Matcha Energy Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Photo credit: Andrew Olsen

Summer has officially begun and there’s no better time than now to get outside and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather. Here in Boulder, Colorado there are an endless number of trails to explore and the only real problem is deciding which one to take! Not everyone loves to hike, but I think it’s true that most all of us are more active in the summertime and generally look to spend more time outdoors.

Eating well away from home is getting easier and easier as plant-based diets get more mainstream attention, but sometimes it still pays off to bring a little snack from home that can hold you over while away. A few pieces of fruit packed away in your bag are great, but sometimes you need something a little more substantial to help you make those extra miles or keep up with the kids.

When digging around on the internet for something healthy and super-energizing, I came across a recipe from One Ingredient Chef that I thought filled the part perfectly. Andrew’s super-easy energy bar recipe takes just minutes to prepare, stores well in the refrigerator, and can be eaten on-the-go. I think these bars would make a great snack before hopping in the car for an outing, or packed away for when you need a second wind.

And there is no doubt that just one of these bars will keep you energized for hours! The matcha powder is stimulating enough to keep you blazing down the trail, but when combined with the dates (a bit of sugar) and the cacao powder (a bit of theobromine), you’ve got a powerful, synergistic combo that will leave you feeling like you could conquer mountains! Matcha has well-known antioxidant properties and the cacao is chock-full of magnesium, which is perfect for strenuous, high-activity days.

Photo credit: Andrew Olsen

Matcha Energy Bars

I really hope you enjoy our Matcha Energy Bars recipe, excerpted from the One Ingredient Chef and perfect for anyone who wants a high-energy, easy-to-digest snack that’s going to keep you buzzing all day long.

As far as preparation goes, this recipe is as easy as it gets. You can have a bag full of bars and be out the door in around 30 minutes and still have leftovers. Just throw everything together in a food processor or high-speed blender, process for a few minutes, and it’s practically done!

Feel free to adjust the amount of cacao and matcha powder if you want to play around with effects. Note that matcha powder contains caffeine and cacao powder contains theobromine. Both are stimulating and eating one of these will feel like drinking a cup of coffee.

I hope you all will take full advantage of the early summer season. I’ll see you out on the trail! Thanks to Creative Commons and Andrew Olsen of One Ingredient Chef for sharing this recipe.

Matt Jager

Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.