Peanut and cocoa energy bars
These peanut and cocoa energy bars taste like they are good for you but in a good way. I don’t like labelling food as “good” or “bad” but people do, don’t they? And when people say that something tastes like it’s good for you, they generally mean that it tastes a bit like horse fodder.
Well, I’m pleased to tell you that my peanut and cocoa bars don’t taste like horse fodder! They taste super yummy and indulgent but at the same time they are really dense and chewy. So, you know you aren’t eating air stuck together with sugar.
I could have made them sweeter and more indulgent with actual chocolate but I was after something which wouldn’t melt in hot weather. I did add chocolate chips just because I couldn’t help myself but really you don’t have to.
Kids will love the sweetness from these bars while you can be reassured that they are not consuming an insane amount of sugar in one hit and that they will also be satiated after a couple. I don’t know about yours but my children are always hungry and sometimes it feels that all they do is ask for food! And it’s not like I don’t feed them mind, I’m always shocked when my food shopping arrives to see the amount we eat in a week!
Ingredients: (makes 14)
- 150g oats
- 50g rice pops
- 150g unsweetened peanut butter
- 150g date syrup
- 50g peanut butter powder
- 30g cocoa powder
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 50ml oat milk (you can use dairy milk too)
- 60g raw peanuts
- 3 tbsp. chocolate chips (optional)
Method:
Mix together the peanut butter and date syrup in a large heatproof bowl and heat up in the microwave.
Sift the cocoa and peanut butter powders to avoid lumps, then add to the peanut butter and date mixture. It will become quite stiff so loosen the mixture with the milk and then gradually stir in the eggs one by one and mix until smooth.
Finally add the oats, salt and rice pops and work them into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
Place in an oven dish (mine is 15cmx30cm) lined with baking parchment, top with the peanuts and chocolate chips if using, press them into the mixture so that they stick. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees for 30min.
