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 milled 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