No Bake Energy Bars

Over the past few months, I have cobbled together a few different "no-bake" bar recipes to find the perfect, easy, delicious energy bar! They take about 10 minutes to whip-up and are stored in the freezer. The longest a batch has lasted me is a couple of months, though I'm sure they'd be fine in the freezer for up to three months. These energy bars are perfect for labor snacks, postpartum snacks, after-school snacks, or any time you need something to grab and eat in a hurry. They are so easy to make that little ones can help, too!

What You'll Need:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1.5 Cups oats (I use rolled outs, but any oats will do!)
• .5 Cup shredded coconut (optional)
• .5 Cup raisins, craisins, or other dried fruit of your choice
• .5 Cup Chocolate chips
• .5 Cup Peanut Butter (or nut butter of your choice)
• .5 Cup Honey
• .25 Cup Coconut Oil
• 3 Tbsp Protein Powder
• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds (I use ground, but whole seeds are fine!)
• 2 Tbsp ground Flax Seed
• 2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1.5 Tsp Cinnamon

These are easily made vegan by using vegan chocolate chips (or substituting carob chips) and vegan protein powder (or omitting the protein powder) and substituting maple syrup for the honey.

The Chia, Flax, and/or Hemp seeds can be omitted if you don't have them on hand.

For a lactation boost, add a few tablespoons of Brewer's Yeast!

What You'll Do:

• In a large bowl, mash the banana
• Add remaining ingredients and mix well
• If the mixture seems too wet, add more oats; if too dry, add more honey
• Press mixture into a container or pan with raised edge, approximately 9X13, lined with wax paper or plastic wrap
• Freeze for at least 2 hours
• Remove from pan and cut into bars (square or rectangle)
• Wrap each bar in wax paper or plastic wrap and store in freezer bag or freezer-safe container in freezer (bars will soften at room temperature)