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Coconut Matcha Energy Bars

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These vegan Coconut Matcha Energy Bars are a great healthy snack for days when you need long-lasting energy. Created by The Grateful Grazer.

I’m heading to New Orleans(!) so I created these matcha energy bars to keep us energized for the drive.

One of my go-to strategies for staying healthy wile traveling is bringing snacks from home.  Being armed with healthy snacks just makes it so much easier to bypass processed convenience store stuff that I don’t really enjoy eating anyway.

WHAT IS MATCHA?

Matcha is a type of green tea that comes in a powder.  Because the entire leaf is used, matcha contains even more beneficial antioxidants and nutrients than regular green tea.  You can read more about the health benefits of matcha tea in my Matcha 101 post.

I’ve been using more matcha lately (it’s great in smoothies and lattes) and wanted to try incorporating it into an energy bar.

Matcha has been shown to support a feeling of calm alertness – pretty helpful while traveling.

These vegan Coconut Matcha Energy Bars are a great healthy snack for days when you need long-lasting energy. Created by The Grateful Grazer.

NEW TO HOMEMADE ENERGY BARS?

A great homemade energy bar needs a few things:

  • Nuts and seeds for energy, healthy fats, fiber, and plant-based protein.
  • Dates and/or other dried fruits for easily-digestible carbohydrates/quick energy, fiber, sweetness, and to act as a binder.
  • Flavorings I used coconut, cacao nibs, matcha, and vanilla here. (But you could substitute with other flavorings and spices to make tons of different combinations, feel free to experiment.)

How can I best describe these energy bars?

They’re kinda like a Lara bar and a green tea latte had a (really delicious) baby…

These vegan Coconut Matcha Energy Bars are a great healthy snack for days when you need long-lasting energy. Created by The Grateful Grazer.

4.58 from 7 votes
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Coconut Matcha Energy Bars
Prep Time
40 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
With a combination of nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and matcha green tea powder, these flavorful energy bars are a healthier alternative to most store-bought energy bars.
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan
Servings: 8 bars
Author: The Grateful Grazer
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cups dates pitted + roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp matcha powder + additional for sprinkling
  • 2 tbsp cacao nibs unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
  1. Combine dates, almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, vanilla, + 2 tsp matcha powder in food processor and pulse until well-combined. Mixture should stick together like a dough when pressed. If mixture is falling a part, add a few more dates and process again until combined.
  2. Add cacao nibs and pulse just enough for cacao to be dispersed throughout.
  3. Line a small baking dish with parchment paper (so bars are easier to remove later) and add bars to dish. Use hands or the back of a spoon to press the mixture down until it is compact and smooth. Sprinkle coconut and additional matcha on top and press down with back of spoon.
  4. Place dish in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Remove bars from dish by pulling out parchment paper. Cut into bars + store in fridge for up to 1 week.

These vegan Coconut Matcha Energy Bars are a great healthy snack for days when you need long-lasting energy. Created by The Grateful Grazer.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Larice @ Feeding Your Beauty says

    These look wonderful! I love that all of the ingredients are things I normally have. And I’m always looking for new ways to use matcha powder. Thanks for the recipe, as well as all of the links for other ways to use green tea powder!They sound excellent. Can’t wait to try!

    Reply

  3. Katie (The Muffin Myth) says

    Oooh, loving the looks of these! I have a similar bar recipe but I’ve never tried adding matcha. I’ve pinned the recipe and will be trying them out for some upcoming travels. Brilliant! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  4. Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite says

    Love that you’ve packed so much nutrition into one bar! Love the color of these – so fun! Enjoy New Orleans!
    Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite recently posted…Fiesta Bean Salsa

    Reply

  6. Kimber says

    Hoping to make these as a Christmas gift. Just want to verify the quantity for the dates. Is it just 1 1/4 dates or should that tat be 1 1/4 cup of dates? Thanks and Merry Christmas

    Reply

  7. Linja says

    I love these, i just finished making these but they crumble easily any tips on another binding agent besides dates that i can add?

    Linja

    Reply

  8. Kristina says

    Hi there! My sister has made these twice for me and they are delicious everytime; with or without cacao nibs. What kind of culinary matcha did you use? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Stephanie McKercher, RDN says

      Hi Kate, sorry they’re crumbling on you. You could try adding nut butter, chia seeds, or flax eggs (1 tbsp flax mixed with 3 tbsp water). Sometimes it helps to process them a little more too so that the dates are fully incorporated into the ‘dough’ and hold everything together better.
      Hope this helps. 🙂

      Reply

  13. Debbie Iseman says

    I just finished making these and as others have mentioned, the consistency was crumbly. I added more dates but this didn’t do the trick so eventually I added some unsweetened applesauce. Next time I think I will try to bind it with cashew butter or maple syrup. But they are in the freezer and I was able to cut them into bars. They won’t last long because they are very tasty!

    Reply

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