Andy Bars

15 comments
My nickname used to be Andy.

With this in mind, my husband christened my new energy bar recipe the "Andy Bar." For our fructose-forsaking, fungal-fearing family, the Andy Bar tastes like a candy bar. The sweetness comes from the dates. The nutrition comes from the chia seeds, soaked almonds, ginger, coconut, goji berries, and a whole host of things you can add to the recipe.

I owe this recipe to the maker of the Lara Bar. This bar combines nuts and dried fruit and is a hit in the health food market. Walmart now carries Lara Bars. The nuts in the Lara Bar aren't soaked, however, and once I understood the health benefits of soaked almonds, I was determined to make my own Lara Bar.

This recipe requires a food processor, something I purchased for the sole purpose of making these bars. Which leads me to wonder, "How have I lived without a food processor?" It truly is a wondrous tool.

My 12-year-old daughter Kaitlyn entered the Andy Bar recipe at the recent county fair. The judges raved, and gave her a purple ribbon in the health food category. These bars are appealing to everyone, even those unaccustomed to a fructose-forsaking diet.

Recipe for Andy Bars

1 - 1 1/2 c. soaked and dehydrated raw, organic almonds (unsoaked will work as well).

1/2 - 1 c. pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, shredded coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cloves or any other add-in of your choice.

(I'm partial to chia seeds. They are virtually tasteless and truly a superfood. Chia gel can even be used as an egg substitute. To make chia gel, combine 1/3 c. chia seeds with 2 c. water. Mix and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.)

1 c. chopped, pitted organic dates.

1 c. dried fruit of your choice. We like organic goji berries and mulberries.


The idea is to have slightly more than 2 cups of nuts, seeds, and add-ins like ginger and/or cinnamon, and 2 cups of dried fruit. I doubled the recipe in the picture below, and added some goji powder, dried raspberries, and more coconut with the dates for the dried fruit portion.


Process the dried fruit until it forms a ball. Set aside.

Process the nuts, seeds, and add-ins.

Add the dried fruit, one portion at a time.

Continue to process until the mixture sticks together. You can add small amounts of water (or lemon juice if desired) to achieve this. Press into an 8 X 8 pan. Refrigerate 15-30 minutes. Cut into bars.

15 comments :

  1. wow! just reading the recipe makes me hungry for one. Thanks for shedding light on the Andy Bar:)
    kt

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  2. Thanks for the recipe. Is there a certain type of food processor you prefer?

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  3. I went with a KitchenAid because of the positive reviews for quality and price. Now that I know how great these are I would recommend the Cuisinart 11 cup processor based on Consumer Search's review.

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  4. What a great recipie! An an award winning one! I was just wishing for a way to make great granola bars - Andrea, sometimes you just read our minds - thank you! maribeth

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  5. Another blog post I saved for future reference! You use store buy dried fruit? Can't wait to try this!

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  6. I buy most of it online. Or I use the dehydrator. One of my favorite online stores is Natural Zing. (naturalzing.com). Another is Wilderness Family Naturals.

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  7. Andrea, Do you not have a problem with dried fruits? We've stayed mostly away because of our fungal issues. Part of the drying process is molds...or is that hogwash?

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  8. That's a good point,Sherry. I stay away from raisins for this reason and other store-bought versions of dried fruit. I go with organic dates from a sources I trust, and deydrate my own fruit like apples and blueberries. Goji berries don't appear moldy, but I could be wrong about that. Again I try to go with a reliable source for those and I make sure they're organic.

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  9. I am in the process of "researching" which dried apricots cause my tongue to itch. Some do and others don't. i have no trouble with canned ones, so it must be the drying that does it. ???

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  10. I have no idea about that. I've not tried canned only because I try to stay away from canned as much as possible. Would sun dried apricots be preferable do you think? Or would it be organic vs. nonorganic?
    Let me know what you find out. I'd love to learn!

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  11. Hello from Tucson! I wonder if we're neighbors!
    I love love LOVE your bars! I was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance and these bars are perfect for me! I'm trying to figure out a chocolate one...

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  12. Amanda,
    You can use cacao powder! We have not tried that yet...but we have used cacao successfully in a couple of other desserts.

    I'd love to connect. Email me if you can at
    andrea@chrisfabry.com

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  13. Thanks for the recipes! I used them as a template for my own bars, and they taste great. My bf will thank you too as he eats a healthy breakfast bar.

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  14. You said "Soaked and dehydrated" almonds... I've never soaked almonds before. How long do you soak them? (in plain water)?, how long do you dehydrate them? At what temp?

    Thanks

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  15. Here's an article I just finished on the subject. I think it will explain why soaking almonds is soooo beneficial.
    http://momsaware.org/natural-year-challenge-food/month-8-soak-sprout.html
    I soak mine for 24-36 hours...but often 7-12 hours is plenty of time. I dehydrate them at 110 degrees for up to 24 hours. I like them crispy! My daughter is highly allergic to nuts and can eat sprouted almonds so it definitely makes a difference.

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