This was the challenge: I had a hankering for something sweet (I know, no surprise), and I was determined to make something using ONLY products I had on hand. The pressure was on as it was at the end of a long weekend and most of the places I shop were closed (including the boutique). I can’t call these raw because of the maple syrup, but they weren’t baked, so much of the nutrients are not lost. I also wanted to make this nut-free, so I elected to make my own seed butter using hemp seeds.

In record time, I came up with this, which is really more a reflection of my over-riding sweet tooth than any extraordinary culinary skills. Motivation is everything.

Sweet though they may be, these little bars pack an energy punch. Here’s why:

Hemp seeds – protein, plant-based omega threes, fibre, minerals…
Puffed millet – protein, texture, and I really needed to use it before it became stale
Goji berries – more protein, alkaline-forming, anti-oxidant rich,…
Sun Warrior Protein – excellent raw plant-based protein powder
Oatmeal – fibre, nice texture, gives nice density
Maple syrup….enough said

Now, my reliably critical, official testers gave this two-thumbs up; however, sadly, they share my sweet-tooth as well. So, you might wish to cut back a wee bit on the maple syrup, and if the mixture is a wee bit dry as a result, simply add a splash of non-dairy milk. With a half cup of maple syrup, the mixture was pretty sticky, so you could likely easily get away with less maple syrup, but that really wouldn’t be any fun at all. Your choice.

These are best kept frozen and eaten cold. If left out too long, they probably won’t resemble a “bar” anymore and will be messy to eat (but still good!).

So, here’s the recipe:

No-bake Energy Bars

1/2 cup raw hemp seeds
1 T grapeseed oil (or other good quality oil)
2 cups raw large flake oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup protein powder (I used Sun Warrior)
1/4 – 1/2 cup maple syrup (I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup puffed millet cereal (feel free to substitute other dry cereal)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup goji berries
1/ cup dark chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs

In food processor, combine hemp seeds with oil and blend until a soft butter forms. Add oats, protein powder, salt and pulse. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to incorporate well. If you use less maple syrup and mixture appears too dry, you may wish to add a splash of almond or other non-dairy milk.

Press mixture into parchment-lined 8 x 8 baking dish. Freeze for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and cut into bars. Store in air-tight freezer bag/container in freezer. Enjoy!