A brand of refrigerated nut butter bars appeared not long ago in my local organic supermarket, so I tried a few. They tasted delicious. My children loved them too. But ooops! I missed the fact, hidden in tiny print on the label, that these delicious bars contain MILK! They also contain rice, another ingredient I avoid.
Fortunately, my children and I do not have life-threatening allergies, so no serious harm done, but that was disappointing. The bars are so delicious that I set out to replicate them at home so as not to deprive my beloved darlings of their new treat.
Nut butters vary in consistency, so you need to adjust the powdered ingredients accordingly so the texture of the nut butter bar “dough” is a very thick paste that’s soft, but not dry. I use powdered coconut milk in these bars, but you can use another powdered milk. If you use a sweetened milk powder, reduce the other sweeteners.
The original bars use dried whole egg powder and fruit and vegetable powders. I haven’t found a powdered egg product made from organic eggs, so I make my own. Since these are nutrition bars, meant to be eaten on the go, I add a prepared powdered vegetable mix or I make my own by grinding up freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in a food processor or blender. Mixes of whole foods powders containing a variety of fruits and vegetables are available online or in natural foods markets. Make sure any mix you use is labelled gluten-free and dairy-free.
The nut butter bars in my supermarket are sweetened with honey, a somewhat healthy if expensive and high glycemic sweetener. In my version, I cut the honey with zero glycemic vegetable glycerin and a bit of stevia. The flavor isn’t exactly the same, but these dairy-free nut butter bars are still delicious. I use mini chocolate chips to cut down on the sugar. Larger chips take up more space in the bars and make them sweeter. These bars must be kept in the refrigerator. For the best flavor, take them out of the fridge to soften for a few minutes before eating.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Nut Butter Bars
These refrigerated nut butter bars are packed with protein and fruit and vegetable powders.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup organic sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons organic flax seed oil
- 1 tablespoon organic sesame seed oil
- 2 teaspoons organic olive oil
- 1/4 cup dried non-dairy milk substitute (I use powdered coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup organic dried whole egg powder (See NOTE 1)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons organic protein powder (pea, rice, hemp, etc.)
- 1/4 cup dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, carrot, spinach, etc.) (See NOTE 2)
- 1 1/2 cups nut butter (almond, cashew, hazelnut work fine, as does peanut butter if tolerated)
- 1/4 cup organic honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 2 tablespoons organic sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons organic sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons organic pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Crushed nuts or shaved chocolate for decoration.
Instructions
Line an 13" by 9" baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the oils together in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another small bowl, mix the powdered egg with the non-dairy milk and food powders. Set aside.
Blend the nut butter, honey, vegetable glycerin and stevia in a blender or food processor.
Slowly add the oils while the machine is running. The mixture will thin out.
Add the powder mixture and blend until smooth.
Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Add nuts and mini chocolate chips for texture, and pulse a few times to blend.
Use a spatula to spread the mixture in the prepared pan to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
You can decorate the bars with crushed nuts or chocolate shavings if you wish, pressing the toppings into the nut bars.
Press parchment paper over the top of the nut bars, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
Remove from fridge, remove the parchment paper and cut into bars using a sharp knife.
Store the bars in layers separated by parchment paper in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days. I wrap them individually in waxed paper and put them in zip top snack bags (or a Stasher bag) for an easy-to-grab lunchbox snack. They also freeze well for a few weeks in a tightly sealed container.
Notes
1: To make powdered whole eggs, scramble a half-dozen eggs in a pan without using any oil, spread the scrambled eggs on a baking sheet, put them in a 170 degree F oven for 4 hours, cool, then pulverize the dried eggs in a blender. Yields about a cup of powdered eggs. 2: Use any prepared gluten-free, dairy-free whole food powder mix or make your own fruit or vegetable powders by pulverizing freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in a blender or food processor. Store the powders in sealed containers at room temperature. Prepared mixes are available at natural food markets and online.
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