Power Bars

Healthy and delicious oat almond banana bars , great for breakfast, snacks or dessert! They are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free and added sugar-free (except for the chocolate chips). Only 5 ingredients, too! Healthy, Easy Delicious Banana Bars Oh, the bananas. We keep buying them and eating them, while also allowing countless more to go brown on …

Healthy 3-ingredient banana flax bars that taste like banana blondies! They are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, added sugar-free, and only 87 calories each. 3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars for Breakfast, Snacks, & Dessert Some things are destiny.  For example, these bars (soon) topping your list of favorite recipes! If I could have, I would have performed a …

3-ingredient keto protein bars that require no cooking or baking. They are also vegan, paleo, grain-free and have 7.6 g protein per bar. Summer is off to a rip-roaring start, which means I need all of the portable energy I can get my hands onto! And with my son starting a series of athletic camps …

Amazing, 3-ingredient grain-free granola bars that are vegan, a cinch to make, and have endless options for variation! I even have an easy keto-friendly option. I am who I am because of granola bars. Really, I’m serious. Granola bars have fueled me, and my various activities, all my life. Portable food is definitely my thing. …

Get your instant energy boost with these easy-to-make lemon & strawberry puffed millet bars! They are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free and made without baking. No-Bake Strawberry Energy Bars  I have not posted an energy bar for awhile. Also, I have not cleaned out my pantry for awhile. The latter led to my discovery of a package …

Quick & easy, no-bake tahini protein bars (13+ grams protein per bar), with two Middle Eastern flavor twists: orange & cardamom. They are vegan, nut-free & gluten-free. Good morning everyone, I hope your Monday is treating you well so far! I am starting this week with a delicious homemade protein bar that I devised last …

My do-it-yourself version of chocolate coconut RX bars, with a significant change-up: mine are made with plant-based protein powder instead of egg white protein powder!

Super-simple & so delicious 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares! They are healthy, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and oil-free. Hello, everyone! Apologies for my laziness these past few days. I had a great run on Sunday at the Houston Marathon—beautiful weather, great course, fantastic crowd support; will post pics shortly–but the remainder of the day, and Monday …

With 11 grams of protein, and a rich, fudge-y flavor and texture, these homemade chocolate coconut protein bars will keep you powered up and primed to accomplish all of your New Year’s resolutions! The switch from a season full of treats to January asceticism can feel enlightening one moment, cruel the next; especially when cravings …

4-Ingredient coconut lime protein bars are a bright, tropical twist for snacks and workouts. They are vegan, gluten-free, & 199 calories/ 11 grams protein per bar. Here it is, fall, and I’m sharing a recipe with the bright, sunny flavors of a tropical island. But it’s not just any recipe. It’s a 4-ingredient protein bar …

Looking for a homemade granola bar with less sugar and more protein? My no-bake trail mix bars are exactly what you’re looking for! They are easy-to-make, vegan and gluten-free, too. Homemade Energy Bars: A Great Easy-to-Make Snack In case any question remains, I love power bars: energy bars, granola bars, protein bars, bars Bars BARS! …

Cheap & easy vegan protein bars, made with wholesome natural ingredients and no protein powder! They are gluten-free, oil-free, and can be varied in countless ways. No matter how many years it’s been since leaving school, late summer will always feel like the start of new year. I imagine I will still be tidying my …

Happy Thursday, everybody! I hope this post finds you happy and well, wherever you are planted. It is absolutely gorgeous weather here –more like my native SF Bay Area weather than East Texas. I try to avoid the air conditioner as late in the spring as possible here, but sometimes that has meant mid-March, so …

Whole grain amaranth breakfast treats that are vegan, flourless, gluten-free, high in fiber, almost 5 g protein, and only 119 calories. Amaranth. Have you made its acquaintance? I am enamored of this super-grain, but have been remiss in posting a new amaranth recipe in a while, despite having two pounds worth stored in the refrigerator. …

3-ingredient energy bars made with dried fruit, chia, and oven-dried greens! They are a DIY version of LARABAR fruits and greens bars. Vegan & grain-free.

No-bake protein bars made with matcha, mint and plant protein powder! The bars are gluten-free, vegan, and easy-to-make, too.

Vegan, no-bake pumpkin pie bars, made in a muffin tin for perfect portioning and no cutting! Each bar has10.5 grams of protein and a mere 144 calories.

DIY, no-bake Clif Bars, made without grains or soy protein isolate! They taste better than the original and have 181 calories and 6,.3 grams of protein each.

So satisfying, and packed with nutrition, my 90-calorie mushroom kale quinoa muffins are perfect portable mini-meals! They are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, & flourless, too.     Hi everyone! I hope that it’s been a good weekend all around for each of you. I managed to squeeze in a long run on Saturday morning (before it …

My vegan quinoa muffin tin burgers are just what you need for a savory snack, packed lunch, or quick dinner (sliders!). They are oil-free, gluten-free, and only 91 calories each. Summer is coming to a close, and grilling will soon be replaced by stews, soups, and slow-cooker meals. But that doesn’t mean you have to …

Vegan protein bars that are savory instead of sweet! Made in a muffin tin, without protein powder, they have 153 calories and 6.5 g protein each.

Vegan quinoa omelet muffins, made with chickpea flour in place of eggs! Made in a muffin tin, they are gluten-free, high protein, and only 154 calories each. Google “quinoa egg muffin;” you’ll generate more than 4 million hits. It’s a wee bit popular. The reason is self-evident: take a super-grain (quinoa; one of the only …

No-bake vegan coconut protein bars, made with rice protein powder, coconut flour and oats. 8 grams protein and 141 calories each.

Healthy, muffin-size deep dish pizzas that are vegan and grain-free! The crust is made in seconds with a chickpea flour batter. Only 97 calories, too!

As I was pressing the almonds into the tops of the Savory Almond-Rosemary Granola Bars, I knew what variation I wanted to do next: Spicy Thai Peanut! It’s a bad habit of mine: as I am finishing up one project, I tend to let go and focus on what’s next. It does not work well …

Almond and rosemary granola bars that are vegan, gluten-free, no-bake, and more savory than sweet. Made in a muffin tin, so no cutting needed!

My DIY version of Sweet and Spicy Kind Bars (barbecue flavor). They are easy to make, plus vegan, grain-free, oil-free and gluten-free. 

Super-fast, easy, vegan white bean flax biscuits! Delicious and versatile, they are also grain-free, oil-free, sugar-free, and made with only 4 ingredients. Peanut butter. Jelly. Avocado. Chocolate-hazelnut spread. Hummus. They all taste pretty darn great on bread. They also deserve to spread on great bread. So…here’s some great bread, in compact biscuit form! Not sweet, …

Quick and easy individual coconut flour cauliflower bread, made in a muffin tin! The bread is naturally vegan, grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and keto, plus, only 52 calories each! Cauliflower is having a heyday, shifting shape to become a grain stand-in for rice, couscous, and pizza crusts, as well as a fine ready substitute for potatoes in …

Baked in a muffin tin, this mushroom almond flour bread is 100% scrumptious, as well as vegan, keto, & grain-free. Great for snacks and portable lunches! Vegan Keto Bread Made with Almond Flour Creating grain-free bread is challenging. Creating vegan, grain-free bread ? Without the structure of gluten, grains and the volume and protein structure from …

  It’s Tuesday. Following a 3-day weekend. With visitors. Thus, chocolate.     These energy-bars-in-the-round are humble in both ingredients (four) and preparation (no-baking, roughly 5 to 10 minutes total), but not flavor (luscious) or texture (rich and candy-like). This is a new variation of my DIY LaraBars recipe from 8 years ago (still going strong …

If your get up and go got up and went (Schoolhouse Rock reference– anybody? :)), I hanker for one of these goji bars. After a long run, or frankly, just a long day, I need a serious dose of carbohydrates to refuel or else I risk terrorizing the city. Anyone else get that hungry? It’s …

Scrumptious chickpea flour vegetable frittatas, made with chickpea flour in place of eggs! They are vegan, grain-free, & only 77 calories each. Egg-Free Mini Frittatas for Brunch or Easy Breakfasts Frittatas are perfectly suited for weekends, brunch and guests, so that’s exactly what I whipped up today. These are not Martha Stewart’s frittatas, although I think …

Quick and easy dried fruit protein bars! With only 3 ingredients, they are vegan, grain-free and have almost 10 grams of protein and only 118 calories each.

4-ingredient mini breads made from cooked brown rice and chickpea flour. They are naturally vegan and gluten-free, plus, only 45 calories each.

Packed with 14 grams of plant protein, these vegan oatmeal raisin protein cakes are a perfect breakfast or snack! They are oil-free, gluten-free, and baked in a muffin tin. We are a mystery to many. We are the oatmeal-raisin cookie lovers of the world. While others recoil at the mention of raisins, or cry “foul!” …

You need to make a batch of my super-simple 2-ingredient quinoa flax breads asap! They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and perfect for all kinds of toppings. Two. Ingredient. Bread. Toothsome, crispy-edged, tender in the middle bread. It’s real. And it’s d#*n delicious! It is also the direct product of committing to a year of …

Gluten-free tabbouleh, baked into portable, muffin tin “bites.” They are easy-to-make, vegan, gluten-free and perfect for packed lunches and snacks.

DIY apple pie protein bars, made with extra ease (no cutting!) in a muffin tin. Vegan, gluten-free, and no-bake, they are 143 calories and 10.4 grams of plant protein apiece.

Red beans and rice, made into a portable, healthy snack that is baked in a muffin tin! They are vegan. gluten-free, and easy to make, too.

I have a very special snack to cap off this first month; it took some finagling to get it right, but, oh my stars, the final result is a winner. It’s my hummus and vegetables bites. Forget packing one container of hummus, another of cut-up vegetables. With a few humble ingredients, a muffin tin, and …

Healthy no-bake buckwheat granola bars made with ease! They are vegan, gluten-free and pressed into a muffin tin (no cutting required!). No-Bake & No-Cut Buckwheat Granola Bars Homemade granola bars can be easy to make. Slicing granola bars into neat, perfectly-portioned bars? Not so much. Without the magic of industrial machinery, it can be pretty …

A favorite side-dish gets re-invented as portable snack! These broccoli, brown rice and cheese minis are vegan and gluten-free. A chickpea flour batter replace the eggs! Only 80 calories each too.

Spicy almond sesame clusters, a perfect snack made with ease in a muffin tin! They are naturally vegan, grain-free, Paleo and keto.

Easy, no-bake chocolate chip cookie dough bars, made in a muffin tin! They are also gluten-free.

Made from an assortment of nuts and seeds, these delectable mushroom-rosemary breads double as mini meals! They are naturally grain-free, vegan, Paleo-friendly, and easy-to-make, too.

Vegan protein bars (in the round) that taste like chocolate frosting! Call it chocolate protein fudge 🙂 They have 8.2 grams of protein and 119 calories apiece. Yum!

Pajeon (Korean vegetable pancakes) made without eggs! Chickpea flour makes these baked pancakes vegan, as well as grain-free and gluten-free. They are healthy, high-protein and portable!

Healthy & vegan chipotle cheese bread bites that taste like your favorite queso dip! They are oil-free, gluten-free, & have just 80 calories apiece. A perfect savory fitness snack! Queso  is on the menu at just about every Tex-Mex joint here in the Lone Star State, and no wonder: warm, gooey cheese, typically with a hot pepper …

Tex-Mex black bean frittatas, made with chickpea flour instead of eggs! Vegan, grain-free, and high-protein, they are perfect for lunches and in lunches & high-protein snacking. Vegan Frittatas with Tex-Mex Flavors I am feeling a wee bit like Wile E. Coyote. Super genius. I owe it all to black beans. As well as frozen peppers …

Easy and delicious herb biscuits that are both grain-free and vegan! They are made with almond meal or almond flour, plus an “egg” made out of psyllium husk. Bake in a muffin tin for perfectly shaped biscuits!

Flourless chocolate fudge teff muffins are packed with nutrition, yet taste like decadent brownies! They are gluten-free, vegan and flourless, too.

Vegan millet kale quiches are perfect grab & go mini meals. Made with chickpea flour, they are gluten-free, high protein & scrumptious! I am so excited to share this first recipe for this series of sweet and savory muffin tin recipes! The inspiration comes from the ever-talented Heidi Swanson over at 101 cookbooks. She has …

It’s day 2 of the 7 days of Chickpea Flour Cookies! Let’s face it: we all need plenty of energy this month. Visits from and with family and friends, wrapping gifts, decorating the house, baking, cooking, cleaning and celebrating, oh my! Add to that, it’s chilly in most parts of the country, including right here in …

I dub this the “pack and scramble” post, because, no matter how much I plan and pack ahead of time, I am inevitably packing and scrambling the morning I leave for a family trip. Granted, I could have cancelled my 6 am spin class this morning to give myself more time, but a pre-Thanksgiving workout …

The Brits are responsible for copious inventions that have transformed modern life, including the reflecting telescope, television, stainless steel, hip replacements, military tanks, and the telephone. Add granola bars to that list. Long before Nature Valley and the Quaker oats man were selling their packaged snacks to the world, British home cooks were making the …

Chocolate chip peanut butter banana oat bars are the perfect portable breakfast or healthy snack, anytime! Made with 4 simple ingredients, they are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and 80 calories each. Perfect 4-Ingredient Breakfast/Snack Bars I’ve come down with a tenacious strain of spring cleaning-itis. So yesterday, the refrigerator and floors were scrubbed, the cookbooks were …

I am all for a crispy, crunchy granola bar, but sometimes a woman needs something fudgy. And since one of my favorite forms of fudge is peanut butter, why not make a power bar with a creamy, fudgy, peanut buttery texture and flavor? Why not, indeed! I am the person who like all sorts of stuff …

5-ingredient toasted millet apricot energy bars will power you through any endeavor. They are naturally vegan and gluten-free. Millet as an Alternative to Nuts If you are need to avoid, are have an allergy to nuts, then you need to gain the acquaintance of toasted millet. Millet is humble seed, more likely found in your …

My Paleo Almond Flour Muffins recipe is one of my most popular posts, so it was a natural to develop a savory version in line with my month of portable, nutritious, empowering eats. So let me introduce you to my Almond Flour Mushroom Muffins. They are naturally gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo. Mushrooms? Muffins? Some of …

It strikes me as entirely unfair to put away all of the cozy favorite of November and December because the calender we choose to follow mandates that it’s a new year! Meanwhile, it’s cold, gray and a wee bit dreary, especially on the days when your socks get wet and eyelashes freeze. Hence, pumpkin, cranberry, …

Today is a very exciting day, the explanation of which can be summed up in one word: SUNSHINE! After hiding behind gray clouds for weeks, the sun is bathing our fair city in golden rays, and, with apologies to my friends in Northern climes, it is a blissful 50 degrees here in the Piney Woods …

Grain-free nut-free breakfast bars made with coconut flour and flaxseed meal. They are also gluten-free & high in protein. Grain-Free Coconut Flour Breakfast Bars I love the idea of breakfast bars and breakfast cookies (or “biscuits,” as several manufacturers prefer to name them). The portability is a major factor of their appeal(even if I am only …

  Happy New Year, everyone! Whether you have made resolutions to eat a healthier diet, have set weight loss goals, or are simply  in the mood to get back on track after the past few weeks of delicious indulgence, I have a simple recipe that you will want to make asap. If you are anything …

2-ingredient banana oat cookies with no added sugar! They are vegan, gluten-free, versatile, & great for breakfasts & snacks. Healthy 2-ingredient Banana Cookies You know those black-spotted bananas on your countertop? They’re ready for a love match. With oats. Mix these two together and in a matter of minutes, you have cookies. Staggeringly simple, scrumptious …

Good morning everyone! Thank to all of you for entering the book giveaway! I wish I could give books to everyone–I loved reading all the great ideas for energy-packed foods and ingredients. As noted in the giveaway, I used random.org to determine the winners. Since many of you have the same first names, I have …

You have a container (or two) of protein powder, purchased a while back, and you keep meaning to add it to your smoothies (when you get around to making a smoothie); this is a crunchy, munchy alternative, perfect anytime you need a healthy treat to nibble alongside a cup of coffee. Or tea. Or water. …

I love to make homemade power bars. They are so much better than store-bought options–better quality ingredients, frugal, no wasteful packaging–and are perfect for quick, nutritious snacks and mini-meals any time of day. But as much as I enjoy my naturally sweet creations, I’ve long wanted to create a savory power bar, one completely absent …

Easy multi-seed quinoa crackers that are vegan, gluten-free and so easy to make! A perfect power snack, you can eat them straight up, or spread with hummus, nut or seed butter, or anything else you like. Healthy Quinoa Crackers Made Easy I adore the Fanny Farmer Baking Book. My mother had a copy and I …

No-bake quinoa protein bars are a perfect alternative to store-bought bars. They are vegan, gluten-free, date-sweetened, and easy to make, too.   Based on the response to my Date-Sweetened Zee Bars post on Monday, it’s clear that I am but one of many interested in wholesome, naturally sweetened treats that simultaneously deliver a power boost. …

DIY ZBAR cookies that are just like ZBars! They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and sweetened with dates. Homemade Healthy Snacks I am typically wary of any products specifically marketed as “kids food” as they are often loaded with sugar, sodium, preservatives, artificial color and flavors, and all other sorts of gobbledy-gook. Adding insult to …

Blondies? Pumpkin? Spices? A swath of chocolate? And packed with protein? Check, check, check, check, and check! I am all for oat-y and dried fruit-y power and energy bars, but  the taste and texture of these bars–mildly sweet, moist, and tender–is a welcome departure.  The chocolate is completely optional, but I highly recommend it, as …

Both my husband and I eat protein bars on a regular basis, right after hard training sessions. For years, I never paid attention to my protein needs post-workout; I thought that, so long as I was eating a healthy diet, I was just fine. And I was, for the most part, but I had a …

I followed through on my promise to myself in yesterday’s post and have set about on a full-fledged cleaning tear. The pantry and refrigerator are scoured  to their bright and shiny sheen of yore, and now I’m on to the closets. Oh, the glamour! I especially need to finish going through Nick’s old toys and …

Greetings, all! My posts have been sporadic these past months, to say the least. Mea culpa, friends. I’ve been in  masochistic recipe development- and cookbook writing- mode, replete with piggy-backing deadlines, manic hair-pulling, and incessant teeth gnashing. Whee! The only way to survive has been to let a few things go, such as regular blog …

  In my roasted pumpkin seeds post the other day, I mentioned that these golden-blond beauties can be used for countless enlightened uses beyond straight-up snacking. The key to creative usage is to think of the seeds as equals to nuts; with that mindset, the possibilities are vast. Case in point? My pumpkin seed, pumpkin …

Good morning everyone! I am feeling extra-cheery because my head is finally clear of the final remnants of my cold–what a difference good health makes. Topping off my morning bliss, I’m slurping a cup of Peet’s coffee (brought back to Texas from a recent visit home to Berkeley) and nibbling one of my homemade KIND …

I am typically a happy camper with my bowl of yogurt and fruit, muffin, or cereal, but every few days I turn into a ravenous beast who can only be satisfied by something more substantial and savory. It’s not an easily solved problem because as much as I love to cook, I do not enjoy …

It’s no secret that I like to make and eat energy bars. Even in a household of three, it gets too pricey to buy them (between working out and packed lunches, we go through a lot). Moreover, I love that with homemade versions I can tweak the bars to my liking (almost endlessly) and that …

Meet your new favorite homemade chocolate power bars! Here’s why you will want to make these: *Real cocoa powder *Cheap! *Yummy! *High protein *No added sugar *No nuts or soy *Extremely fast to make *Extremely easy to make *Vegan *Super-Nutritious (omega-3 fatty acids, high in antioxidants, high fiber, good source of protein) *Allergy-free/Gluten-free option! Do …

Summer is here in East Texas, and that means blueberries. You can pick your own blueberries at local farms, buy heaps of blueberries at the Farmer’s Market, and this weekend, you can celebrate all things blueberry at our annual blueberry festival. And, yet, my otherwise fruit-loving child will not eat fresh blueberries. Grapes, yes, strawberries, …

Whether you call them brownies or energy bars, you will definitely call these dark chocolate treats pure bliss! We go through a lot of power bars/granola bars/ energy bars in this house, and I’m at the point where I no longer want to buy another, especially when homemade ones are profoundly more delicious, nutritious, and …

  As promised in an earlier post, I’m sharing the energy bars I made this past Sunday. Apologies for the delay, I’ve been under the weather. Running errands in another surreal day of snow yesterday (it’s not supposed to snow here!) exacerbated the situation. But it is gloriously sunny morning, and I’m feeling extra-energized after eating …

It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-course meal on the grill, a simple barbecue, or an impromptu picnic, summer outdoor eating lends a magical feeling to food. Even unwrapping and eating a popsicle, trying to keep up with its melting, is such a treat. And because I like to get out and go, energy bars …

Time to confess: I’ve worked in a professional kitchen. (I promise, I’ll get to the tie-in to these bars!). Granted it was a mere five weeks, but it felt like a perpetuity. I was eighteen, a first year student at college. Given that my brother and sister were also in college, and that my family …

Apologies for this post being a few days late, but my love for LARA bars demanded several tries and multiple flavor variations before posting—I really wanted to get this as close to the real thing as possible. Whether you’ve heard of them or not, LARABARS are one of the very best energy bars on the …

Continuing from yesterday’s post, I offer energy bar #2: an easy-as-can-be no-bake bar, reminiscent of oatmeal cookies and packed with protein to keep your energy levels soaring!