When you follow a paleo diet, it can be tricky to find healthy snacks that are suitable for you to eat when you’re out and about and on the go.
Homemade paleo bars are a game-changer. Not only are they super easy to make, but it couldn’t be more convenient to chuck them into your bag and hit the road!
In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to make delicious homemade paleo bars. So, next time you’re stuck for snack inspiration, you have this recipe in your back pocket.
So, let’s get started.
Are you looking for a delicious, healthy snack that you can prepare in under 30 minutes? These paleo snack bars are incredibly easy to whip up and grab any time you need refuelling when you’re at home or on the go.
First, let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients and their benefits.
Dates
Dates are a highly nutritious food, and are packed full of disease-fighting antioxidants. In addition to this, dates are rich in natural sugar and carbohydrates, which gives these best paleo energy bars a delicious kick of sweetness. Dates are also naturally high in fiber, which aids digestive health.
That being said, you will need to check the ingredients label on your dates. Many store-bought dates contain added sugar, but you can find them without added sugar. The only thing listed on the ingredient label should be dates!
Pecans
Pecans are not only delicious in these snack bars, but they are also rich in a variety of important nutrients, such as fiber, copper, zinc, and thiamine.
Research suggests that pecans may promote healthy blood sugar, which could be down to their fiber content. Pecans are also packed full with nutrients that may benefit brain function, including mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
However, like many other nuts, pecans are relatively high in calories and should be eaten in moderation.
Walnuts
Walnuts are often used in healthy snack bars, and it’s easy to see why. Walnuts are packed with antioxidants. In fact, they have higher antioxidant activity than any other common nut.
Walnuts are significantly higher in omega-3 fat than any other nut, and also may decrease inflammation. They also promote a healthy gut.
Almonds
Almonds are high in healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein and various important nutrients. Almonds are also extremely high in magnesium, a mineral that many people don’t get enough of, which makes them a great addition to these paleo bars.
Almonds are among the world’s best sources of Vitamin E. Ensuring you get enough Vitamin E is linked to a plethora of health benefits.
Egg whites
Egg whites are a great binding agent for these bars, as they are high in protein yet low in calories, fat and cholesterol. In addition, egg whites are great for people who are trying to lose weight.
A Guide On How To Make Paleo Bars
- Prep Time – 10 minutes
- Cook Time – 17 minutes
- Total Time – 27 minutes
- Servings – 16
- Calories per bar – 227kcal
Equipment that you will need
- A large mixing bowl
- A sharp knife
- A 9×13 baking pan
- Baking parchment
Ingredients
- 20 dates finely chopped
- 2 cups of chopped pecans
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 cup of chopped almonds
- 3/4 cup of egg whites
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Instructions
Step one: Preheat the oven
Before you begin your recipe, you will need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step two: Gather the ingredients
Next, you will need to gather and weigh out all of your ingredients. Grab a chopping board, a knife, and a large mixing bowl.
Step three: Chop up the nuts
You will need to place the variety of nuts on a chopping board and chop them up with a sharp knife. I find that it helps to do this in batches, as you get the most consistent sized nuts across the board this way. How finely you chop the nuts is up to you and your personal preference. I personally chop them up quite roughly as I find that large chunks of nuts add a nice crunch to this recipe.
Step four: Chop up the dates
Once you have chopped up all of the nuts and added them to the mixing bowl, it’s time to finely chop up the dates. This process can take a little longer, as the sticky consistency of the dates can get stuck to the knife. To speed things along, make sure that you choose a really sharp knife.
Step five: Place all of the ingredients into the bowl
Next, you will need to add the dates to the mixing bowl along with the egg whites, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. You will now need to mix all of the ingredients together until they are well combined.
Step five – Prepare the baking pan
To prepare the 9×13 pan, line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray.
Step six – Add the mixture to the baking pan
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. You will need to make sure that you press the nut mixture into the bottom of the pan and that you are left with an even surface to ensure that all of the snack bars are going to be equal.
Step seven – Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit
Place the baking pan into the pre-heated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Step eight – Remove from the oven and allow to cool
Once the snack bars have cooked, remove them from the oven and leave them on the side. Allow the bars to cool for 5 minutes, then pull on the wax paper to remove them from the pan.
Step nine – Slice up the snack bars into even slices
Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into rectangles or the size that you’d like. In theory, this pan is large enough to make 16 rectangle bars. However, it is up to you how large you cut these snack bars.
Step ten – Place them into an airtight container and enjoy!
Once you have evenly cut up the snack bars, make sure that you store them properly in an airtight container to keep them fresh for as long as possible. If stored properly, these bars should last for a minimum of a week. That’s if your family hasn’t devoured them before then!
Grab them on the go or pack them in your bag for lunch at work!
Enjoy!
Notes on making paleo-friendly snack bars
Use carton egg whites – If you’re pushed for time or find it more convenient, you can use the egg whites that come in a carton instead of separating the yolks from the whites yourself. This way, you’re not forced to waste or use the yolks that you have left over in another recipe.
Experiment with different nut combinations – The best part about making your own snack bars is that you get to decide exactly what goes into them. When making these delicious paleo snack bars, you can use a mixture of a variety of your nuts you’d like. You can experiment with different flavor combinations until you find your perfect paleo bar. Cashews are also a great choice to add into the mix!
Store these bars in an airtight container – When it comes to storing these bars, you will want to make sure you place them in an airtight container. This will help to preserve them for longer, and will mean that you won’t have to worry about them going stale. That being said, if you find that you can’t eat all of your bars, you can also freeze a few of them on the day that you make them and defrost them as and when you fancy a quick snack!