These healthy cake batter energy bars will rock your face off.
Addictively delicious no-bake energy bars that taste surprisingly like cake batter.
It’s weird, but they really do!
Now that I’ve finally started posting videos (what took me so long?!), I’m going back to some of the most popular recipes of three to four years ago to remake them, add videos, and see if I can make the original recipes even healthier.
In the case of these cake batter bars, I’ve improved upon the original recipe—this new version makes a much bigger batch and is also lower in sugar.
The sprinkles add a fun touch, but it’s actually not the sprinkles that make these bars taste like cake batter, so feel free to omit them if you desire.
The first time I made these cake batter energy bars was on one particular Saturday afternoon when a friend came to visit with her four-year-old daughter.
With the leftover sprinkles, we thought it’d be fun to make sprinkle maracas by pouring the sprinkles into containers (as seen above) and shaking.
But the little girl was more interested in a family of bugs she found in front of the house.
Using leaves and rocks, she spent about an hour constructing a home for “Bobby” the roly poly bug.
Then she decided he needed food, and so she proceeded to dump the entire contents of her sprinkle maraca onto the ground for Bobby to eat.
Obviously Bobby took no interest in this sustenance.
But I think we’ll now be getting ants.
Going back to these cake batter bars.
Just 6 ingredients in these easy-to-make and kid-friendly energy bars that need no refrigeration and can be customizable to fit allergy-friendly diets as well.
My favorite nut butter to use in these bars is cashew butter, but any nut butter—or even Sunbutter or Peabutter—will work here.
As always with my recipes, be sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla or vanilla flavoring.
And you can replace the sprinkles with raisins or even mini chocolate chips if your heart desires.
Protein powder can also be added if you want a higher-protein snack bar.
Cake Batter Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice crispies (brown, white, or gf)
- 1 cup oat flour, or make your own by blending rolled oats then measuring 1 cup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp roasted cashew butter, or allergy-friendly sub
- 1/2 cup agave or honey
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- handful sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- *If desired, you can replace up to half of the oat flour with your favorite protein powder.Combine all dry ingredients and stir well. In a separate bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients to form a thin paste. (If your nut butter is cold, warm it a little for easier mixing.) Then stir together all ingredients to form a batter. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax, and smooth the batter into the pan. A trick is to use a second sheet of parchment over top to spread the batter and press it firmly into the pan. Really press it down as hard as you can. Refrigerate or freeze to harden, then cut into bars.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Homemade Chocolate Bars (3 Ingredients)
Katie, you mentioned subbing with Better’n Peanut Butter so I thought I’d give my two cents since you don’t use it and your readers may be curious (just trying to help, not step on any toes!). I use it for everything and I LOVE it but when using BPB, it’s important to remember that it is runnier when at room temperature and liquifies easier. So if it is used in something that isn’t baked or frozen, the results are not as good. It does however work well in your cookie dough dips and the peanut butter flavor is not as noticable, I think. Hope this helps some readers! 🙂 Love your site!
I think these would be even better with chocolate frosting. 🙂
Face shmace – that’s what reconstructive surgery is for. Just make sure you get a good picture of yourself before you consume these beauties. I would never voluntarily have surgery (terrified of needles), but these babies might be worth it : )
How about I try them and keep my face, ok? I’ll instead let them knock my socks off. Deal.
you’ve done it again Katie! These look delicious! and i love the sprinkles poking through:) so cute!!
Your hair is prettier than Kate Middleton’s!
Aw that’s an adorable story! I hope you don’t get ants though…
These energy bars sound delish, can’t wait to try! I’ll probably add some butter extract if that’s okay, because I find that makes EVERYTHING taste like cake batter!
Definitely love your idea!
I might have to try that, too… Oddly enough, the butter extract I have at home is, according to the company, vegan!
I love cashew butter! I just got some from the nut butter grinding machines at whole foods and it is to die for! I’m glad to find a recipe that uses it.
I made these with chocolate rice crispies and almond butter (all i had) and they were delicious!
I really need to buy myself some sprinkle! I’ve made a few cake batter recipes lately, but it’s just not the same without sprinkle! Don’t you agree??
Omigosh these look so delicious!! And I actually have all the ingredients at home!! Score! I’ve been really on-the-go lately and having to eat more processed bars, so I can’t wait to eat these instead!