Sweet, salty, chewy, and crispy… That’s what these trail mix energy bars recipe will hit! It is made with wholesome ingredients to satisfy any sweet tooth you might encounter! They’re a healthy snack that you can take on the go, or munch on at home if you want something sweet.
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Hi everyone!
I have never really been into store bought granola bars… Even though there are so many of them I still haven’t found the one that really makes me love them.
What are your favorite store bought granola bars? Let me know in the comments below so that I can give it a try 🙂
But despite my under-appreciation of store bought granola bars, I am a sucker for homemade energy bars. First off you always know what is in them and you can tweak them to make them perfect for your taste each time!
These energy bars have been with me through it all! I used to make them every week religiously when I was still in college. They brought a little bit of sunshine to my long and dull days at school.
Now, I just make them because they bring a certain comfort to my heart and make my taste buds smile every time. I bet they will do the same to yours as well!
What’s special so special about these energy bars
Every-freaking-thing…
These trail mix granola energy bars are my absolute favorite! They have the perfect amount of sweet, salty, crispy,c hewy, nutty, tart and delicious in each one of them! When I made these bars I was looking for something specific and was able to achieve it by mixing up the perfect amount of eat of the ingredients.
These delicious healthy granola bars are also super good for you! They are packed with Omega 3’s, healthy fats, and will keep you full until lunch time!
They are the perfect grab and go snack or healthy pre/post-workout recipe. I love taking one with me to the gym to enjoy after I finish my workout. Plus it feels like a treat every time I have it.
More recipe you will love!
- 2 ingredients no bake coconut balls
- Healthy cookie dough chocolate balls
- Double chocolate healthy granola
Tools to make the trail mix energy bars
To make this awesome recipe for energy bars, you will need the following items:
- A small and a large bowl
- Wax paper
- A rubber spatula
- 9×9 inch baking pan or just regular pan
Do I have to use a 9×9″ pan?
I used a 9×9″ pan and these trail mix bars came out perfectly! If you decide to go with an 8×8″ pan your bars will be a whole lot thicker.
Aint nothing wrong with that… Just a little extra goodness for you. They might not last you as long but they will still be super duper delicious 🙂
I tried making it in a 9×13″ pan before and it worked out perfectly too. Making it in a larger pan will give you a lot more bars but they will be thinner. Just something to keep in mind.
Ingredients to make these trail mix energy bars
Here are the ingredients needed for trail mix energy bars. I linked some of the things I used in the link below!
- Trail mix- This is not the exact trail mix I had on hand but it is very similar to mine. I purchased the omega-3 trail mix for Walmart for this recipe.
- Old fashioned oats– Always gotta add some old fashioned oats to my energy bars!
- All bran – I used the Kellogg’s all bran, it adds an amazing crunch to the energy bars!
- Chia seeds– As if we didn’t get enough Omega 3s, let’s add some more chia seeds to boost up the nutritional value of these bars.
- Peanut butter – I used the skippy peanut butter because it solidifies well. If you try natural peanut butter for this recipe let me know how yours turn out!
- Honey – Use good quality honey, raw preferably.
- Coconut oil – The coconut oil is going to help the trail mix energy bars solidify better.
- Vanilla extract– Vanilla adds a nice flavor to the bars making them that much more delicious.
- Cinnamon– Nuts and cinnamon are a match made in heaven
What does the trail mix I used contain?
The trail mix I used contained these ingredients:
- cranberries
- almonds
- pecans
- walnuts
- brazil nuts
- pumpkin seeds
Your trail mix does not have to be the exact same as the one I used. That’s where the fun is at, you could use whatever trail mix you personally prefer and make these your own!
How to make these trail mix energy bars?
- Star by lining your baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a small bowl microwave the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon together for 30-60 seconds or until completely melted.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir until everything is fully coated.
- Pour the mixture in the prepared baking pan and flatten using a rubber spatula.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before cutting into it.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge!
Tips for the best trail mix bars
To make the perfect trail mix energy bars, here are some tips to follow:
- Make sure that the dry mix is well coated with the peanut butter coconut mixture. The peanut butter and coconut mixture is the glue in this recipe, so when you’re mixing everything together make sure that everything is well coated!
- Don’t skip the parchment or wax paper. The wax paper is going to ensure that you don’t end up with a sticky mess. .Use it!
- Make sure to chill your trail mix energy bars completely before cutting them. The bars need to be solid before you cut into them so leave them in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- These granola or trail mix energy bars are the perfect on the go snack
Recipe variations
Another beautiful aspect of homemade energy bars is the fact that they can be modified and played with to create THE perfect crunch granola bar ever!
- The first thing you can do with this trail mix energy bars recipe is that you can roll it into smaller bite sized balls instead of making it into bars. This is my favorite trick when I am trying to portion control what I eat. Having just one of these delicious trail mix energy balls would definitely satisfy you and keep you satisfied until meal time.
- Play around with the ingredients- The next thing you could do is play around with what ingredients you use. I used a trail mix that mainly contains nuts, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. But if you’re feeling adventurous go with a trail mix that had tropical fruits in it or something that you personally really enjoy.
- Add in some protein powder- These trail mix energy bars are packed full with amazing or you nutrients but if you want to up the protein content add a little protein powder. I would go with vanilla protein mixed in with the wet ingredients. You might need to add a little more coconut oil to get everything nice and smooth before mixing it in with the dry mixture!
How to store these energy bars?
These trail mix bars lasted 4 days at my hours but if you have enough self discipline to limit yourself to only eating one or so a day, you could store these delicious bars like this:
- Place the trail mix energy bars in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks
- Place the trail mix energy bars in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Trail mix energy bars recipe
Trail mix energy bars recipe
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup trail mix
- 1 ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup all bran
- 3 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- First, start by lining a 9×9" baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper. You want to cover the pan enough so that there is overhang on the edges of the baking pan. This will ensure that the trail mix energy bars don't stick to the baking pan at all!
- In a large bowl, add in the trail mix, old fashioned oats, all bran and chia seeds. Lightly toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, add in the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Microwave for 30-60 seconds or until the honey is bubbling/foamy. Stir to combine.
- Pour the melted peanut butter and coconut mixture over the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula.
- Once the dry mixture is coated with the wet mixture, transfer it to the lined baking sheet. You can now flatten this with a rubber spatula or top the mix with another piece of wax paper and flatten it all up using your hands. This way your hands stay lean and you will get a perfectly flat top.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before cutting into it. Use a serrated knife ( I used my bread knife) and gently make bake and fourth motions to cut into the bars. I cute mine into 18 bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ginger
I just made these! Wish I could figure out how to post pictures. But yours are much prettier. I followed your recipe. I used a metal brownie pan maybe 10×7 from dollar tree and parchment. It made 18 bars. I had to crush my all-bran from twigs into smaller pieces. I did add extra stuff: 1/4 cup flax seeds, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels and I dusted the top with Bob’s Red Mill wheat bran (finely ground, high in fiber).
Absolutely delicious! Great recipe! Thank you!
Chahinez
Those substitutions sound so good!
Enjoy 🙂
Chahinez