Mountain Mat’s Healthy Hiking Power Bar Recipe

Sometimes I have to pat myself on the back.  Sometimes I create a recipe that everyone likes!  Now that is amazing.  I was looking for a healthy hiking bar recipe – something full of good stuff and not so full of sugar.  All the stuff at the supermarket was so full of corn syrup and carbs – it wasn’t worth eating.  So then I started searching recipes.  I just couldn’t find what I had in mind – so I decided to go rogue and modify a recipe to make it my own.  Jack helped me and together we created the most amazing ‘power bar’ recipe ever!  Okay – so its got some sugar in it – but the other good stuff balances it out!

The kids love this recipe!  I serve it anytime — it can be at breakfast or an afternoon snack.  Its the perfect mountain bar recipe!

Disclaimer:  Shannon really loves these.  So much so that we discovered a link between my Power Bars and some Power Poops with Shannon.  I guess these have a lot of fiber in them.  Just so you know…  maybe keep these to 1 bar a day… 

Mountain Mat Power Bars

Ingredients:

• • • • • • • • • • • 1 cup shredded coconut (I used the sweetened kind)
                    • 1/2 cup butter
                    • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
                    • 1 egg
                    • 1/2 cup molasses
                    • 1/2 tsp vanilla
                    • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
                    • 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (yes, you need this)
                    • 2 cups rolled oats (not the quick cook kind)
                    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
                    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
                    • 1/2 cup flax seed (ground)
                    • 1/2 cup raisins (or Craisens, if you feel crazy)
                    • 1/2 cup pecans (or any nut you like)
                    • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Feel free to substitute or eliminate any of the dried fruit, nuts, and chocolates. Personally I’ve found that anything I serve that has chocolate chips in it is met with universal excitement (from my kids as well as husband!) Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch square baking pan (or whatever you have)
2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in egg, molasses, and vanilla. Dump everything else in and mix together.
3. Spread in pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.

Essentially, the directions are: DUMP ingredients together.  Mix.  Bake. Its that easy.

 Download a .pdf version of this recipe here: Mountain Mat Power Bar Recipe

Give these Mountain Mat Power Bars a try!  Tell us what you think!