October 17, 2016Recipesalmonds, chocolate, coffee, energy bars, gluten-free, mocha, ohsheglows, plant-based, rolled oats, snacks, vegan, vegetarianJulie Peterson
“Coffee and Chocolate–the inventor of mocha should be sainted” ~ Cherise Sinclair, Hour of the Lion
Mocha Empower Glo Bars
It has finally arrived! Angela Liddon’s newest cookbook “Oh She Glows Every Day”! I pre-ordered it and then life got busy and I forgot all about it, so it was like a special gift when the delivery guyshowed up. Don’t you love when that happens? And I finally found time to really settle in and thumb through it while it rained and the wind howled as Hurricane Matthew blew by.
Just like the last, her new book is filled with incredible looking, easy to prepare, plant-based recipes, and as soon as I saw this new variation of her amazing Glo Bars it topped my “to try” list. Oats, almonds, chocolate–all heart healthy. Add a little coconut and coffee.. yummy and so easy to make.
As Angela says, “these bars have the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavor and crunchy, chewy texture.” I loved the smell of the freshly ground beans while making them and the subtle coffee flavor.
I’ve lightly adapted the recipe for a 9″x12″ pan because these bars disappear quickly, especially sharing with friends. Perfect as you rush out the door in the morning to work or the gym.
MOCHA EMPOWER GLO BARS
Rating: 5
16 bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
- 3 heaping tbsps dark roast coffee beans
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1½ cups crispy rice cereal
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips, or non-dairy chocolate chips for vegan
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 heaping tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/3 cup smooth roasted almond butter
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1½ tsps pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 13"x9" pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides a little creating "handles". (You will lift the chilled mixture out of the pan with these.)
- Spread the chopped almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6 to 9 minutes, or until lightly golden in some spots. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
- Grind the coffee beans in a coffee grinder until a fine powder forms.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ground coffee, oats, cereal, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and salt.
- In a small pot, stir together the brown rice syrup, almond butter, and coconut oil until combined. Bring the mixture to a low simmer over low heat, stirring carefully so it doesn't burn, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the toasted almonds to the dry ingredients and stir. Immediately pour the brown rice syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until the oats are fully coated in the syrup mixture. Make sure you don't have any dry patches. The chocolate chips will melt during this process to create a uniform chocolate flavor in the bars.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with lightly wet hands or a spoon (I find it easier to use my hands). Using a pastry roller or your hands, spread it out evenly and then press it down firmly. The better it's packed down the better the bars will hold together. Using your fingertips, press the mixture in along the edges to create straight edges.
- Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bars are firm enough to slice. With a pizza slicer or sharp knife, slice the block into 16 bars cutting once long ways, then cut each long rectangle in half. Then cut each of those into 4 bars. You can cut the bars in half or thirds for cookie-sized bites.
- The original recipe suggests individually wrapping the bars in plastic wrap or foil, but I just stack them in a container with wax paper between the layers. They'll keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 4 weeks in the freezer. The bars will firm up when chilled, but you can let them sit at room temperature for 5 or 10 minutes for a softer texture, which is the way I like them best.
Notes
Tip: If you like cinnamon in your mocha, try adding 3/4 tsp.
For pretty presentation or gifting I wrap them in wax paper and tie with string or ribbon.
https://fixitplan.com/mocha-empower-glo-bars/
I’m sure I’ll be sharing more recipes from this beautiful book in the coming months. Angela Liddon’s Present Glo Bars from her previous and outstanding book are also really good, made with pumpkin seeds, cranberries, cinnamon and pecans. You can find the recipe here.
Fix it! Plan Photos by: Bill Peterson Galleries 
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