How to Make Incredibly Decadent Energy Bars

Chocolate, almond butter, coconut flakes, yum that has got to be good. For those who enjoy putting in long miles outside, a tasty snack is a great reward. I often ruminate on what I’m going to eat for dinner while backcountry touring; powder itself is tasty but the thoughts of what I get to devour after all that work can help me get through any slog. Which is where I picked up this recipe.

During a trip to Icefall Lodge, British Columbia, our cook Sheri whipped these delicious bars up midweek into our stay. Our crew, an annual collection of friends came in hot as spring storms pounded the BC interior. Sheri was a little taken back at first and it took a few days to settle us down and get her to ski and party with us. Perhaps it was the decadent bars. Either way, she shared the simple recipe with me, and I can toss them together in 20 minutes. The full recipe yields a lot, and will leave you wondering why you ever purchased a single pre-made bar for $4. These bars are dense with calories, so keep them for high output activities. Pending what you fancy, you can substitute coconut flakes for dried cranberries, etc.

Ingredients

1 bag dark chocolate chips

1 jar almond butter

1 cup honey (maple syrup works well too)

1 cup shaved almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup coconut flakes

2 cups rolled oats

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Double boil the chocolate chips. To do this, boil water in large pot and place a bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the boiling water. This allows the chocolate to melt while not burning.

Once the chocolate is melted down and smooth, combine all of the ingredients into the bowl. Blend it together until it’s well mixed.

Spread the bars into a brownie pan. Don’t make them too thin.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Let the pan and bars cool, placing them in the refrigerator once they have shed their oven heat.

Remove from the refrigerator after they have set — usually a couple hours.

Cut into squares and store in a cool shelve or refrigerator.

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