
Tangy lemon coconut bars-great for breakfast on the go
These zingy coconut bars are such a treat! They contain wholesome ingredients including: chia seeds, coconut, coconut oil, oats, apple sauce, protein powder (I love using pea & soya bean varieties) & (optional) ground flaxseed.
Milled chia seeds are used instead of eggs & so this recipe is suitable for vegans & vegetarians. (However, for egg eaters, you can use 1 large sized egg instead!)
To make these more lemony & add to the nutritive value, I have added the superfruit powder baobab, which is packed with vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc & vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, B7; nutrients to give you an energy boost, support the immune system & reduce fatigue. What a way to start the day!
I understand not everyone will have all supplements at hand & so if you prefer, omit the baobab powder & add extra grated zest from another lemon.
These bars are free from refined sugar (as with all recipes in my blog) & are highly portable, making them a terrific grab & go breakfast or healthy lunchbox snack.
Makes: 12-16 bars
Preparation time: 20 mins plus 15 mins for chia seeds to soak.
Ingredients:
Grated zest from one lemon (from 2 lemons if not using baobab superfruit powder)
2 tbsp chia seeds (to make the chia egg substitute)
3 tbsp lemon juice (to make the chia egg substitute)
2 tbsp water (to make the chia egg substitute)
100g quick cook oats (gluten-free if required)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
60g desiccated coconut
1 1/2 tbsp plant-derived protein powder (I use pea or soy).
2 tbsp baobab superfruit powder
Optional: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (if not using, use 1 tbsp more of oats)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
5 tbsp apple sauce (I use home-made sugar-free stewed apples)
70g agave or honey
90g dates, finely chopped
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160ºC or 140ºC for fan ovens. Grease & line a baking tin measuring 6″ by 10″.
Zest the lemon(s).
Make the egg-chia substitute: in a small bowl mix together the milled chia seeds with the lemon juice & water. Leave to hydrate for 15 mins. The mixture will become gloopy, like egg white. If you are using an egg, just whisk this in a small bowl.
In the meantime, place the oats in a blender or food processor & whizz to form a fine powder (effectively, creating oat flour; this will only take about a minute or two). Decant into a medium sized bowl.
To this bowl, add the baking powder, salt, most of the coconut (reserve some for decoration), lemon zest, protein powder (pea or soy work well), baobab & ground flaxseed (if using). Mix together.

Dry ingredients combined
In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: melted coconut oil, applesauce, honey or agave, chia egg substitute or egg. Then add the finely chopped dates & combine.

Wet ingredients and chopped date mixture
Pour the wet date mixture in with the dry oat mixture & mix together to form a cakey dough…
Transfer into the lined baking tray. Level with a spatula.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut & bake in the pre-heated oven for 23-25 mins, until golden brown.
Allow to cool in the tin & then cut into bars. Enjoy!
Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.
Variations:
- Add seeds like sunflower seeds & whole chia seeds to add texture
- Substitute lemon juice & zest for that of an orange to make these bars into tangy orange & coconut bars
- Other dried fruit can be substituted for the dates, including dried figs, raisings, apricots, or a mixture of them