These healthy vegan energy bars are like a homemade Larabar and the perfect snack, made with hazelnuts and tart cherries.
Ever tried your hand at homemade energy bars? With Larabars and Clif bars all the rage, we couldn’t resist trying a version made at home. These healthy vegan energy bars are similar to homemade Larabar, but with slightly more texture. Like a raw brownie (our go-to healthy dessert), they’re gluten-free and all natural, made mainly of Medjool dates and nuts. This version uses hazelnuts for a more complex flavor, and dried cherries for a tart note that compliments the sweet. They’re based off an idea from one of our favorite cookbooks, Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon.
How to make vegan energy bars
Making these healthy vegan energy bars is very easy: all you’ll need is a food processor! You’ll need a large food processor for the size of this batch. Simply blend all the ingredients together, then add another handful of cherries and pulse to combine to get a little texture. Blending all the ingredients will form a sticky dough. Roll the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet and allow it to freeze for 45 minutes to harden, then cut it into squares and you’re ready to go!
A few notes on ingredients: it can sometimes be hard to find hazelnuts. If you can’t find them, almonds work too! It’s easiest and cheapest to buy them in the bulk section. A note on the type of dates: you’ll need Medjool dates for this one. Medjool dates are very large, sticky dates that have a caramel flavor and a soft texture. They’re essential to get the right consistency for these vegan energy bars. Medjool dates are becoming more and more common in grocery stores in the US. Sometimes they’re packaged with the dried fruit; other times they’re in bulk in the product section.
Looking for healthy snack recipes?
Outside of these healthy vegan energy bars, here are a few more healthy snacks we love:
- Cinnamon Yogurt Fruit Dip
- Hummus and Veggie Roll Ups
- Garlic Herb White Bean Dip
- Very Verde Cilantro Dip
- Healthy Banana Bread Muffins
- Classic Homemade Hummus
- Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
- Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie
- Superfood Pecan Energy Bars
This recipe is…
This healthy vegan energy bars recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
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Cherry Vegan Energy Bars
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 large bars or 32 small bars 1x
Description
These healthy vegan energy bars are like a homemade Larabar and the perfect snack, made with hazelnuts and tart cherries.
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts
- 20 Medjool dates (2 cups)
- 1 cup + ¼ cup tart dried cherries (with no sugar added), divided
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add all ingredients except ¼ cup dried cherries. Turn on the food processor and process until the mixture sticks together without being crumbly, about 2 minutes. (The length of processing is important for the texture, so make sure to process long enough that the mixture is not crumbly, but not so long that it becomes too gooey.)
- Add the remaining ¼ cup dried cherries and pulse several times to combine, incorporating the larger cherry chunks into the mix.
- Turn out the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and press it into a flat layer of the desired thickness, then roll a rolling pin over the top to smooth it to a uniform thickness. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 45 minutes to harden. Then slice into bars of the desired size (we used 4” x 2”). Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Adapted from Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon Note: You can substitute almonds for the hazelnuts if they are not easily available, but we recommend using hazelnuts for their unique flavor.
- Category: Snack
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan energy bars, Healthy energy bars, Snack Recipes, Healthy Snack Recipes, Vegan Recipe Ideas
Yum! Ever since I tried your raw brownie recipe, I have been incorporating Medjool dates and cocoa powder into my oat bars. Now you have me wanting to try hazelnuts.
Such a perfect snack! I’ve made these with cashews and cocoa powder as well. I like the dried cherries idea.
These sound awesome, and it just so happens that I have a bunch of hazelnuts I’ve been looking to use up! I love that these bars are made from *real* foods, unlike so many of the store-bought energy bars whose ingredient lists read like chemistry labs.
These look AMAZING. I am a fan of all things hazelnut and will definitely have to try these out. Thanks for sharing!
Sonja and Alex, I love all that you do! And the combo of cherry and hazelnut in these bars is so perfect. Thanks!
The new design is SO fabulous guys!! Also, these bars look perfect!
These look so delicious! Homemade energy bars are one of my favorite snacks. I’m definitely going to be giving these a try soon!
These look amazing, will definitely be trying them!
Sophie
http://what-sophie-said.blogspot.co.uk/
xxx
I am literally drooling over these. This hazelnut/cherry combo is heaven. Am flying to NY for a conference tomorrow and so wish I had time to make them. Instead packing a trail mix (also good ;-), but definitely going to try these bars soon!
Unless soaked, I prefer to not eat raw oats. Have you tried coconut flour or anything else to substitute for oats in these?
I MUST try these!!! Hazelnuts are one of my favorite nuts and through cherries into it must be just amazing! Thank you!!! I just need to start running more to be able to utilize the delicious fuel:)