Howdy, y’all! After stuffing myself with rich holiday foods, my body has been asking for a break. Perhaps yours has, too! 🙂 I thought our No Bake Tropical Energy Bars would be perfect for this. They are very quick to prepare, don’t require any baking as you can see, and are loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from the tropical dried fruit mix and cashew nuts. They are also both gluten- and dairy-free, yet loaded with flavor.
Our energy bars can be served both for breakfast and as a healthy snack. They can also easily be carried to work, school, or any other place. Don’t you love them already?
I bought my tropical dried fruit mix at a Walmart supermarket. It contains raisins, dried pineapple and papaya, and also coconut and banana chips… Tropical fruits from my Brazil! Of course, if you dislike any of these fruits, or simply want to use a dried fruit or fruit blend that you already have in your pantry, you can certainly make a substitution. You can also substitute your favorite nuts for cashew nuts, which are native Brazilian ‘nuts.’ That is to say, you can personalize your energy bars — using these as a guide.
You can also choose whether you would like your energy bars with or without coffee crunch. If you are a coffee lover, you gotta have THE CRUNCH. 😉 It’s easy peasy to prepare!
Well, take great care of yourself and enjoy our healthy energy bars — with or without coffee crunch.
xx
P.S.: This is our new photo shoot which my girls insisted on sharing with y’all! 🙂
No Bake Tropical Energy Bars (with coffee crunch)
Ingredients
- For the tropical energy bars:
- 2 cups rolled oats uncooked
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup Tropical dried fruit mix (raisins, dried pineapple and papaya, coconut and banana chips) or other dried fruits of your choice
- 1/2 cup roasted cashew nut halves and pieces
- For the coffee crunch : OPTIONAL
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved into 1 teaspoon room temp water
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- To prepare the energy bars: Stir oats, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, dried fruit mix, and cashews together in a medium bowl. Line a 8x8-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper and press bar mixture into the pan. Using the back of a spatula, press into a flat, uniform layer. Freeze for 20 minutes.
- If desired, with 8 to 10 minutes left to go, remove bar from the freezer, and prepare the coffee crunch. Stir in the honey and dissolved coffee into a small nonstick pan. Let cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, over medium-low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla if desired. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes (being careful not to let mixture harden at this point).
- Cut into 12 bars and serve! OR drizzle with the coffee mixture if desired. In the latter case, place energy bar pan back into the freezer for another 5 to 10 minutes or until coffee mixture has solidified (it should become like a hard coffee "toffee"). Serve and enjoy!
- Energy bars can also be wrapped individually in plastic wrap for storage in the refrigerator (best) or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
HOW TO CLEAN PAN AND SPOON (if making the coffee crunch): After drizzling the energy bars with the coffee mixture, fill pan with water and boil over high heat with wooden spoon in for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let pan and spoon sit for about 10 minutes. Pour water out, rinse both pan and spoon with warm water, and wash both with detergent and a dish sponge.
Anne@FromMySweetHeart
January 12, 2015 at 6:45 pmLOVE these no bake energy bars, Denise. Especially with the luscious tropical fruits! And the coffee crunch….more energy! : )
Denise Browning
January 12, 2015 at 9:32 pmThanks, Anne!
My husband loved the coffee crunch. I enjoy both ways.Chilled, they are much tastier and addictive too.
June Burns
January 12, 2015 at 5:57 pmAh those look wonderful! Much better than store-bought energy bars 🙂
Denise Browning
January 12, 2015 at 9:30 pmHi, June! Thank you and welcome to FBTY.
Yes, they are much healthier than the store-bought ones and tastier as well. I hope you give this recipe a try. Have a happy New Year!
Mi Vida en un Dulce
January 13, 2015 at 2:43 pmOh yes, after holidat our body (or our stomach) needs to take some rest…!!!
Denise Browning
January 13, 2015 at 5:28 pmYes, it really needs, Nydia! Thanks for stopping by.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking
January 13, 2015 at 4:48 pmA compelling recipe! Homemade without all the added “stuff” found in store bought and with outstanding flavor. This recipe is a win Denise1
Denise Browning
January 13, 2015 at 5:11 pmDeb: Thanks!!! I ate almost the whole batch by myself in 2-3 days. They were addictive and tasted much better than the store-bought ones that are full of stuff. .
Abbe @ This is How I Cook
January 13, 2015 at 10:33 pmLove that coffee crunch! And those curls! How lucky are they?
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 7:29 amThanks, Abbe!
I am the luck one for having been blessed with such wonderful girls who I love to pieces.
Ash-foodfashionparty
January 13, 2015 at 10:41 pmDenise, before getting to these bars, I have to say how cute your 2 little lovelies are. My goodness, love these kiddos looks too cute.
THE bars looks so easy and deliciouso. Seriously, I don’t think I can store them for long.
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 7:32 amThanks, Ash! I am grateful that they got along letting me photographing them.
I could not store them for long as well. I think my husband ate about 2 or 3 of the dozen. I ate the rest by myself in 2 or 3 days. I have to say that I enjoyed them for both breakfast and snack a lot. xx
Anna @ shenANNAgans
January 14, 2015 at 2:58 amWOAH!!! Love me a no bake recipe. Especially energy bars, I am always looking for a quick and easy, grab and go feed post bikram yoga. Thanks heaps. You rock!
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 7:50 amAnna:
Thank you for stopping by. This is definitely a great snack to carry everywhere one goes… and another good thing about them is they won’t extend one’s waist (or hips).
francesca
January 14, 2015 at 3:49 amYour girls are gorgeous, Denise. I love these kind of bars for snack and busy-morning breakfasts<3
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 7:33 amThanks, Francesca!
I do enjoy eat them too for breakfast and snack as well. They are quite easy to carry to work, school, and anywhere else.
John@Kitchen Riffs
January 14, 2015 at 11:17 amI definitely need a healthy start to the new year! And this looks like just the ticket — really, really good. Thanks.
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 2:29 pmI hope you get the chance to make these bars. They are really tasty and healthy.
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine
January 14, 2015 at 2:41 pmVery yummy Denise but your girls are stealing the show! They are precious!
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 2:45 pmThanks a lot, Chris!!!! 🙂
Coffee and Crumpets
January 14, 2015 at 5:58 pmMy husband would love these! He loves tropical fruit, fresh or dried and he’s a sucker for bars. These look pretty delicious. The girls look wonderful! Tell them I said “hi!”
Denise Browning
January 14, 2015 at 6:49 pmThanks, Nazneen! I will.
I hope you can make these for him.
Liz
January 14, 2015 at 8:42 pmI’ll take one big one for breakfast and another for a snack! Much healthier than a cookie–and I bet just as yummy!
Denise Browning
January 15, 2015 at 7:28 amI am with you, Liz! 🙂
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
January 14, 2015 at 11:22 pmYour girls are so so adorable!! xo
Denise Browning
January 15, 2015 at 7:25 amThanks, Kiran!
Raymund
January 15, 2015 at 1:03 pmThis is a nice snack to bring a long when we hike, good one
Denise Browning
January 15, 2015 at 4:29 pmThanks, Raymund. Yes, they are also great to bring along when one is exercising.
Lail | With A Spin
January 15, 2015 at 4:01 pmYour daughters are adorable, Denise. I’m sure you treasure every moment with them.
Now, these bars are fabulous. The coffee crunch sound heavenly. Happy New Year!
Denise Browning
January 15, 2015 at 4:27 pmThanks, Lail! Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year as well!
Juliana
January 15, 2015 at 4:55 pmI want mine with the coffee crunch…these bars look fabulous Denise…
Oh! The girls are so cute…super fofinhas!
Hope you are enjoying your week my dear 🙂
Denise Browning
January 15, 2015 at 4:56 pmThanks, Juliana! It has been a busy week so far… but I cannot complain! Take care!
Kristi Rimkus
January 15, 2015 at 6:33 pmI saw your post over on Google+ and had to stop by to tell you how delicious your bars look.
Denise Browning
January 16, 2015 at 7:07 amHi, Kristi! Thank you and welcome to FBTY. I hope you can try this recipe at home. Enjoy! A very happy 2015 to you!!!
Gourmet Getaways
January 17, 2015 at 10:27 amFans of energy bars here, too!!! They’re easier to make (no bake), healthier, tastier! Thanks, Denise!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Denise Browning
January 17, 2015 at 7:37 pmThanks to both of you. Enjoy!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
January 20, 2015 at 10:46 pmEnergy bar with coffee crunch?!? Sign me up!!!
Denise Browning
January 20, 2015 at 11:20 pmEnjoy, Kiran!
Rekha
January 22, 2015 at 2:57 amThese bars looks fabulous especially with coffee crunch! Your girls are very pretty Denise 🙂
Denise Browning
January 22, 2015 at 7:30 amThanks a lot!!!! They love to see themselves here. 🙂
Little Cooking Tips
January 28, 2015 at 2:48 amWow! What a great idea, adding the coffee! Plus, NO NEED FOR BAKING? Count us in!:) We’ll put this into our weekly schedule, as we’re trying(and failing miserably) to lose some weight, and this is the perfect snack.
Thank you dear Denise!
xoxoxoxo
Nusrat Azim
February 2, 2015 at 9:33 amI have all the ingredients in the pantry! OMG! Dashing off to the kitchen right now! Thanks a bunch for the energetic, super fun idea!
Your gals look like a dollop of marshmallow on a cup of coffee. Whenever I see them on my facebook newsfeed, I smile. Their smile is contentious 🙂
By the way, I rated your recipe “Excellent” and I was being very honest about the rating.