Have you ever had such a busy day you eat two—or three (guilty)—bars to tide yourself over!? Maybe if I eat enough of these things my body will think I had lunch. Sorry, sister. There are definitely some great, clean bars out there, but two or more of them in a day? Ugh. I’ve tried to stop buying them so I’ll be forced to eat more real food, even when I’m short on time. But—I do like to have something to grab and go.
Earlier this year I as playing with maca and found this great recipe for Coconut Cream Maca Energy Bars (right on the back of the Trader Joe’s bag!). I already know what your first question is—What the %^&* is maca?! Was she trying to spell matcha?!
Though both superfoods, maca and matcha are often confused. Maca is a light brown powder made from a dried, Peruvian root—it has a nutty, chocolatey taste. Matcha is a dark green powder made from ground tea leaves. Totally different, but both are packed with nutrients.
These quick and easy bars are a great thing to keep in your freezer. Just don’t eat the whole pan and call it lunch.
Food La La Recipe: Coconut Cream Maca Energy Bars
Yields: 12 bars
Ingredients:
1-1/2 TBS organic maca powder
1 cup cashews
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS cocoa powder
12 small pitted dates (about ½ cup)
1.5 TBS melted coconut oil
Water
Steps:
Place all ingredients (excluding water) in a food processor and blend until mixed and sticky.
Test dough texture by rolling into a small ball. If it does not stick together, add water—1 tsp at a time—and blend in a food processor (you’ll be surprised by how far just a little bit of water goes!).
Press dough into a parchment-lined pan, then freeze for at least 30 minutes. Cut into bars and store in freezer until ready to eat.
Note: This recipe has been adapted from Trader Joe’s original.