I created this vegan energy hiking bars recipe last year for a very active friend who needed something that was super healthy, with a slow release of energy and nourishment. They have since become my go-to vegan hiking energy bar and goto lunchbox snack.

I’ve since taken these on lots of my hikes! Shared them with friends. And I enjoy them as a lunchbox snack, travel food or for a general nibble.

What makes this vegan energy bar special is the careful blend of ingredients. The ingredients are designed to nourish you whilst on the go, offering a gradual release of energy to sustain you. While being tasty of course.

Oats for healthy carbohydrates

Oats are well know for a slow release of energy. In addition to that, they are also chock full of protein, vitamins and essential minerals.

If you want your hiking energy bars to be totally gluten-free then simply use gluten-free oats. Et voila!
Are oats gluten-free or not?

Dates for a healthy release of natural sugar

Dates offer a super healthy sweet alternative to regular sugar. They are known for a more gradual and healthy release of their sugars. You’ll be pleased to know that dates also help to give you a sustained energy for a long while after eating your hiking energy bars.

Healthy fats in your energy bars

I am using tahini as a binder in this recipe. This offers a super healthy, easy to digest form of sesame seeds. If you don’t have tahini, you can easily swap for almond butter or peanut butter.

Pumpkin seeds offer healthy essential fats, along with a plethora of minerals and vitamins. All really healthy for you. I grind the seeds up in my bullet blender which turns them into a sort of flour. Grinding them also means that your pumpkin seeds much easier to digest and assimilate in your body.

You can swap the pumpkin seeds for any other nut or seed if you have others available.

Vegan hiking energy bars are great for batch making

I must be honest, it’s not always easy to resist these energy bars when I’ve got them sitting in the kitchen haha. However, when I make these for others they are amazing for batch-making ahead.

They’ll keep for a couple of weeks in a sealed container. If you want them for much longer then simply pop them in the freezer and they’ll last ages.

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Vegan Hiking Energy Bars - healthy lunchbox snacks

Yield: 12 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Healthy, nutritious vegan energy bars. Ideal lunchbox snacks on the go.

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Ingredients

• 150g (⅔ cup) pitted dates
• 100g (¾ cup) pumpkin seeds
• 150g (1¾ cup) oats
• 3 tablespoons tahini or peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Please watch my video below for a super quick visual guide.
2. The dates in this recipe act as a super healthy binder. Therefore they need to be squishable. If they are not, then soak them in water for an hour or more. Once soaked, strain them and blend
   with a hand blender. You will quickly get a purree. Alternatively mash thoroughly with a fork or squish with your hands.
3. Grind your seeds in a blender. This blend can be fairly rustic. Grinding your pumpkin seeds makesvthem much easier to digest, and then absorbvtheir nutrients. It also turns them in to a flour.
4. Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until everything is evenly combined. The mixture should stick together if you press with your hands.
5. Line an oven proof dish or tin with parchment paper. I use size 18cm x 14cm (7in x 5.5in). Anything similar in ratio will work.
6. Press the mixture in firmly.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C (400F) for about 20 minutes, or until the bars start to tan.
8. Allow them to cool down before cutting into squares or bars.
9. They will keep for a couple of weeks in a container.
   Alternatively freeze them for longer keeping.
10. Let me know how you get on.

Notes

Swaps

1. You can swap the tahini for almond butter or peanut butter
2. You can swap the pumpkin seeds for almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or cashews.

Did you make this recipe?

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