This fudge is healthy and easy! My little man loves to have his chocolate in the morning....

This recipe was inspired by a little trail cookbook I found at the Denver Public Library annual sale...

Here is the basic recipe
Sesame Energy Bars

• 1 cup almond butter
  
• ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)
  
• 1-2 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup
  
• ½ cup hemp protein
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup dried goji, cranberries, currants, or raisins
  
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
• ¼ cup chopped pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup shredded coconut
  

1. Heat almond butter, tahini and agave over a low flame to completely incorporate
   
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir to evenly disburse
3. Add the heated almond butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate
4. Spread evenly into a large glassware or baking pan
5. Refrigerate until firm and cut into bars…I recommend cutting the bars into 2” x 1” which will yield approximately 12 bars
6. Continue to refrigerate bars.  Freeze bars if not eaten within 14 days
   

These bars are great energy snacks.  Freeze them if you will be taking them hiking and the weather is warm.
Options: 

• The key to the recipe is to keep the amount of nuts and seeds the same; so replace which ever ones you do not like with ones that you do
  
• Peanut butter can be substituted for almond butter and if you do not care for the tahini than you can replace it with peanut/almond butter
  
• Some types of almond butter have less oil than others...if your bars turn out crumbly then you can add more warmed almond butter or a little coconut oil
  
• If you prefer for the bar to be sweeter, increase the sugar/agave by ¼ cup…the original recipe had equal parts to the nut butter
  
• If you don’t care for coconut, keep it out of the recipe and more cranberries, currants, or raisins 
  
• I prefer hemp protein, but any nonfat protein powder can be used…..fyi: a different type of protein may make the bars more crumbly because it may absorb more of the oil from almond butter and tahini.
  
• I usually crumble a bar with coconut milk for breakfast
  

Oatmeal Muffins
Yield=12 extra-large or 24 large muffins

• 2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 2 cups almond or hemp milk
• 1 ½ cups oat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tablespoons sugar or honey or agave
• 12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ cup raisins or currants or blueberries

Procedure

• Combine oats, milk and cinnamon in a bowl, mix well and rest at room temperature for 35-60 minutes….stir occasionally
• Preheat oven to 325F and line muffin pan with paper liners or butter
• Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to evenly incorporate

• Whisk 2 eggs and mix in sugar (agave or honey)….add to oat mixture and gently fold
• Add dry ingredients to oatmeal mixture in two batches….incorporating completely
• Use an ice scoop or large spoon to fill muffin cups
• For large size muffins bake 20 minutes and extra-large muffins bake 28-30 minutes rotating 180 degrees half way through…these are approximate baking times.  Check that the muffins are baked by poking with a toothpick or fork in the center…they toothpick or fork will come out clean
• Immediately turn out and let cool on a rack or a cutting board…let muffins cool/finish for approximately 30 minutes before eating

Options

• Use granola instead of oatmeal
• Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
• Replace the raisins with fresh fruit…this will increase the baking time due to the increase moisture
• Add ¼ cup of shredded carrots or zucchini
• If making gluten free, replace ½ of the oat flour with quinoa or teff flour for a nuttier flavor and a muffin with more protein