Serves: 12-16
Vegan Peanut Butter Energy Bars
Packed with protein-dense peanuts and ingredients to give you a real energy punch, these bars will carry you right through to lunchtime.
- 125g unsalted vegan butter
- 150g soft brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
- 125g crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar variety)
- 75g maple or date syrup, plus extra to finish
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 150g porridge oats (not jumbo)
- 150g muesli (such as Dorset Cereals Gloriously Nutty or Simply Nutty)
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 2–3.
Grease and line a baking tin, about 20cm / 8in square. Put the butter, sugar, peanut butter, maple/date syrup and grated citrus zests in a deep saucepan over a very low heat. Leave until melted together, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat. Stir the oats and muesli into the melted butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture evenly into the baking tin, smoothing the top as you go. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden in the centre and golden brown at the edges.
Leave to cool completely in the tin (it cuts much better when cold), then turn out and cut into squares. These bars will keep for 5–7 days in an airtight container. For something different, replace the peanut butter with 1 medium-ripe banana. Mash the banana and stir it in after all the other ingredients have been combined.
Recipe courtesy of Dorset Cereals who have just released their Limited Edition Spiced Carrot and Apple Muesli. Inspired by the moreish taste of carrot cake, the delicious cereal is a beautiful blend of rolled and toasted flakes with carrot, dried fruits and crunchy pecans - spiced with warming cinnamon and nutmeg with no added sugar and vegan friendly.