People seem to have this idea that gingerbread is solely reserved for the holiday season. You don’t need to think that way! In fact, you can enjoy the same flavors year round, especially when you incorporate them into recipes like this one. These raw vegan gingerbread energy bars are not only rich in healthy fats and protein, but they also exhibit tons of flavor. It’s like a Larabar, but you make it yourself!
There are a lot of unhealthy energy bars in supplement and grocery stores. These bars use whey protein, excess sugar, preservatives, dyes, and artificial sweeteners. While healthy bars are more common nowadays, especially with the growing demand for high-quality products, they can have a high price tag. A single bar that only contains whole food ingredients can cost between two and four dollars, depending on the brand. If you enjoy eating these types of bars, it may be more affordable to buy a food processor and the ingredients needed for the bars. You’ll save in the long run!
The secret to getting an even consistency in your bars is to blend the nuts in the food processor before adding the other ingredients. Once you pulse them into a coarse mixture, add the remaining ingredients and process until you achieve a dough-like ball. You’ll probably have to stop blending, scrape down the sides, and continue blending to fully incorporate the ingredients. You can make the bars as thick as you want, but it’s best to have them in the quarter-inch to half-inch thickness. That helps them harden quickly in the freezer.
- Prep Time:10m
- Total Time:10m
- Serves: 8 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Appetizers & Snacks, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3/4 c almonds
- 3/4 c cashews
- 1 c dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 c raisins (free of preservatives and added sugars)
- 3 tbsp. filtered water
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
Instructions
- Add the almonds and cashews to a food processor and pulse until you achieve coarse crumbs.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until a dough-like ball starts to form. You may need to stop blending, scrape down the sides, and continue blending to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Transfer the mixture to baking pan lined with parchment paper to avoid sticking. Using a rubber spatula or wet hands, flatten the mixture so that it is about a half-inch thick, or thereabouts.
- Score the gingerbread mixture with a knife into eight equal-sized bars and then place in the freezer for an hour to firm up.
- Remove from the freezer and finish cutting the bars to separate them. You can individually wrap each bar in parchment paper to avoid sticking when you store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within a couple weeks.
