Spiced Acai Energy Bars

Power packed, easy to digest, steady energy for your workout!

Gluten free raw vegan energy bar recipe: Sample recipe from Thrive Foods cookbook by vegan tri-athlete Brendan Brazier, review by Zoë Keeland.

It costs about $6 to make this energy bar recipe, which yields 8 bars - that's 75 cents per bar. You can't buy an energy bar nearly as good as these homemade energy bars, at four times the price.

Total Prep & Cook Time: 60 Min

Yield: 10 Bars

Nutrition Data, 33g Serving: 121 cal, cal from fat 55, 10g sugars, 15g carb, 7g fat, 1mg sodium, 4g fiber, 3g protein, low cholesterol, good source Vit E. Estimated glycemic load 6

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup raw almonds
• 3/4 cup pitted medjool dates
• 3 Tbsp acai powder
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: tiny pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor just until dough has formed (allowing some almonds to remain coarsely chopped)
2. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board and spill the dough out on top
3. Use your hands to press and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle
4. Cover the rectangle of dough with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut into 8-10 bars
5. These are best eaten cold, since they're stickier when they're warm

Recipe Tips:

The energy bars are ridiculously easy to make, as long as you have a food processor. You can store them in the freezer and they are chewy right away - no thaw time.

I could tell the dough was ready when it started clumping in the food processor. It stuck together, but was dry enough to dump out easily.

I shaped the dough into a brick and sliced it like a loaf. It could also be spread in a pan lined with parchment paper and sliced into squares or bars.