These gluten free and whole grain Teff Energy Bars are LOADED with goodness! There’s fibre and iron rich teff, almond flour, chia seeds, walnuts and let’s not forget chocolate. It’s a treat you can feel happy about eating. An energy bar never tasted so delicious!
Hey guys! How did the weekend treat ya? Did you watch the big game? See all the commercials that cost a small fortune to air? Tune into half time? Eat your weight in wings or nachos? I heard the other day that there’s over a billion wings eaten during the super bowl! What?! That is crazy! That’s a whole lot of chicken! What did you think of that half time show with Lady Gaga? Holy moly! Does that chick have energy! What a show! After watching, I was seriously tired and pumped up at that same time. Um, Lady Gaga? YES!
So if you gorged a small bit yesterday, you may wanna flip the switch and turn on the healthy eating again. These teff energy bars will do the trick. Healthy, but with a bit of chocolate so that’s a fair compromise, don’t ya think?
These teff bars are a huge hit in our home. Hubby didn’t even believe me when I said they are on the healthier side. He thought I put some magic in there. I asked him if he wanted some packed in his lunch and before I had a chance to finish the question, he shouted a big happy ‘YES’. So, you definitely should give ’em a try!
What is Teff? What Does Teff Taste Like?
So, what the heck is teff ? This whole grain goodness only came into my world as of late. I was flipping through Ricardo magazine and they had a little section saying how teff is the new super grain. You know how every now and then a food ‘trends’? Sometimes it’s kale, sometimes it’s cauliflower. Well, I thought, better not miss that train. I’m often late to the party, but not to this one!
Teff is an ancient grain originating from Ethiopia. It’s grains are super tiny, even smaller than chia seeds. Even though they’re small, they’re mighty!
Teff, to me, is mild in flavour and has a slight nutty taste. When used in this teff energy bars, it gives a lovely bite.
Benefits of Teff?
Whole grain teff is something hubby and I regularly have stocked in our pantry. Why? It’s so freakin’ good!
- It’s 100% whole grain
- Naturally gluten free
- Vegan
- Contains 7 grams of protein per 1/4 cup
- Has calcium and iron
Besides all this, it has a great texture and adds something special to these teff energy bars. Check it—>
How to Make Teff Energy Bars
- In a food processor add dates, maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil and salt. Blend until it comes together like a paste.
- Next, add teff, almond flour and chia seeds. Blend.
- Finally, add chocolate chips and walnut and blend until just combined. Don’t overblend and lose the texture in your walnuts. Mixture will be kinda sandy, but moist.
- Pour mixture into parchment paper lined casserole dish. Press down hard to pack in the mixture. Use your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake in a preheated oven on 325 F for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Place in fridge for a couple hours (or to be speedy, freeze for a 20 minutes) before cutting into bars.
- Enjoy!
What Makes these Homemade Teff Energy Bars So Great?
- The prep time takes minutes so they are awesome for meal prep for the week ahead. I like to make a batch on Sunday for easy grab and go breakfasts or snacks.
- They are gluten free.
- Use vegan chocolate to keep ’em vegan.
- They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup and dates.
- They are so delicious!
Variations for these Homemade Protein Bars
- Use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or flax seeds instead of chia
- Omit the chocolate and try dried cranberries
- Sweeten with honey instead of maple syrup (though, it won’t be vegan)
- Try peanut butter instead of almond butter
If you enjoy these homemade teff energy bars, you may enjoy these no bake granola bars
Hope you love these teff energy bars as much as we do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon 🙂
~D
P.S. If you think that these Teff Energy Bars will make your belly happy too, please be sure to hit that little PIN button. Many thanks, you guys! XO
Teff Energy Bars (delicious & gluten free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates -pitted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp almond butter -or peanut butter
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup teff
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips -vegan chips if you want a vegan version
- 1 cup walnuts -roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. In a food processor combine dates, maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil and salt and blend until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Add teff, almond flour and chia seeds and blend until combined.
- Add dark chocolate chips and walnuts and blend until combined. Don't overblend and lose texture in your walnuts.
- In a parchment lined baking dish (I used a 8" x 11" dish), place parchment paper. FIRMLY PRESS mixture evenly down into dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Important - Let cool for about 2 hours before placing in fridge to cool for about 2 hours before cutting into bars (use sharp knife to cut into bars). Store in fridge. Cut into 12 or 24 pieces. Enjoy!
