Posts tagged snack

Raw Date & Cashew Energy Bars

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Raw Date & Cashew Energy Bars

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et’s be honest, energy bars are a real hot topic these days and a bit of a buzz word. Millennial’s all leading such ‘busy’ lives, being on-the-go and needing said energy! There are some great brands out there, most trying hard to keep ingredients lists to a minimum but they can get pricey. So, if you’ve got a blender then chuck everything below inside and make your own! These are really tasty and you can play around a bit with the ingredients depending on your tastes.

My athlete of a husband is adventuring off to Scotland for a 4 day cycling voyage from Carlisle to Glasgow so made these to help fuel his assertive legs. Good luck!

Makes 8 large bars or about 24 small ‘bites’

  • 400g pitted dates
  • 200g cashew nuts
  • 100g salted peanuts (Optional. I like the salt but you can use 300g cashew or 100g of another nut)
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder (dark)
  • 1 tbsp nut butter of choice
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  1. Blend everything in a food processor until the nuts are in tiny pieces
  2. Add 1 tbsp of cold water and blend again. The mixture should start to stick together. Add another splash of cold water until it blends into a nice ‘dough’.
  3. Line a 20 x 20cm baking tray with parchment.
  4. Tip the mixture into the tray and press into the tin.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  6. When ready to slice, makes sure its really cold – i put mine in the freeze for an hour or so before cutting (don’t let it get rock hard though!). Slices into bars.

Pecan, Cinnamon & PB Energy Balls

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Pecan, Cinnamon & PB Energy Balls

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alling all sports fanatics, runners, lycra glad cyclists and yogis. Energy balls. In the fast paced and immediate society we now live in (London specifically), time is something that we so regularly abuse…’I’m just so busy I didn’t have time’. Which has carved the way for the new found energy ball to eat on the go before that lunch time pilates class or to fill a void between your next avocado. The happy balance being convenience and keeping a healthy lifestyle.

The energy ball currently populates the nation from supermarket to sport shop and will in the oh so near future be a much bigger part of my life (cliff hanger). Many health bars/snacks on the market are unhealthily and sneakily filled with naughty ingredients and additives. But homemade energy balls really are pure and clean. And full of….energy!? And I’m more than pleased to add that these really are as quick to make as they are to gobble down before that spinning class.

Provided you have a food processor (I’m being presumptuous) then all you need to do is pulse it all together! I mean…if you want to squat at the same time then be my guest. And hey…who said they had to be balls? Make them triangles if you have the time.

Adapted from ‘Deliciously Ella’

Ingredients (makes about 20)

  • 400g dates (pitted). I also threw in a handful of prunes for good measure
  • 100g oats
  • 100g pecans
  • 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (feel free to use any other nut butter)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  1. Blend the oats and pecans until a fine mixture in a food processor.
  2. Add the other ingredients and pulse until you have a sticky mixture.
  3. Roll into balls (golf ball sized) and chill in the fridge (covered) until needed

Mango Fruit Leather

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Mango Fruit Leather

I’ve never made fruit leather before but it is a fantastic way to use up overripe fruit and transform it into a energy laden, tasty snack for when your batteries are running low…….

  • 1 ripe mango
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • Lemon juice from ½ small lemon
  1. Preheat the oven to about 50-60°C or its lowest setting.
  2. Line a small shallow baking tray with parchment (very approximately 23cm x 13cm or anything around that size)
  3. Place the chopped flesh of the mango into a food processor with the sugar and the lemon juice. Process to form a fruit puree (in theory this can be done with any other fruits, adjusting the sweetness to taste)
  4. Transfer the mixture to the lined tray so that it is about 3mm thick and evenly spread.
  5. Place in the oven for about 6-10 hours until dry and leathery. I turned my oven off after about 6 hours and left it in the oven overnight and got it out the next day. This made sure it was dry but  gave it a lovely slightly chewy texture.
  6. To store, I sliced mine into thin strips and rolled into wheels, with a piece of baking parchment between to stop it sticking. Alternatively, just chop into pieces of whatever size you like!

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