Lemony Fruit & Nut Energy Bars

Making your own energy bars is so easy!

These super-healthy energy bars are dastardly simple & quick to make! They work out so much cheaper than shop-bought versions & in my humble opinion, taste much better too! (Fresher, tastier, more moist & higher in nutritive value). Gluten-free & no added sugar too!

You have sweetness from the dried fruit, texture from the nuts & seeds & the lemon juice & dried cherries add zing! I have also added ground flaxseed & whole chia seeds to this recipe, making these energy bars wonderfully nutrient rich & filling.

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All you need is a blender to mix up the ingredients, flatten the mixture into a tin & then chill for 15 mins before slicing up into bars. How simple is that?

These make great snacks when you are on the go (I love them as a pre-work-out boost or with a cup of tea late afternoon when I am flagging!).

I like making a batch at the beginning of the week so I can have healthy snacks all week long; they last for about 10 days in the fridge but also freeze beautifully so you can eat when it is convenient to you.

Makes: about 16-20 bars

Preparation time: about 15 mins

Setting time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

110g pitted dates

75g dried figs

50g dried apricots

70g raw cashews

2 tbsp lemon juice

30g sunflower seeds

30g pumpkin seeds

30g walnuts

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp whole chia seeds

50g dried cherries

1 tbsp water if required (depending on consistency of the mix)

Method:

Line a 8 X 5″ baking tin with greaseproof paper & grease with a little coconut spray oil. If you don’t have a tin this size, don’t worry, in my case a 9 X 5″ tin, simply partly fill the tin (see pics later).

In a blender or food processor, add all the ingredients & mix to combine. Eventually this forms a stiff dough. Add the extra tablespoon of water if required.

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Using a spatula, flatten into the pre-prepared baking tin. If the tin you have is too big, simply partly fill & flatten the exposed edge, as shown in the photo below (so the bars at this exposed edge look neat and tidy when sliced up!).