These healthy and delicious vegan peanut butter and jelly energy bars are perfect for snacking, vegan, gluten free, and made with natural sweetness!
If you’ve got an extra 10 minute this gorgeous Sunday, I’ve got a plan for you!
Grab your food processor and whip up a batch of these Vegan PB & J Energy Bars. They are perfect for a breakfast on-the-go or a healthy snack to have during the week. Plus, they are way cheaper than store-bought energy bars which can easily run you $3 each.
My favourite thing about homemade energy bars, balls, or bites, is that they are unbelievably easy to make and even easier to take to work during the week for an afternoon pick-me-up, give to the kiddies for an after-school snack, or to enjoy for naturally energizing pre-workout option!
Using only 5 whole-food ingredients these bars truly replicate the mouthwatering flavours of a classic peanut butter and jam sandwich… just a single bite brings back memories of being a kid as PB & J was one of my absolute favourites.
Unfortunately the PB & J combo I enjoyed so much as a kid, was not always the healthiest one. From what I remember, those sandwiches were made with hydrogenated sweetened peanut butter and sugar-laden jam on top of two slices of glistening white “roll-it-into-a-ball” (wonder)bread.
Whole-foods present = zilch, nada, nil, zero.. you get the point.
So, to put a good NITK twist on things, I made sure that these energy bars pack a nutritional punch but still taste like a deliciousPB & J sandwich.
These bars are high in fibre at 7g per bar, provide a little dose protein, natural sweetness from the dates for quick releasing energy, and a nice boost of antioxidants! The big bonus… they only take 10 minutes to make, and a 30-minute wait as they sit in the freezer to set.
Are you a PB & J fan? How do you enjoy this delicious flavour combination in a healthier way? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
- 1¾ cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, then drained)
- ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries (or naturally sweetened if you can't find unsweetened)
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup whole blanched peanuts
- ½ cup gluten free quick oats
- Soak the dates in warm water for 15 minutes, and drain.
- Place dates, dried cranberries, peanuts, peanut butter, and oats in a food processor and blend until combined well.
- Scoop mixture into a square baking pan, and firmly press down to make an even layer.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set, then cut into 8 rectangle bars.
- Store in the freezer or fridge.
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Christal // Nutrition in the Kitch
Do you have a suggestion for using something other than oats?
You could try quinoa flakes or replace the oats with protein powder (same amount)!