Name: Homemade energy bars recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Makes: 9
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 100g unsalted butter; 3 level tbsp golden syrup; 3 bananas, about 450 in total; 150g porridge oats; 100g ready-to-eat dried apricots, roughly chopped; 25g pumpkin seeds; 25g sunflower seeds; 25g sesame seeds

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 4 July 2023

in Recipes

These homemade energy bars are perfect for the whole family and one portion counts as one of your 5-a-day.

A healthier alternative to flapjacks with many of the same flavours, our homemade energy bars are easy to bake and only 277 calories per portion. Each portion also counts as one of your 5-a-day. Using ripe bananas will enhance their sweetness and give a lovely chewy texture.

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter
3 level tbsp golden syrup
3 bananas, about 450 in total
150g porridge oats
100g ready-to-eat dried apricots, roughly chopped
25g pumpkin seeds
25g sunflower seeds
25g sesame seeds

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Lightly grease a 20 x 20cm baking tin and line the bottom with non-stick baking parchment.
Warm the butter and syrup in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until melted. Peel the bananas and cut into 1cm cubes. Remove the butter mixture from the heat and add the bananas and all the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden. The mixture will still be quite soft in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
When cold, use a sharp knife to cut into 9 equal squares. Transfer to an airtight container.

Top tips for making homemade energy bars

Making your own energy bars will be cheaper than buying shop bought versions and you can have full confidence and peace of mind knowing exactly what they are made of. For tips on how to get the best tasting bars and how to store them, read our tips below.

How do you pack homemade energy bars?

Don't try to remove the bars from the tin while they are still warm because they will break.

Once the bars are cooled and cut into portions it’s best to store them in an airtight container or cake tin. If you plan to pack the energy bars for picnics or packed lunches, you might want to consider wrapping in a beeswax wrap or use a reusable silicone container as it is more lightweight than carry tupperware. You could also use clingfilm but it’s not as good for the environment.

How long do homemade energy bars last?

These bars will last for up to a week if stored correctly. They will have the best texture for the first couple of days but may dry out a little by the end of the week and have a slightly crunchier texture. You could wrap the bars in plastic wrap and freeze if you’re worried you won’t get through them all.

What should be avoided in energy bars?

Try to avoid adding ingredients that are high in refined sugar. Syrups like golden syrup and treacle have lots of sugar and will cause your blood sugar levels to rocket. This will lead to a sugar crash not long after. For a more sustained energy boost choose things that are naturally sweet such as honey, bananas and dates. They will all give a slow release of energy. Using bananas that are really ripe will give more flavour and a nice gooey texture to the final bars too.

If you plan to make these homemade energy bars for when you’re out and about, consider investing in some reusable food pouches. This will reduce the need to use clingfilm and the pouches can be easily washed and reused. They are also lighter than most Tupperware and less bulky too.

For more recipes like this, try our banana flapjacks and oatmeal bars. We also have a healthy flapjack recipe which is under 100 calories per portion and can be served as a snack or breakfast.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.