Energy Bar

. 1-pound can of beans, drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups cooked beans)
· ½ cup binder
· ¼ cup sweetener
· ¼ cup soft sweet fruit
· 1 teaspoon of extract (optional)
· 1 teaspoon of dry spice (optional)
· ¼ teaspoon sea salt
· 1.5 cups of oats (you can toast them if you want but I can't tell the difference)
· 1 cup dry base ingredient
· 1 cup stir-ins

In a food processor, combine beans, binder, sweetener, soft fruit, extract, spice, and salt until smooth. Add the oats and dry base ingredients and pulse just to combine. Add stir-ins and pulse again just to combine. If the consistency seems spreadable, you're good. If it's too dry, add 1/4 cup of water; if it's too runny, add an additional 1/4 cup of the dry base ingredient.

Grease 13×9 pan with baking spray or rub with 1 tablespoon oil, then spread mixture into pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Note: You'll have the most success if you use unsalted, unsweetened versions of the ingredients, and control the sweetness and saltiness through the sweetener and added salt.

Recommended beans
· White beans
· Black beans
· Pinto beans
· Chickpeas
· Adzuki beans

Recommended binders
· Almond butter
· Peanut butter
· ¼ cup of ground flax seed mixed with ¼ cup water
· Pureed pumpkin
· Mashed avocado

Recommended sweeteners
· Maple syrup
· Brown rice syrup
· Agave nectar
· Honey (if you're not vegan)

Recommended soft, sweet fruit
· Applesauce
· Mashed banana (about half of one)
· Chopped dates (remove the pits!)
· Crushed pineapple

Recommended optional extracts
· Vanilla
· Almond
· Lemon
· Coconut
· Coffee
Recommended dry spices

· Cinnamon
· Ginger
· Nutmeg
· Cardamom
· Instant coffee

*For stronger spices like nutmeg and cardamom, use just a ¼-½ teaspoon and combine with less intense spices like cinnamon.

Recommended dry base ingredient (a combination is usually best)
· Protein powder (we're fans of hemp, rice, and pea protein, and usually use Life's Basics Plant Protein blend)
· Brown rice flour
· Spelt flour
· Cocoa (max ½ cup)
· Whole-wheat flour
· Buckwheat flour

Recommended stir-ins
· Shredded coconut
· Dried cranberries
· Raisins
· Dried apricots
· Chopped nuts
· Cacao nibs
· Dry cereal
· Crushed pretzels
· Chocolate chips

So that's the basic formula! To help get you started, here are three variations Christine came up with. For each of them, follow the same procedure from above for mixing and baking.

From Tom Babb