Whole Food Nutrition Bar
Nutrition bars can be expensive, the higher quality varieties cost upwards of $2.50 per bar…that’s $75 a month!
Although I’m not willing to give up my favorite nutrition bars, I do like to supplement with a homemade bar to cut down on the cost. Plus, I control what goes in and can tweak accordingly to suit my tastes.
This no-bake recipe uses an abundance of whole food ingredients and functional foods (i.e. cacao nibs and maca powder) to give you the most nutritional bang for your buck. Maca, also known as Peruvian ginseng, is the root of a vegetable native to Peru. It falls under the category of “adaptogens”, which means it has the power to fight daily stress, thereby helping your body achieve a state of balance and harmony.
These gluten, grain and dairy-free bars are naturally sweetened with dates, but I also added a tablespoon of raw honey. You can leave that out if you’d like. The healthy fat comes from raw almonds and unrefined organic coconut oil, and I also added some Bob’s Red Mill Pea Protein Powder for some extra protein.
Oh…and I used flaked quinoa instead of oats to keep it grain-free.
PS: You may also want to check out my post on the Top Six Dietitian-Approved Nutrition Bars, where I highlight my favorite bars out there!

Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Passive Time | 60 minutes (for bars to set) |
Servings |
bars
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- 2.5 cups pitted dates, halved
- 2 cups raw, unsalted almonds
- 2 tbsp. cacao nibs I like Navitas brand
- 1/2 cup quinoa flakes I like I Heart Keenwah brand
- 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Pea Protein Powder
- 2 tbsp. maca powder I like Navitas brand
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. organic virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. raw honey
- 2 tbsp. organic, unsweetened coconut flakes + more for topping I like Let's Do Organic brand
Ingredients
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- Add all ingredients to a food processor and gently pulse until the nuts are chopped and a cohesive mixture is formed. You may have to divide the mixture into two and process each batch separately, then stir to combine together in a large bowl.
- Line a 9 X 6 rimmed baking dish with parchment paper and press the mixture into dish until flat and smooth. Refrigerate for an hour then cut into 20 squares and top with additional coconut flakes. Bars will keep for one week in the refrigerator or two months in the freezer.
Nutrition Facts per bar: Calories: 150; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Sodium: 70 mg; Potassium: 140 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 12 g; Dietary fiber: 3 g; Net Carbohydrates: 9 grams; Sugar: 6 g (1 gram added sugar); Protein: 5 g