Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2012

I would prefer to give this a 4 1/2 stars if I could. This is a great energy bar recipe, but I would rank it just a tad under 5 stars because I do feel that if you follow the recipe without modifications, it is a little high on the sugar/oil side. I followed this recipe to a T and am not sure why some folks say it turned out crumbly. perhaps it was overbaked? mine turned out incredibly moist and full of flavor. My finicky 12 yr old even loved them and several kids on his track team tried them and liked them also. I'm making them again tonight with modifications based on my own tastes/preferences and liked the idea I read by others of subbing in 1/2 cup applesauce for some of the oil. I also think using the honey and maybe only 1/2 c of brown sugar will be plenty. It was almost a bit too sweet with a full cup of each. but overall, we love this recipe and this is a great bar for my son to take with him to school and eat prior to his 2 hr daily track practices. oh, and if you are using flax seeds, you must grind them before adding. Bodies can't digest whole flax and then you aren't getting the nutrition benefits of having the flax in there. Just use a coffee grinder to grind them up and toss it in.

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Reviewer:

Tammy

Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2012

Very yummy. I've made this three times already. My grown boys love it and my toddler girls eat it up also. The very first time I made this recipe I made it according to this original recipe. The second and third times I altered it just a bit. I did not add the chocolate chips but instead I added dried cherries. I also switched the brown sugar for cane sugar. I will try next time halving the oil and using pumpkin puree instead. I love the texture and flavor of all varieties I have made. I also subbed wheat bran for the wheat germ and it was still delicious. I will make a double batch next time and freeze for future use. Thanks for posting such a wonderful recipe.

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Reviewer:

MONICA397

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Marrero, Louisiana, USA

Living In: Bixby, Oklahoma, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2011

I'm not sure why this recipe has so many good ratings. I made these bars today completely following the recipe and they were like tasteless, dry, cardboard.

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Reviewer:

Nano

Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2011

This is a good tasting alternative to store bought granola bars. I used only 1/2 cup oil and added 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (wish I would have used more). I also used pecans instead of sunflower seeds. Came out yummy!

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Reviewer:

johnashnic

Reviewed: Sep. 16, 2011

Delicious, and very healthful too! While not quite as yummy as a warm chocolate chip cookie, this is MUCH more nutritious and nearly as good. I followed the recipe exactly (my pet peeve is those who change the recipe and then review it!) and it was great. I did bake it a bit too long (my fault) ... after 35 minutes the edges were a bit dry but still moist in the middle. The bars are a bit crumbly .. wondering if another egg or using applesauce helps with that ... but anyway - glad I tried these. Hubby loves them, which is good because he needs to up his fiber! ADDENDUM: They're MUCH better the next day!

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Reviewer:

Candace

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Bridgeville, Delaware, USA

Living In: Jerome, Arizona, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 12, 2011

These are surprisingly very good! Not 'very good, for health food' good. Just plain good! 4 stars because although I actually followed the recipe and ingredients exactly, my bars are just slightly crumbly unless frozen. The reviewer who said they're a little cake like is correct - these are different than what you get in the box at the store. But they are genuinely filling, and taste great. Sweet but not 'candy bar masquerading as health food' sweet. It will be easy to make different flavors of this for the kidlet, who has happily taken them to school all week. I think the recipe needs modification, but I am a big fan. EDIT: made again using 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce instead of 1 full cup oil, and halved the brown sugar. Found no change in flavor/texture. Still a little crumbly. I also tripled the cinnamon, and it didn't change much at all. We've since added coconut, almonds and almond extract for almond joy bars. We subbed the chocolate for craisins and the vanilla for lemon extract for lemon cranberry bars. I'm using flax meal (ground flax) instead of seeds because the seeds are undigestible, so they're useless in the recipe as-is. UPDATE: replacing all the oil with pureed pumpkin works perfectly too, and an extra egg (or equivalent of egg whites) keeps them from crumbling.

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Reviewer:

moxie & mirth

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Sep. 7, 2011

These are very good. We make a tray and freeze individual squares every other month or so. We have made as stated which is excellent and we have also made with modifications which we enjoy. We usually add 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of flaked coconut. Butterscotch chips give a great flavor too. We have also cut the oil and replaced 1/2 with applesauce and there really is no change in the flavor. Very nice recipe. THANKS!

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Reviewer:

Danielle

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 7, 2011

Very good! Dense and hearty bar for breakfast, a snack or energy on the go. I took another reviewer suggestion and used 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. applesauce. I also added coconut and raisins. Next time I think I will try reducing the amount of sugar and honey, and possibly trying to add in some coconut oil instead of canola. My children are in peanut free classrooms, so this is a great nut free bar to add to their snack/lunches at school.

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Reviewer:

yeahmom02

Reviewed: Aug. 16, 2011

Pretty tasty! I love chocolate so I added a little extra by melting chocolate chips and drizzling it over the energy bars. Oh yeah, I also pre-proportioned it by baking them in muffin pans.

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Reviewer:

Maileilani

Reviewed: Aug. 13, 2011

4 stars for the possibilities this recipe has. I had to substitute a couple of things...didn't have sunflower seeds on hand so I used pumpkin instead, and I was out of flax seeds, so I used hemp. I also used 1/2 cup mashed banana in place of half the oil and added a couple tablespoons peanut butter and raisins instead of chocolate chips. But these were far too sweet for me, and I think cutting back to 1 cup total sugar (I use Whey Low) and honey will be plenty for us next time. UPDATE: Second time: subbed 1 cup toasted almond flour for 1 cup ww flour, used 1/2 cup almond butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil for canola oil, 1/2 cup Whey Low brown sugar and 1/2 cup brown rice syrup for sugar and honey and added 1 cup slivered, toasted almonds. I also added dried tart cherries and upped the chocolate chips to 1 cup and omitted the sesame and sunflower seeds, adding 1/2 cup chia seeds and 1 cup dried unsweetened coconut. I also used 1/2 cup ground flax seeds rather than whole seeds, which are indigestible. They turned out great!

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