Cashew and Date Bars

These simple two ingredient snack bars are great for energy on the go. As much as I love chocolate, when it's 100F outside and I'm riding my bike, the last thing I need is a chocolate snack bar. I really like the cashew cookie Lara Bar. It's just cashews and dates blended together to form a sticky and delicious paste! Therefore, I decided to make my own!

An all natural energy boost with just over 200 calories, 12.5g fats, 5g protein, 19g sugars, no cholesterol and very little sodium.

I used dry roasted cashews as the smell and taste is heavenly. I usually buy a 5lb bag of whole raw cashews and roast half of them. Simply lay the nuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 175C / 350F, being careful not to burn. Allow the cashews to cool completely before storing them in an air tight container.

Cashew and Date Bars
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 200g / 7oz dates, pitted
- 240ml / 8floz hot water
- 200g / 7oz cashews, dry roasted

Method:

• Soak the dates in 1cup boiling water (240ml) to soften for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend the cashews in a food processor until finely chopped - not ground completely.
• Transfer the chopped nuts to a bowl.
• Drain the dates, and then blend in a food processor, until a smooth paste is formed.
• Thoroughly combine the date paste and cashews and then spoon into baking pan.
• Freeze for a few hours and then slice into bars. Store in the fridge. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Banana Oat Cranberry Cookies

Another quick, tasty and natural cookie, just like my Banana Oat Jam Cookies. This version doesn't have applesauce; instead using extra bananas to bind the ingredients, and for sweetness. Cranberries also add sweetness in place of the jam.

Banana Oat Cranberry Cookies
Makes 18 cookies
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
300g / 10.5oz / 2-3 bananas, ripe
160g / 6oz oats
7g / 1tbsp flaxseed meal
60ml / 2floz almond milk, unsweetened
80g / 3oz cranberries, dried

Method:
Mash the bananas and stir in the oats, flaxseed and milk.

Add the cranberries and then spoon into balls.

Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

On-the-Go Snacks - Sweet

I am always eating! One of the difficult things about this fact is planning ahead and ensuring I have sufficient, appropriate and healthy foods (and drinks) throughout the day. It does take time, effort and preparation. If I didn't do this, I'd end up wasting money - and making poor nutritional choices - at supermarkets and cafes grabbing snacks to keep me going when I'm out and about.

Below are my top 10 recipes for 'sweet' on-the-go snacks. Another blog post coming soon will feature 'savoury' snacks.

A full list of snacks on my blog can be found here.

On-the-Go Snacks - Sweet

Apricot Oat Slice

Banana Oat Energy Bars

Banana Walnut Bran Bread

Beetroot Brownies OR Courgette Brownies

 

Black Almond Fudge

Chia or Flaxseed Lemon Bread

Chocolate Chickpea Dough Ball Cookies

Oatmeal Energy Bars

Peppermint Chocolate Squares

Sunshine Muffins

Banana Oat Jam Cookies

These cookies are so simple, healthy, wholesome and quick to make. They take less than 15 minutes to bake too so are great to whip up for a mid-afternoon snack or make in the evening ready for an on-the-go breakfast the following morning.

I adapted the recipe from the Oh She Glows blog, with the original recipe here. I used one banana and some applesauce instead of two ripe bananas (as I only had one left in the pantry). I also didn't have any pre-blended oat flour so I just added whole oats to the mixing bowl. I used sugar-free jam but if using regular jam, the sugars per cookie will be a little higher. I also used unsweetened apple sauce as one ripe banana has plenty of natural sweetness for these cookies.

Banana Oat Jam Cookies
Makes 8
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 1 banana, ripe
- 56g / 2oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 80g / 3oz oats
- 20g / 3tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 34g / 2tbsp jam, sugar-free

Method:
In a mixing bowl, mash the banana and stir in the applesauce.

Add the oats, flaxseed and cinnamon.

Mix to form cookie dough. Spoon out 8 cookies on a baking tray and then make a small indentation/thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Add a little jam into the small hole.

Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm and golden brown on the outside. They should be soft and doughy in the middle. Cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Chai Spice Iced Cookie Balls

This is the second version of my Chai Spiced Iced Biscuit recipe. These cookie balls are made without butter, flour, egg or brown sugar. Instead I tried to use alternative ingredients: coconut oil, oat flour, flaxseed and dates. I still used confectioners sugar to decorate the cookies but instead of brewing a chai tea bag, I ripped the bag open and blended the chai spices into the icing sugar, giving the topping a stronger flavour.

The nutritional content of these cookies is similar to traditional cookies that use butter, eggs, flour and sugar. However there's more fibre and protein in these cookie balls, with less sugars, than the original spiced biscuit recipe. This version is also cholesterol free!

Chai Spice Iced Cookie Balls

Makes 19

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients: 

- 7g / 1tbsp flaxseed meal

- 45ml / 3tbsp water

- 80g / 3oz dates, pitted and chopped

- 60ml / 4tbsp coconut oil

- 300g / 11oz oat flour

- 1/2tsp salt

- 1/2tsp baking powder

- 1.5tsp mixed spice

- 1 chai tea bag 

- 80g / 3oz confectioners sugar / icing sugar

Method:

Mix the flaxseed with 3tbsp water and sit for 5 minutes. 

Soak the dates to soften, drain and blend in a food processor. 

Add the coconut oil and flaxseed and blend to combine.

Mix together the oat flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice.

Stir in the wet ingredients to form a dough.

Form small balls and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 175C / 350F.

Whilst cooling on a wire rack, blend the chai tea bag in food processor with the icing sugar and a little water.

Spoon icing sugar over the top of each ball. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Chai Spice Iced Biscuits

I rarely make conventional biscuits/cookies that call for butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I like to experiment with substitutions and alternative ingredients. Sometimes it's trial and error! However, after receiving a cookie cutter from my chef friend, I had to bake some traditional cookies. The cookie cutter comes from Ann Clark, Ltd.

Who knew baking cookies was a science, as much as an art form! So many decisions over the amount of flour to use, white or brown sugars, melted or softened butter, baking soda and/or powder. Then there's so many arguments over the amount of time the cookie dough should be chilled in the refrigerator. I chilled the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes but I'm unsure if this made any significant difference. One reason given on the internet as to why cookie dough should be refrigerated is that it gives the gluten time to relax.

I couldn't bring myself to totally follow a traditional recipe so I did try to limit the amount of sugar and butter and reduced the quantities very slightly. I was still able to roll out the dough, cut perfectly uniform cookies and bake over two dozen biscuits, just like a regular recipe. When reviewing various cookie recipes on the internet, I found this useful resource: Cookies - Problems and Solutions

Regular icing sugar can be used to decorate the biscuits but I brewed a chai tea bag and mixed with the icing sugar to give a little extra spice to each biscuit.

Chai Spice Iced Biscuits

Makes 28

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients: 

- 112g / 4oz butter, unsalted

- 195g / 7oz light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 300g / 11oz flour

- 1/2tsp salt

- 1/2tsp baking powder

- 1.5tsp mixed spice

- 1 chai tea bag 

- 100g / 3.5oz confectioners sugar / icing sugar

Method:

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar using a hand held mixer. Beat in the egg.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet to make a dough.

Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out and cut into biscuits using a cookie cutter.

Bake in the oven for 13 minutes at 175C / 350F.

Whilst the biscuits are cooling on a wire rack, brew the chai tea in 60ml / 1/4 cup boiling water. 

Mix the chai tea with the icing sugar and decorate each biscuit. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: