• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Recipes
    • Keto Desserts
    • Keto Breakfast Recipes
  • WORK WITH ME
  • KETO COOKBOOKS
  • PRESS
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

All Day I Dream About Food

All the best low carb keto recipes for a healthy lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
  • Muffins & Scones
  • Side Dishes
  • Keto Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Dairy Free

August 21, 2010

Chocolate Nut Energy Bars (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

3.6Kshares


I have a serious, long-standing addiction. I suppose it’s not a shameful addiction, but it is one that I am in the process of trying to break. My addiction is to Luna Bars. I love them, and there was a time when I ate one, sometimes two, almost every day. I would search out the best prices for them, and then stock up whenever I could, just so I didn’t have to survive a day without my favourite snack. What has me so enamored of these energy bars? The convenience factor is certainly part of it, as they are an easy snack to take just about anywhere. I like that they are relatively nutritious and I love the variety of flavours (have you tried the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut? Like eating a big cookie!). And perhaps I am a sucker for marketing, but I love that they are made specifically with women’s nutrition in mind.

But I have to break up with my beloved Luna Bars, or at least become more like acquaintances who hang out only occasionally. Because at 25g carbs a pop, I just can’t tolerate them that easily anymore. I sometimes have half of one before working out, or perhaps a whole one if I am going for a long run, because I know I will burn up the glucose. Other than that, I just can’t justify putting those carbs into my body.

So what’s a Luna-loving prediabetic to do? There are a number of snack bars out there that claim to be low carb. Some of them are, some of them aren’t, but none of them comes close in overall taste and ability to satisfy like a good old Luna Bar. Although I do keep some of these on hand for hunger emergencies, they don’t really do it for me. Methinks it’s time to hit the kitchen and create my own version of a beloved favourite!

A recent blog post by The Chocolate Fig reminded me that this had been on my to-do list for a long time. Her post caught my eye because she referred to it as “eating squirrel food” which I found hilarious. Sadly, her version with all the grains and dried fruits would be too much for my sugar levels, but it brought to mind another recipe I’d bookmarked long ago by a fellow low-carber. Lauren over at Healthy Indulgences created this delicious looking snack bar and I wanted to give it, or something similar, a whirl.

Of course, I just had to tinker! I wanted to up the protein count so I added some vanilla whey protein powder to the base. This also allowed me to forego the vanilla extract and much of the additional sweeteners in her recipe. To help bind the final product, I added a bit of xanthan gum. For the ganache, I used a modified version of the the chocolate topping from my low carb Nanaimo Bars, with added butter and a bit of cream to make it softer.

Photobucket

The Results: I think I’m in love! The flavours of the nuts, seeds, coconut and vanilla all come together beautifully, and the chocolate ganache is the icing on the cake (or the bar, in this case). The bar itself is slightly crunchy and slightly chewy at the same time, and it makes for an incredibly satisfying snack. They are also nutrient-packed and big enough to keep me full for a good long time. And at 11g of carbs and 5g of fiber, they beat the pants off most other low carb energy bars in terms of their effect on my blood sugars. I plan on making these again very (VERY!) soon, and next time I would make a double batch, because they didn’t last long. They were so tasty, I could easily see making them as a dessert bar and serving them to guests.

They do need to be kept in the fridge, which doesn’t make them as portable as pre-packaged energy bars, but you just can’t beat the fresh, homemade taste.

Chocolate Nut Energy Bars adapted from Healthy Indulgences

Bars:
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds, toasted* (I used 1/4 cup each walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and pepitas, but you can use whatever you like best)
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut, toasted*
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup almond butter (I make my own, but store-bought would work just fine)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Ganache:
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into three pieces
1 tbsp whipping cream
12-20 drops stevia extract

*You can toast the nuts and seeds in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes, watching carefully to make sure nothing burns. It may help to coarsely chop the larger nuts so that the smaller seeds don’t over-brown while the nuts are still raw. For the coconut, it is easier to toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is a nice brown colour.

Grease an 4×8 inch loaf pan.

Grind nuts and seeds in a food processor until it resembles coarse meal. It’s okay to have some larger bits as they increase the crunch factor.

Melt together almond butter and coconut oil and stir well. You can do this in the microwave, in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, or in a warm oven. Coconut oil melts at very low temperatures and can start to sizzle quickly, so be careful. I melted with the oven off, in the heat that remained from toasted the nuts and seeds and it only took about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine all bar ingredients and mix very well to combine. Spread evenly in prepared pan and press well. Place in refrigerator and let chill until firm, 30-45 minutes.

For the ganache, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter with the cream over low heat. Add in chocolate and stir quickly to melt. Add in remaining tablespoon butter until ganache is smooth and thick. Off heat, stir in stevia.

Spread ganache over chilled bars and place in fridge until completely set, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 bars.

Serves 6. 11g total carbs per bar, 5g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6 g.

3.6Kshares

Filed Under: Low Carb

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!


Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. The Urban Baker says

    August 22, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    my youngest loves the luna bar…i am going to try these. and when he likes them, i am going to tell him who to thank!

    Reply
  2. Sarah says

    August 23, 2010 at 1:54 am

    these look so good. I'm going to have to give them a try myself! Thanks for the link!

    Reply
  3. ravienomnoms says

    August 23, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    looks glorious! thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. BakingWithoutaBox says

    August 23, 2010 at 8:15 pm

    Oh I love these. I had an addition to Luna bars too. Just breaking it. Tried bananas and fruit, but missing that chocolate fix.

    Reply
  5. Lisa Mac says

    August 23, 2010 at 9:31 pm

    OMG! These look so good. I was hooked on Kashi bars before returning to low carb.

    Reply
  6. Kristy says

    August 24, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    This is my first time on your blog, just wanted to say hi! Those bars look amazing!!! ๐Ÿ™‚ Looking forward to following you!!!

    Reply
  7. sarah says

    August 24, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    From one fellow addict to another…JOB WELL DONE! I think I've died and gone to heaven!!!

    Reply
  8. 4evaRisa says

    August 24, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    These sound wonderful. I have all the ingredients except the almond butter. I assume PB would be fine for a substitute. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  9. keepingitrealfood.com says

    August 24, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    Those look lovely! I used to eat Luna Bars all the time, but in the past couple years, have started finding them too sweet and not filling enough. I hadn't thought to try making my own (just attempted homemade larabars last night) but these sound great!

    Reply
  10. she's cookin' says

    August 24, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    Wow! I have a lot of friends who are runners and chocoholics and would love to get their hands on these! (I'm neither, but I love anything with coconut and nuts that's also nutritious!) Thanks and Congrats on the Top 9!
    Priscilla – She's Cookin'

    Reply
  11. Vicki Bensinger says

    August 25, 2010 at 1:54 am

    These sound wonderful and look beautiful. I can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Carolyn says

    August 25, 2010 at 1:04 pm

    Seems like there are a lot of Luna Bar/Kashi Bar addicts out there! Thanks for all the lovely comments.
    4evaRisa – peanut butter would be fine but it has a stronger flavour than almond butter so I expect your bars will defintely be more peanut-buttery. Not that that's a bad thing!

    Reply
    • Judy says

      March 21, 2014 at 2:03 pm

      Good to know. I’m allergic to almonds, so I’d need to sub something for the almond butter. I was also thinking sunflower seed butter would be good…

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 21, 2014 at 3:49 pm

        I think that would work.

        Reply
  13. keepingitrealfood.com says

    August 26, 2010 at 2:29 am

    I agree with youโ€”the dates in the larabars definitely do not make for a low-carb bar. Even when you consider the fiber and protein from the cashews to help balance it out, it's a lot. Haha my boyfriend loved themโ€”a sure sign it's not exactly health food!

    Reply
  14. Stella says

    August 28, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    Yum Yum!
    You know, dates are meant for camels & people working hard in the dessert. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. The inhabitants of the Sahara are so drained of their energies and sugars after a day of hard work out there that a date is practically God's gift to them (quick needed natural sugar to the blood). For us folks sitting in offices and air conditioned houses, dates are just a bit too much for our systems. I still eat them though (smile). Love em'…
    These bars sound excellent and much much lower in carbs than store bought!

    Reply
  15. Sophie says

    August 30, 2010 at 7:54 am

    Waw!! These GF nut bars include almond butter. I love almond butter!

    MMMMMMMMMM,…And to top these with chocolate is even much more better!

    Reply
  16. cagio says

    September 11, 2010 at 3:16 am

    Oooh yum – lots of good recipes here. Thanks for the tip on the pectin. I will have to check it out. And these bars – I will have to make some of these too.

    Reply
  17. junebu8 says

    October 4, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    This looks really tasty! I might give these a try ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  18. Elle says

    February 17, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    These "squirrel food" bars (love the term, haha!) look so good! I have to try these, and soon. I love having a bar I can grab on the go.

    Reply
  19. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    March 2, 2011 at 2:24 am

    These look awesome!

    Reply
  20. Kelly says

    April 14, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    I've been on a power bar/energy bar kick the last few weeks. Your version looks amazing; I'm going to try this weekend!

    Reply
  21. scratch-made wife says

    August 3, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    I've only had one Luna Bar, which gave me a slight allergic reaction (not their fault or anything and I still loved the bar, despite the hives!). But I do love Clif bars and am pretty sure I'd love your take on the Luna Bar. They look delicious! I'm always looking for alternatives to the regular ol' granola bars the husband likes in his lunchbox. I hate the prorcessed ingredients I can't pronounce!

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    January 11, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    I sooo miss energy bars when I'm doing LC. The ones I can have are very expensive and I can hardly stand buying them although I do give in once and a while. I just made these and I'm in love!!! Yummy!!! I had to substitute and omit a few ingredients because I didn't have them on hand, but this hits the spot when craving energy/granola bars!!!

    Reply
  23. Frances says

    February 15, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    I think I'm going to leave the ganache off of it when I try it & instead put chips in the mix to possibly make it easier to transport.

    Reply
  24. Mello says

    June 5, 2012 at 1:23 am

    What is the calorie count and the fat count of each bar?

    Reply
  25. Amy says

    January 4, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    Hey! These are SOOOOO good, I love them! Bless you for creating these. One if the most difficult things about low carb for me is doing without yummy granola/energy bars. These are brilliant/inspired! I think I prefer then to Luna Bars.
    I have to watch my calories on my low carb plan, do you have the count for these?

    Reply
    • Mapesa says

      April 13, 2013 at 1:37 pm

      They look supper yummy! As does everything on your blog.
      Just a question, is there anything I can use instead if xanthan gum? I live in the middle east, Beirut to be exact and since discovering your blog a few weeks back, I have been searching relentlessly for it so asto try many of the recipes. But, sadly I have not found any ๐Ÿ™ Any suggestions for an alternative? I’m not gluten intolerent, just keeping the evil eye on the carbs.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 13, 2013 at 1:55 pm

        It probably depends on the recipe. Sometimes an extra egg white or some protein powder is enough. For these, I think you don’t even need the xanthan gum probably. They will be a touch more fragile, but not much.

        Reply
  26. amy says

    November 24, 2013 at 11:18 am

    I wonder, can these be frozen? It would be great to be able to make a huge batch, stick them in the freezer and take them out in the morning so they would be defrosted by lunchtime. Not sure if it would alter the texture or taste though.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 24, 2013 at 3:04 pm

      I think they probably could be. Your chocolate might get a little funky but they would still taste good.

      Reply
  27. Alisa says

    December 15, 2013 at 11:05 am

    Mmmm, these are so good! I did half pecans, a quarter hazelnuts and a quarter pepitas. Also used hazelnut butter to up the “Nutella” effect. Once I started cutting, I decided to cut into 8, which still makes a decent snack or small meal. Truly delish!

    Reply
  28. N. says

    February 14, 2014 at 12:48 am

    Hi! Looks good! Question, what could I use instead of agave syrup? It’s on my “evil” list and I would rather not buy it.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      February 14, 2014 at 6:27 am

      You can use water, actually.

      Reply
  29. christi says

    May 26, 2014 at 11:19 am

    Do you have the fat count on this as well?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      May 26, 2014 at 2:54 pm

      No, this is quite an old recipe and I don’t have that info.

      Reply
  30. suzanna says

    May 29, 2014 at 3:53 am

    reckon i could use soya spread instead of butter? i’m off dairy! it would make it runnier right? any tips?! ๐Ÿ˜€ they look amazing i really want to give them a go! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      May 29, 2014 at 5:32 am

      I really have no advice, I’ve never used Soya spread.

      Reply
  31. Anna says

    June 18, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    I just made these and was too lazy to make the chocolate so left them plain and oh my! They are even delicious without the chocolate topping! I can’t wait to make these again with the topping next time. But for now I’ll just enjoy them the way they are. ๐Ÿ™‚ very addicting!

    Reply
  32. Catt says

    September 8, 2014 at 9:08 am

    I am going to make this recipe – looks good except for toasting the nuts/seeds. Never toast nuts – the healthiest part of nuts is the oil – when you toast, you are destroying nutrients….and use organic nuts/seeds whenever possible – much fewer chemicals/weed killer residue.

    Reply
  33. Jenni P says

    September 28, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    Soooo, I DESPISE the taste of coconut… Any suggestions for substitution?

    Thanks in advance!!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      September 29, 2014 at 4:48 am

      You can do another 1/4 cup of ground nuts. And for the coconut oil, put in a neutral tasting oil like avocado or use ghee.

      Reply
  34. Michele says

    October 12, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    These are awesome! I’ve never had a Luna bar and maybe I should be happy because these are awesome without the chocolate. I’m hypoglycemic and thus do not do well with fast burning sugars at all. I’ve been on a journey to change my lifestyle of eating and exercise. 10 months in, I’m now moving from my food focus to my exercise focus and commitment. I have a personal trainer and in our first real session, I nearly blacked out at the end of the session because I hadn’t eaten well ahead of time and was crashing.

    After that episode, I started polling my fitness friends for some bars that are made from real ingredients and as sugar / carb free as possible. Several great suggestions were made, but most had some natural sugar of some sort. I started a web search because surely someone has figured out a recipe. THANK YOU!!!! I find your site and you have done just what I needed for similar reasons.

    I haven’t topped mine with chocolate, but see how that would be very tasty too. Without the chocolate these are divine and just what I needed!!!

    Great site, keep up the great work!!!

    Michele

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 13, 2014 at 5:09 am

      So glad to hear it, Michele. Scary on the blacking out!

      Reply
  35. Kim says

    April 26, 2016 at 8:08 am

    It’s getting hot here in the south and energy bars are always a great “go to” when you are rushing around enjoying the warmer weather and need to eat in a jam. These look AWESOME!
    So, you make your own almond butter. Out of sheer curiosity, do you soak the nuts? This whole soaking v/s not is exhausting when internet searching “how to’s”, etc.. Do you use raw or roasted almonds when making your nut butters? I have a Vitamin. So, I am thinking about adding this to my list of homemade items – just curious.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 26, 2016 at 10:53 am

      I never soak nuts, I’m too lazy. I usually roast them myself, although Trader Joe’s now carries pre-roasted, unsalted hazelnuts if you want to skip a step in making nutella!

      Reply
  36. Kim says

    April 26, 2016 at 8:09 am

    Vitamix! *@#$%^! autocorrecct

    Reply
  37. Kim says

    April 26, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Vitamix! *@#$%^! autocorrect!

    Reply
  38. Catherine says

    May 26, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    If I left the chocolate off, do you think these would be OK out of the fridge.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      May 27, 2016 at 7:24 am

      Possibly!

      Reply
  39. Dee says

    October 2, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Hi there!

    Just made these. Tastes good but they’re MESSY! Coconut oil melts easily – i.e. when I touch it. Any suggestions for reducing the mess factor? Might not be possible – but it’s worth asking.

    Thanks!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!

Carolyn PortraitLooking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

Recipe Key

Diet & FitnessPaleoKeto Meal Plans
Low Carb Gluten Free

Footer

All Day I Dream About Food
COPYRIGHT ยฉย 2021 ยท ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT FOOD ยท DISCLOSURE POLICY ยท PRIVACY POLICY