Mocha Muesli Bars

I was feeling inspired one Saturday and took the plunge to putting my favorite Cocoa & Coconut Muesli into some creations. It was hard because it is a daily must lately but I had ideas and I needed to figure out a way to take this with me on the go, not that I haven’t been just eating it out of the bag on the go or in the car. I was thinking more for camping, hiking, soccer, and some overall outdoor adventure fuel. I made two and well these were the family favorite, while the girls do like coffee flavored treats and they liked these with espresso powder theirs will be made without it. These bars have the texture of a Lara Bar which is great for packing and traveling as they don’t crumble. They are packed with dates, muesli, puffed rice cereal, nuts, espresso powder, and a little nut butter and will give you the energy you need to fuel your outdoor adventures. Shh I also enjoy them as an afternoon treat, in a smaller size, to get through my afternoon slump and carry me though all my soccer/gymnastic mom duties.
While I use my favorite Seven Sundays Cocoa & Coconut Muesli see notes below if you want to adapt or you can feel free to use your own favorite and adapt from there. It will be like a traditional power ball/bar recipe where if you adapt you will just add more wet or dry ingredients when you get to the end making sure they are sticky enough to stay together but have enough bulk in them and aren’t too wet, again think Lara Bar texture. I wasn’t sure I liked this texture and was debating on redoing them but the family loved them and after taking one on the go and not having it crumble and it tasting great and not rock hard from the freezer I was sold! If you do decide to get my favorite muesli they sell it at Target and Whole Foods, if you can’t find it there you can also order online. Just be warned it is addictive and will probably become one of your favs too. Not going to lie I got a little carried away when I first made these and some other bars and went through my last few bags of muesli and may have cried that I didn’t have any come Monday morning. Luckily I can order more and they are local so I can get it quick, in the meantime enjoying my other two favorite flavors Vanilla Cherry Pecan and Blueberry Chia Buckwheat.

Mocha Muesli Bars
8×8 pan, 8-16 servings
1c chocolate muesli (Seven Sundays Cocoa & Coconut Muesli)*
14 pitted Medjool dates
2 1/2c puffed rice cereal
1/3c unsalted cashews
2-3 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp sea salt, if using a nut butter with salt omit
1 tsp vanilla
1/3c almond or cashew butter (for espresso lovers Wild Friends Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter, also delicious with plain raw almond/cashew butter)

Chocolate Espresso Drizzle**
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted
2 TBSP maple syrup or agave
3 TBSP cacao powder
1 tsp espresso powder

*If you can’t get or want to make it without Seven Sunday’s Cocoa & Coconut Muesli you can use another chocolate muesli, or plain and add in 1 tablespoon shredded coconut, 1 TBSP cocoa powder, and 1 Medjool date pitted and chopped.
** Or you can use 1/4-1/3c chocolate (I like Vega Maca Chocolate Bar or Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)
plus 1 tsp espresso powder or 1 shot of espresso.

Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place pitted dates and 1/3 cup very hot water in a bowl and set aside. Place cashews in a food processor and pulse to chop to a fine/course texture (like fish bowl rocks or slightly smaller), add in muesli and pulse a few times to chop. Place mixture in a large bowl, stir in sea salt and espresso powder and set aside. Add dates and water to food processor and blend almost smooth, add in an additional tablespoon or two if need. Add in vanilla and nut butter and blend until combine. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix, this works best with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add in rice cereal and continue to mix. Press into prepared pan. Mix together ingredients to make chocolate drizzle or melt chocolate and add in espresso powder. Drizzle over and place in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour. Cut into desired size bars, I usually cut them in 8 and will cut a couple of those in half for a smaller size or even 3rds if just wanting for a pre-workout snack. Wrap with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for longer storage pulling out as needed for on the go. Enjoy!

For more delicious eats and inspiration check out Foodie Friday, hosted by The Fit Foodie Mama Annmaire, Jess from Hello to Fit, Farrah from Fairyburger, and Esther from Chocolate Runner Girl.