This incredible nut-free power bar recipe is made with just 7 healthy ingredients. Better yet? Paleo Cranberry Coconut Power Bars are also gluten-free and grain-free. Eat them after you go to your CrossFit workout, or if you’re more of a middle aged woman such as myself who prefers sleep to exercise, eat them after a long walk in the foothills, or a restorative yoga class.
I’m using Steve’s unsweetened dried cranberries for this recipe, which is based upon my Cherry Vanilla Power Bar recipe. I came to know Steve this past spring and have become a fan since we first met (via email). Of course it is not surprising that an Italian in New Jersey and a New York Jew would have affinity for one another. Steve is an astute businessman, supporting exercise and fitness for lower income children and underprivileged youth –who’s not a fan of that?! Steve is candid, smart and dedicated –what more need I say.
Here’s that Paleo Power Bar recipe for those of you who are tough (the CrossFitters) and those of you who are more mellow about your exercise (like myself).
- 1 cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup golden flaxmeal
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅔ cup coconut butter, melted
- 1½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla stevia
- ⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- In a food processor, pulse together hemp, flax, and cranberries
- Pulse in coconut butter, shredded coconut, salt and stevia
- Press mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish
- Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm
- Serve
Store these nut-free power bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
What is your favorite form of exercise? Do you CrossFit? Would you lose sleep to workout? Leave a comment and let me know. I know a bunch about your food likes and habits, and now I’m curious about your activity levels…or lack thereof ;-)
Here are some of my other homemade paleo power bar recipes:
Ann says
Hi Elana, would it matter if I used coconut oil instead of the butter? Since it’s going to be melted anyway?
I just made them and I only had coconut oil – guess I will find out in a while!
Elana says
Ann, I haven’t tried that so not sure :-)
Ann says
Actually, they were pretty tasty! A little firm, but out of the fridge for a few minutes and they were easy to cut.
Elana says
Thanks Ann!
Nikki Crockett says
I made these using pepitas rather than hemp seeds, a small handful of dried apricots rather than the cranberries and added a tblsp of coconut oil. Flattened it out in a pyrex lined with parchment paper and sprinkled it with coconut sugar (omitted the stevia) stuck it in the freezer. Super yummy! Thanks for getting me started!!! :)
Elana says
Nikki, you’re very welcome!
Jenifer Haler says
Found these tasty but crumbly. Thought they might work best shaped into little balls, so I tried that yesterday. It was tricky to shape the balls, but once they were refrigerated – they hung together well and were perfect delicious bites of energy. I recommend “Cranberry Coconut Power Balls” rather than “bar.”
Elana says
Jenifer, so glad you enjoyed these :-)
Spencer says
Wow, this looks so tasty!!! I surprise how many calories in a single bar though…
Anni Hart says
I’m definitely a CrossFitter and also enjoy swimming too. I’m a flexitarian :)
Thanks for the recipe
Karen says
Love this recipe, I bookmarked it for later and am going to try it out tonight. Where do I find hemp seeds?
Elana says
Hi Karen, the items I use for the bars (including hemp seeds) are shown when clicking on the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe. Hope you enjoy them!
eric mellon says
This looks sooooo tasty!
diet pills says
thanks for the grea info!
Raquel says
Hi! I’m in love with your website! I’ve been one month in paleo diet and it feels very good. I want to have more different snacks so I want to try this bars so one question: do you think I could use coconut oil instead of butter? Thanks! from Spain!
Elana says
Raquel, I haven’t tried that so not sure, if you do experiment please let us know if it works.
Jennelle says
I made this slice today. Yum! Yes, I found it a little dry, but this was possibly because I made my own Cocont Butter which was a little dry also. I just drizzled the top with coconut oil until it looked moist enough. Good Paleo recipe for a snack.
Elana says
Jennelle, so glad you liked the bars!
tanya says
Are there any substitution for the flax meal? I am doing the AIP diet and it does not allow for grains,nuts or legumes. Thanks!
Elana says
Tanya, I haven’t tried substituting another ingredient for the flax meal, if you do please let us know how it goes.
Jess says
This looks sooooo tasty!
I am a BeachBody girl. I do Turbofire, Les Mills Combat, and P90X as well as the occasional Zumba class or Insanity workout.
I’m going to look into this coconut butter stuff… I don’t think I’ve had any before…
Annette Mach says
I run stadium stairs at the “The Swamp.” Which is the UF Gator football stadium and it is a swamp in the 95* heat and 76% humidity. I was a former amateur bodybuilder and after sooooo much cancer I toned down the weight lifting and I do an hour work out on the total gym on days that I don’t run stadiums. I run a research lab in Gastroenterology and devote my time to finding out why the intestinal tight junctions break with the addition of allergens. Pollen-food syndrome in other words. Hope to be publishing the data and pretty pictures soon. :)
I love your recipes Elana and I have the utmost respect for you. Please keep posting your outstanding recipes. AM
Elle says
Unsweetened cranberries are so hard to find in my local supermarkets. Thank you for linking us to an online store. I will check it out.
I’m not a fan of sweetened cranberries. They add so much sugar that it tastes almost like candy to me.
This recipe is perfect because I’ve been looking for something to make that’s easy to transport.
I haven’t been able to find enough time to eat breakfast lately, so this is perfect to just grab and go.
Elana says
Elle, you’re welcome!
Vanessa says
I do yoga once a week and wrangle my 3-year-old on a daily basis. I don’t have a whole lot of energy for a super intense workout, but I admit I should exercise a little more than I currently do. I have a suspect that I have a bit of adrenal fatigue, so it’s best to take it slow. :)
Also curious if you’ve tried/made unsweetened cranberries? I’m fighting candida and need to avoid sugar.
Sheila H. says
Kickboxing once a week and meeting with a trainer twice a week keeps me fit and strong enough to handle my 3 young, active boys. I sleep better and feel better than I did 5 years ago.
These would be good subbing any nut butter for the coconut butter!
Vanessa says
I do yoga once a week and wrangle my 3 year old all day, every day. The last thing on my mind is a high-intensity workout. I usually throw in a walk most evenings, but that might be more scarce as the weather gets cooler.
Shari from NC says
NIA!!! I take 2 60 minute classes a week, and I dance 60 minutes a week (combination ballet and contemporary). I love NIA!!
NIA’s a mix of martial arts (Tai Chi, Tai Kwon Do, and Aikido), Healing arts (Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Alexander Technique), and Dance Arts (Modern, Jazz, and “Duncan”.) Part of its intent is to help the brain to develop new neuro pathways. We move noticing sensations in the body, often finding Joy in our movement. NIA has spiritual and emotional elements too. I can adjust the cardio workout to what my body needs on any given day, without pain. It’s extremely empowering! See www dot nianow dot com for more details.
On a related note, I found some “real food” bars this summer developed by two professional dancers that are delicious and have a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fats. Elana, could you take a look and share how they inspire your kitchen creations? They are barre bars and come in 3 flavors: black swan chocolate berry (our favorite!), piroutee cinnamon pecan, and ballerina spirulina. Dates, walnuts, pecans, agave, flax, brown rice protein, and oats form the basis of the bars (other ingredients vary by flavor); and, like Steve, a portion of the proceeds help increase awareness (access to arts) in lower-income areas. See realfoodbarre dot com for more details.
Thanks for this yummy recipe and for asking the exercise question. (Sometimes I’ll lose sleep to exercise and sometimes not. It depends on what my body needs more.) And thanks for encouraging our creative sharing.
Anna Marie says
I am a new crossfitter but I also LOVE to swim. I have four kids under 6, so no, I wouldn’t lose sleep to workout. I am very dedicated to exercise, but know how much lack of sleep effects EVERYTHING!
lauren says
I would not lose sleep for anything. Ever. It is too precious to me!!! But I do workout 4-5 times a week, sometimes more. Let’s just say I am nicer to be around if I have exercised :) I don’t do crossfit but I LOVE lifting weights, HIIT, kayaking, and cycling.
sem says
Oh, that´s looks so good!!!
zoe says
RUNNING! I recently completed Ragnar (an ultramarathon relay) and am in training for a marathon.
I couple that with weight training and do a lot of other activities just for fun (yoga, swimming, roller derby).
As for losing sleep…it really depends. Some days I get up and am tired but I know that missing a work out will mean I just feel more crappy. But I really listen to my body and if it says I need sleep then I sleep.
But sticking to my workouts have meant I’ve had more energy and don’t have trouble waking up or needed lots of sleep – which is fine for me as it leaves more time for adventure!
z
Martine says
Has anyone made this recipe? Was it tasty ?
Catherine @ Chocolate & Vegetables says
I stay pretty active, but not so much formal exercise. I walk about 5 miles a day in the process of getting to/from work, and then I am the person who always takes the stairs, walks or bikes for small errands rather than using the car, etc.
I do also do about 20 minutes of something more intense (usually bodyweight exercises interspersed with jumping jacks or running in place) several times a week, which I’ve noticed has really helped with building muscle definition in my arms! I usually eat dinner right after that though, so I think I’ll be saving these bars as a possible hiking/backpacking snack recipe!
Cass says
How many servings does the recipe make?
Elana says
Cass, 25 servings :-)
tessa@tessadomesticdiva.com says
these energy bars are super tasty elena, l and I can’t wait to try them! Workout bootvamp style, runni.g, spinng, zumba….just try and stay active!
Daniel says
I usually swim and do basic weights. Being hungry after a workout is no fun, that’s for sure. I’ll be giving these a try.
Deb says
I did karate for 14 years but I’ve taken a break from it lately. Now it’s all yoga, running, pilates, and recently started CrossFitting once a week. I love CF but it would be too much intensity more often than that, I think.
Lea says
My favorite definitely is Zumba 3-4 times a week. I also do TRX, body sculpting, cycling outdoors, swimming in and out a spinning.
Sally says
A year ago I’d have said I wasn’t an exerciser but with the big 50 looming and the 5 lb per year weight gain I knew things had to change. 37 pounds lighter and feeling great. Giving up glueten and 30 to 60 min of cardio 4 times per week did the trick. A coworker suggested your blog and the recipes have been most helpful. I love to cook and have a big garden so the experimentation is great fun. Thanks!
Dee says
Is coconut not a nut?!
Elana says
Dee, no coconut is not considered a nut.
Kathy says
I’ve also slowed down now that I’m in my forties and on paleo. Although I can still handle cardio, i somehow don’t crave it as much. I love things like yoga, ballet, and any form of stretching exercise, but do thrive on a run / walk once a week.
Bev Norman says
I enjoy your recipes and try quite a few. For the Cranberry-Coconut Bars, for instance, could you give an alternative to stevia,i.e. some quantity of agave syrup or maple syrup or honey? This would allow me to try any of your sweet things.
Thank you,
Bev
Elana says
Hi Bev, I haven’t tried that so not sure. The only way to know is to experiment! If you do please stop back by and let us know how it goes :-)
Julie says
Why not also label this as vegan? You call it gluten free, paleo, and nut free and it seems to fit the vegan bill…
Maureen says
Vegan isn’t necessarily nut-free or gluten-free.
zoe says
I think what she’s saying is Elana could have ALSO labelled it as vegan. :)
Chelsea says
I love running! I’m training for a Marathon right now and run all but 2 days of the week (1 rest, 1 cross training day) I love trying new healthy foods to give me that extra boots and that are convenient. Excited to try these!
alicia says
yoga and long walks. I like a slower pace :)
Kathy K. says
What could I use in place of the hemp seeds??
Clarisse says
Kathy K – You could use almonds or another type of nut – Maybe just add more coconut oil to keep them together. I think I will try this :)
Pink Peppercorn and Paprika says
I love sleep just as much as my hot power yoga class. I couldn’t live without either!
On another note, thanks for sharing Steve’s story – it is always awesome to see a company that supports those in need and shares the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Peg in Kensington, California says
I am a rower – which means I am out on the water three times a week, normally in an 8. I use an ergometer (rowing machine) a couple of times of week. I also do Pilates with an instructor and am starting Yoga Stretch with someone. I will get back to weight lifting shortly. I keeps me sane.
Megan Hughes says
I would never lose sleep to exercise, or to do anything else short of an emergency. It is too vital. The exercise I prefer is that long walk in the hills around my house.
Elizabeth H says
CrossFit! Found CF when I was 39 and 3 years later, I’m still hooked. My passion is running and CF has given me back the fast times of my youth. Can’t wait to make these bars and share with friends at the gym… that’s the part of recipe you don’t see — the fun of sharing. Tx!
Shelley says
Crossfitter but I enjoy swimming and dance classes as well. I would and have lost sleep to exercise but I sleep better if I exercise and exercise better with good sleep! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Gretchen says
I am definitely an exerciser. 3 times a week I do an intense fast paced pseudo Pilates class and twice a week I do cardio intervals for 45-60 minutes.
I have slowed down though recently. I used to do intense exercise 6-7 days a week and now I am realizing that I recover better when I take it easier on the weekend and just go on a mello hike or walk on those days.