DIY Energy Bars

When it's late afternoon and you haven't quite finished your To Do list, you might want to reach for one of these little beauties.   There is no reason you can't have a container of healthy energy bars on hand, especially when these are so easy to throw together.

This recipe is slightly adapted from the August 2012 issue of Eating Well Magazine.
DIY Energy Bars

makes 12 bars

1 C lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1/2  C crispy brown rice cereal

1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 C raw pumpkin seeds 

1/4 C sunflower seeds

1/4 C dried blueberries

1/4 C ground flax seed

6 dried apricots, diced

3 Tb mini chocolate chips

1 Tb Chia seed

5 Tb brown rice syrup

1 Tb coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325.  Line the bottom and sides of an 8” square baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Microwave the coconut oil in a small glass dish for 10 seconds at a time until it is melted, then mix into the brown rice syrup.  Drizzle the syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and gently stir until thoroughly combined.  Spread in the prepared baking pan and press down firmly on the mixture to help it hold together after baking.

Bake until just beginning to turn golden at the edges, 20-25 minutes for a metal pan or 30-35 minutes for a glass pan.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Lift the baked square out with the foil.  Cut the square in half, then cut each half crosswise into 6 bars.  Let cool completely before removing from foil.  Store in an airtight container.