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Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Chocolate Cherry Energy Bars for Breakfast Week

I know that lots of people find it difficult to find time for breakfast and grab a cereal bar in preference to sitting down to eat.  There's nothing wrong with that especially if you make your own so you know exactly what you are getting.  These particular energy bars were created to meet the rather exacting requirements of this month's We Should Cocoa challenge over at Chocolate Log Blog.  We should Cocoa is hosted alternately by Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog and Chele at Chocolate Teapot.



Choclette has challenged us to make something, using chocolate of course, but without any cane sugar.  Honey and other sweeteners are allowed.  It also gave me a chance to use some of the Sugar and Crumbs cherry flavoured cocoa powder which has really natural cherry flavour and really enhanced the energy bars.


Chocolate Cherry Energy Bars

100g butter
200g clear honey
150g rolled oats
50g cocoa powder (I used Sugar and Crumbs, Cherry flavoured cocoa powder)
130g mixed seeds
10g Chia Bia Powder (optional)*
10g Baobab Superfruit powder (optional)*
100g chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
100g dried cherries (alternatively sultanas or cranberries)
50g ground almonds

*If not using the Chia or Bilbao powders then add an additional 20g mixed seeds.



1. Heat the oven to 180C
2. Melt the butter and honey in a saucepan


3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and press into a 22cm square baking tin

4. Bake for 15 minutes
5. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into bars
6. Leave to cool completely before removing.


This is also another recipe for Breakfast Club 'Cooked or Baked' open until 24th February.

And fits nicely with the 'Healthy' bakes theme for Calendar Cakes hosted this month by Laura Loves Bakes and in alternate months by Dolly Bakes


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10 comments:

  1. Unknown22 January 2013 at 06:54

    YUM! I am really struggling with the January WSC so I am in awe of what everyone else is coming up with.
    As a dedicated breakfast eater I have no trouble sitting down to eat in the mornings (staying seated is more of a problem) - but I think if I had these I would probably polish them off in one sitting!
    Really intrigued by those powders... must investigate to see if they are available here.
    Hope all is well x

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  2. Unknown22 January 2013 at 17:41

    delicious... and I need more 'healthy' recipes like this.. they look beautiful and are packed with flavour which is so important for breakfast... lovely stuff!

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  3. Camilla @FabFood4All.23 January 2013 at 23:04

    My daughter is such a faddy eater and in the morning a bowl of cereal can just sit uneaten so I've taken to giving her a kid's cereal bar in desperation. These would be a far healthier option plus she loves chocolate! Beautiful photography and styling by the way:-)

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  4. Karen S Booth24 January 2013 at 10:08

    Those look too good to be healthy and I love your photos too Janice! What lovely entries into those blog challenges......I could sit down and eat one of those any day of the week!

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  5. Fuss Free Helen28 January 2013 at 14:38

    Lovely photo Janice, I completely forgot about chia seeds in my energy balls! I must get some baobab having tried it at FBC last year!

    This Breakfast Club round up will be epic!

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  6. Laura Loves Cakes29 January 2013 at 22:08

    I love the look of your energy bars, I bet they taste great. I've seen one or two recipes about this month so I might have to give them a go! Perfect for breakfast...or probably for me a post-breakfast snack! Thanks for entering these into January's Calendar Cakes :-)

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  7. Choclette30 January 2013 at 15:16

    That's weird, I definitely commented here a couple of days ago. It must be Blogger playing up again. No idea what I said before, but Janice these energy bars look so pretty and are packed full of lovely flavours too. Glad We Should Cocoa gave you a little shove in the right direction ;-) Thanks for entering.

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  8. Anne30 January 2013 at 16:17

    Ooh wow I am so in awe of you having cherry chocolate powder, sounds amazing!

    The bars look fabulous and so healthy too am sure they are delicious!!

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  9. Ruth Ellis1 February 2013 at 19:56

    Cherry cocoa powder sounds amazing! And the bars looks pretty fantastic too - yum!

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  10. Carole15 March 2013 at 01:37

    Janice, thanks for joining the breakfast fun over at Carole's Chatter. Cheers

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I love to read your comments and try to reply when I can. I have had to enable comment moderation due to high levels of spam, so it may take a little time before your comment is visible. Please let me know if you make one of my recipes or if you have any questions I will try to answer them. Janice