I’m going to kick off by saying that my good friend Kim (aka Kimmie) Malcolm, is a bloody legend. There’s so many things to love about her and only one of them is her genius ability in the kitchen for all things nutritious and all things yum. She’s developed this delicious (no bake) recipe that is so chock full of goodness (and yum-ness) that it drives me nuts… of which there are plenty inside. She calls is Benefit Bar. I call it (and her) whenever I can.
It’s free of lots of things, gluten, dairy, refined sugar and totally works for the vegans in your life, whilst providing tasty nutritious energy as a hiking snack.
As it does prefer to be kept in the frij, I reckon it’s perfect for short day walks in the cooler months. Enjoy!
Step 1: In a food processor pulse the below nuts and seeds together until still a little chunky and place into a large bowl
½ cup almonds
½ cup cashews – you can swap out cashews for walnuts for a change
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
Step 2: Now add to that bowl the below ingredients and stir to fully combine:
½ cup popped amaranth
½ cup desiccated coconut
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1 ½ tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp raw cocao powder
½ cup cranberries
½ cup chopped dried apricots
2 – 3 Tbsp cocoa nibs* Optional
Step 3: Place the below ingredients into a food processor and pulse until completely smooth and creamy. Stir into the bowl with the dry ingredients until fully combined.
15 medjool dates
½ cups coconut oil – still in a solid state
2 Tbsp coconut nectar
For the bar, turn out into a small baking tin lined with baking paper and push the mixture down until packed hard and store in the fridge. It can help to lay a sheet of baking paper on top and press hard with a rolling pin or jar (I used the coconut oil jar!).
For the balls, simply roll into balls, then in coconut and store in fridge.
You may also be interested in my other tasty hiking snacks:
Writer, producer and content creator by trade, search and rescue volunteer by passion, Caro Ryan started LotsaFreshAir.com to inspire, teach and encourage people to get into hiking and the outdoors safely.
It’s all about connecting people to wild places in meaningful ways, so they can look after themselves, their mates and these precious places we visit.
She teaches wilderness navigation, authored the book, ‘How to Navigate’ and hosts, ‘Rescued - an Outdoor Podcast for Hikers and Adventurers.
In the bottom of her pack you'll find coffee grounds, instant noodles past their used by date and an insatiable curiosity.
