.

Anyone else making their own bars or bites? Ive also struggled to find a recipe that can hold up outside of the refrigerator for ‘awhile’.

 

[martyg]

I just throw whatever random nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, etc, that my wife has in the kitchen, in a zip lock. Simple.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I just throw whatever random nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, etc, that my wife has in the kitchen, in a zip lock. Simple.

I do that too. But its a pain to eat on the lift with gloves or more so when Im struggling to hold the wheel in front of me on the bike. But more motivating is I enjoy cooking and baking.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I do that too. But its a pain to eat on the lift with gloves or more so when Im struggling to hold the wheel in front of me on the bike. But more motivating is I enjoy cooking and baking.

Love this guy.
You can make endless variations to this recipe adding whatever you like-dates, raisins, dried cranberries, dried prunes and it will always be good.

 

[dbostedo]

and have a wide range of ingredients that Id prefer to avoid.

Not DIY, but some of the bars out there are specifically simple in ingredients and all natural. RXBARs and Larabars come to mind, that I've often bought. Larabars have dates as the main ingredient but they do a good job mixing flavors. And RXBARs are all about listing their ingredients (the particular flavor is also an ingredient - like chocolate)...

 

[Mel]

I make lots of bars for skiing, camping, and just eating in the car before and after those activities. I’ve used peanut butter mixed with a little bit of honey as a binding agent, but they can be crumbly. I use a square mini muffin tin to make them in, like this one
I’ve made oatmeal bars with fruit & nuts mixed in, and they bake with nice texture and minimal crumbling. Baking them in the muffin tins gives them a nice smooth edge, which is less messy to eat on the go. I also do French toast squares in the same pan (cubed bread, egg mixture, vanilla bean paste mixed and squished into the muffin tin, then drizzled with maple syrup before baking. Fantastic, but they can make your hands sticky from the syrup). Both kinds are fine out of the fridge at room temp for a day, but not overnight.

We also make chocolate strawberry energy bites - can’t find the recipe online, but this is from our cookbook. They’re really portable and again are fine out of the fridge all day.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

We also make chocolate strawberry energy bites - can’t find the recipe online, but this is from our cookbook. They’re really portable and again are fine out of the fridge all day.

Those look tasty! Ive got everything except some cashew butter.

 

[snwbrdr]

You should consider "Rice Cakes", that has been popularized by Dr. Allen Lim (for cyclists). There are tons of recipes and variations for different needs of energy and tastes.

There is a reason why dates are commonly used. It's a medium glycemic index food, with a high glycemic load (glucose gets into your bloodstream faster), which comes in handy when you need that boost of energy.

 

[jt10000]

my sandwiches always end up squashed!

You write that as if it's a bad thing.

I think sports sandwiches are best made with rolls, not sliced bread, which contains moisture better. Squashed is not a bad thing when done that way.

 

[Pajarito-bred]

We've been experimenting with various purchased and homemade bars over the years, since the days of the original Powerbar. (or PowerBrick, if allowed to get too cold....) We found the best use for those is for patching a leaky raft, after a bit of pre-chewing.

Now I tend to stay with Clif Bars for a good balance of reasonable cost and flavor variety. I've made the recipe pasted below quite a few times, some batches have been excellent! Key is to get the right mix of dry and wet ingredients. I don't know the actual "Adventure Quest" source, I typed this page up several computers ago.

These may or may not be better and cheaper than store-bought. According to the text that used to be on the back of a Clif Bar, experimenting with making your own could be a slippery slope.....