Sesame Energy Bars

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