Homemade Energy Bars

Dates, chia seeds, oats, coconut, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Yum.

Homemade energy bars (let's be honest, we're talking about Larabars here) combine a number of healthy ingredients to create an awesome feel-good treat. Some people shape theirs into spherical nutritionally-packed bites, but I prefer the classically shaped bar. Everyone's made these, and it's no wonder: they are unbelievably simple (if you have a food processor), infinitely changeable, and delightfully tasty in any iteration.

Why are they so good for you? Dried medjool dates are little superfruits, packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Of course, they have a higher sugar content when dried, but that's the only sweetener in this recipe. The other ingredients come with their own lengthy healthy resume: oats are high in dietary fiber and are a source of heart-healthy whole grains; unsweetened coconut offers a healthy fat; chia seeds are well-known for their super concentration of omega-3s and calcium; cocoa powder is an antioxidant; and even cinnamon has long been revered in Ayurvedic practice.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of recipes for these all over the internet. I loved this version, but feel free to experiment with your favorite ingredients. Add pecans or almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins or dried cranberries, skip the cocoa powder, forget the coconut. All you need to keep an eye on is the texture. Too dry, and they won't come together; too wet, and they'll be difficult to eat.

Go forth and make these little energy bites, bars, balls, or what have you. They'll do the trick to tide you over, and they're so much better for you than a candy bar! And please share your favorite rendition in the comments.

Homemade Energy Bars
1 cup organic rolled oats (I used old-fashioned, but quick-cook oats would work too)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups dried medjool dates
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/8 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Put all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine until the mixture is uniform in size (think sand-like consistency). With the food processor running, slowly pour in the water. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the food processor.

Check the consistency at this point: open up the food processor and touch the dough. It should stick to itself without crumbling, and not stick to your finger. Add more water as needed. If you've added too much water, throw in another tablespoon or so of oats and process until it's just right.

Line an 8x8 dish with parchment or wax paper, and press the dough into the pan. The bars should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, slice into bars and keep chilled. Alternately, shape into bite-sized truffles and refrigerate.

This recipe makes about 8 four-inch bars.

Fool 'Em: Homemade Fudgesicles

Vegan Fudgesicles with just four ingredients. I went there. 

Let me begin by saying it was 102 degrees outside today. All the drapes are shut tight and the A/C is running hard, just to keep it 80 degrees in the house. These are the kinds of summer days that make me happy to have a day job—one that keeps me in a cool office building during the most grueling months.

One of my summer goals was to make popsicles, and I've pretty much mastered the peach and tequila pops. (They're delicious on their own, of course, but I like to put one in a glass and pour a Topo Chico on top for a refreshing beverage. Oh yes, you should go there.)

Recently, though, I made something marvelous. Something that I will turn to time and time again, especially when there are kids around with discriminating palates. Something that could fool even the most critical of ice cream tasters. Something that I consider part of my dinner salad because it's mostly made up of vegetable.

Homemade vegan fudgesicles. Four ingredients—and they come together in mere minutes.

Yeah.

Of the four ingredients, two are so unlikely that you may scratch your head at first and wonder what kind of a path I've led you down: avocados (heart-healthy fat!) and coconut milk (Ayurvedic properties!). The other two ingredients—cocoa and sugar—hardly turn this into a too-sweet, bad-for-you dessert.

Canned coconut milk can be found in the Indian or Asian area of most grocery stores; I used organic light coconut milk from Whole Foods in this recipe which has even less fat and calories than the regular stuff, which makes me feel a little better.

Missing a popsicle mold? Serve this as a cool mousse-like dessert.

Homemade Vegan Fudgesicles
makes 10 average (two-ounce) popsicles

2 large perfectly ripe Haas avocados
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Cut open the avocados, remove the pits, and put the fruit in a blender. Add the sugar and cocoa powder, and pour in the coconut milk. Puree until extremely smooth; the batter should be thick but pourable. Taste it and add a little more sugar if needed. Pour into popsicle mold and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.