{"id":34382,"title":"Homemade energy bars for cyclists","description":"If you\u2019re looking for low-cost but tasty energy bars for cycling then why not try our homemade no-bake recipe? \nAt less than 10p per energy bar and a preparation time of under 10 minutes, they\u2019ll keep you fuelled without needing to raid the piggy bank.","content":"<p><strong>Published in<\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Roboto, sans-serif;\">: <\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/explore\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><span style=\"font-family:Roboto, sans-serif;\">RIDES &amp; MORE<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/use-of-cookies-and-disclaimer\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>How we use cookies on the Rijden website<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p>If you\u2019re looking for low-cost but tasty energy bars for cycling, then why not try our no-bake recipe?<\/p><p>At less than 10p per energy bar and a preparation time of under 10 minutes, they\u2019ll keep you fuelled without needing to raid the piggy bank.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/gkkyobnf1fcdetz4tsoekkndt6mcpyg7uwwpyspxgpskknl5.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Homemade no bake energy bars for cyclists\" title=\"Homemade no bake energy bars for cyclists\" \/>I am to cooking as Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d is to bike handling. OK, so maybe that\u2019s a bit harsh on Primo\u017e as he surely can\u2019t be as bad as my cooking, but he does have an unfortunate habit of crashing.<\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/keep-in-touch\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/a3p4eg8rzulmggshdzxaliih3dbk1e66q09ldpjmpox9jvuh.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Subscribe to Rijden's free email newsletter\" title=\"Subscribe to Rijden's free email newsletter\" \/><\/u><\/a>It\u2019s possibly because I\u2019m married to a first-class cook whose only challenger for the title of \u2018best in class\u2019 is our son. It\u2019s also probably because, unlike them, I have no interest in cooking. A great eater? Yes! But a chef? No.<\/p><p>When I set upon the idea of making energy bars for cycling, there were three criteria:<\/p><ul><li><p>They had to be easy to make, ideally without any real cooking.<\/p><\/li><li><p>They had to be tasty.<\/p><\/li><li><p>They had to be low-cost.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><hr \/><h2 style=\"text-align:center;\">Homemade energy bars for cycling<\/h2><p>I rarely take anything to eat with me when I go cycling. For rides up to four hours, I rely upon energy drinks.<\/p><p>It\u2019s cyclocross that is, for me, more of a challenge. I want something that provides energy when there\u2019s been a long gap since breakfast, is easy to digest and can double as a post-race snack.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/yld7nvhbrj65txxcg66vawrwomvo4nbop4nfmcto070mcv1l.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Ingredients for no bake energy bar for cycling\" title=\"Ingredients for no bake energy bar for cycling\" \/><em>What you\u2019ll need to make the energy bars<\/em><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Why make energy bars for cycling?<\/h3><p>I\u2019ve tried buying energy bars, but not only are they now very expensive, but I\u2019ve never really found one I enjoyed. I\u2019ve been looking for something moist that won\u2019t melt when it gets warm and is not too sweet.<\/p><hr \/><p><strong>ABOUT RIJDEN<\/strong><span style=\"font-family:Roboto, sans-serif;\">: <\/span><em>Rijden grew from a passion for Flemish-style cycle racing. We're a UK independent that publishes this free online cycling magazine and creates sustainable gifts for cyclists. Read <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/about-rijden\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>more about Rijden<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p><hr \/><p>I decided that if I made my own energy bars, not only could I make them to my taste, but I\u2019d be certain what was going into them.<\/p><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">How easy are these energy bars to make?<\/h3><p>If I can make them, then they must be very easy to make. I can produce a batch in under ten minutes, except when I discover I\u2019ve run out of the ingredients and I have to plead with the head chef to borrow some of hers.<\/p><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">What do they taste like?<\/h3><p>Although the ingredients include peanut butter, it\u2019s the banana taste that is the strongest, but it\u2019s quite subtle. Personally, I enjoy the taste and texture and have to avoid the temptation to eat them before I really need them.<\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/gift-ideas-for-cyclists\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/wffmmwyc2iufv2hrqh4ryai7kapijlmcpucxo4rgpov0s9ip.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"Cycling gifts by Rijden for cycling fans\" title=\"Cycling gifts by Rijden for cycling fans\" \/><\/u><\/a>You can add whatever ingredients you like to add a different zest, for example, dried cherry or even some lemon peel would be interesting to try. I don\u2019t recommend chocolate because it has a nasty habit of melting.<\/p><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">What ingredients do you need?<\/h3><p>The main ingredient is porridge oats. Given that I have porridge for breakfast every day, I always have a ready supply. You\u2019ll also need bananas, clear honey and peanut butter. I always add some other form of nuts or seeds, such as sunflowers or almonds, but these are optional.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/ehxdj2x4ouchmyzrehudjwwhh9o5cwslibpi02jzznwdm5ql.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Low cost energy bars containing honey and peanut butter\" title=\"Low cost energy bars containing honey and peanut butter\" \/><em>Melt the honey and peanut butter in a microwave<\/em><\/p><p>I\u2019m a big fan of almonds as they are high in Magnesium and Iron as well as being wonderfully crunchy. You can read about the importance of Magnesium to cyclists in this <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/blog\/review-magnesium-gel\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>article about Magnesium Gel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p><p>Here are the ingredients you\u2019ll need for one batch of no-bake energy bars. You\u2019ll note that I don\u2019t bother with fancy things like ounces or grams. I just work on ratios. If I want to create a double batch, I just double up on the measures.<\/p><ul><li><p>One and a half cups of porridge oats.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Two \u201d medium-sized\u201d bananas - it\u2019s OK, I don\u2019t know what a medium banana is either.<\/p><\/li><li><p>A quarter of a cup of peanut butter.<\/p><\/li><li><p>A quarter of a cup of clear honey.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Optionally, nuts, seeds or maybe dried fruit.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Instructions<\/h3><p>Right, let\u2019s get no baking. Follow these easy instructions and hopefully, you\u2019ll have some low-cost, tasty energy bars.<\/p><ul><li><p>1. Place the peeled bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them up using a fork. Make sure you get rid of all the lumps. You\u2019re aiming for a velodrome smooth finish, not a Paris-Roubaix impression.<\/p><\/li><li><p>2. Add in the porridge and keep stirring until it\u2019s all mixed up. You can stop when all of the porridge flakes have morphed with the bananas.<\/p><\/li><li><p>3. Now comes the critical part. You need to add the honey and peanut butter. Add too much peanut, then it\u2019ll be thick but not very moist. Add too much honey, and it\u2019ll be moist but too runny to ever set properly. I usually have a bit more peanut butter than honey, but it depends on which peanut butter you use. Heat the peanut butter and honey for one minute in a microwave, then mix before stirring into the porridge.<\/p><\/li><li><p>4. Keep mixing the mash and add any other ingredients such as nuts and seeds.<\/p><\/li><li><p>5. Lay some parchment paper on a flat surface.<\/p><\/li><li><p>6. Scoop out the mixture onto the parchment and make it into an evenly thick rectangle. A spatula is good for this.<\/p><\/li><li><p>7. Cover over the top with the parchment paper and place in the fridge.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/vrl5pr7x2k6xyxqup6lv58fctw41kynj995vxrsc4aw4jqft.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"A batch of high energy bars for cyclists\" title=\"A batch of high energy bars for cyclists\" \/><em>Another batch ready for the fridge<\/em><\/p><p>That\u2019s it. The job is done. You\u2019ll need to leave it in the fridge for a few hours. I always make it at least the day before I want to use it.<\/p><p>When the batch has suitably hardened, I chop it up into small bars. I just wrap them in aluminium foil for transportation to races.<\/p><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">How long do they last?<\/h3><p>The original recipe that these energy bars are based upon suggests that they\u2019ll last for a month in the fridge, longer if frozen. I can never get them to last longer than a week because I\u2019ve eaten them all.<\/p><p>I find they\u2019re the ideal snack before a lunchtime, later afternoon or evening training session. What I have found is that the longer they are left, the more solid they are, which is better if you\u2019re planning to stick them in a jersey pocket wrapped in foil.<\/p><hr \/><p><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong><em> Find <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/explore\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>places to ride in Belgium and beyond, places to visit and more<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/explore\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4tzibxx3mwwodlc6ygyuqbcvqaekwxaio95s6x2vexec0ijl.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"Find more articles about cycling rides, places to visit and more.\" title=\"Find more articles about cycling rides, places to visit and more.\" \/><\/u><\/a><\/p><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">How much do they cost?<\/h3><p>Obviously, it depends on how much you pay for your ingredients, but to give you an idea, I\u2019ve based my prices on Aldi.<\/p><ul><li><p>Honey 19p - based on Aldi Everyday Essentials Clear Honey.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Peanut Butter 27p - based on Grandessa Crunchy Peanut Butter.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Bananas 32p - based on Aldi Nature's Pick.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Porridge Oats 17p - based on Aldi Everyday Essentials.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p>That\u2019s a grand total of 95p for a batch of energy bars. Each batch easily makes nine bars, giving a price per bar of very roughly 10p each. I think that\u2019s good value for very little effort.<\/p><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Nutritional information<\/h3><p>Assuming you split your batch up into nine equal segments, then each one should contain:<\/p><ul><li><p>680 Kjoules of energy<\/p><\/li><li><p>6 grams of fat<\/p><\/li><li><p>5 grams of protein<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p>That\u2019s not dissimilar to a High 5 Energy bar, which costs approximately \u00a31.60 each.<\/p><p>The recipe is suitable for vegetarians but not vegans, and it contains nuts.<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>4 December 2023, Tim Costello.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>All images and text are the copyright of Rijden unless stated otherwise.<\/em><\/p><hr \/><h2 style=\"text-align:center;\"><strong>NEVER MISS OUT<\/strong><\/h2><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/keep-in-touch\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>SUBSCRIBE<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<em>to get all our latest stories and news. We won't bombard you with special offers. We don't want to send you junk, and you don't want to receive it.<\/em><\/p><p><em>We run occasional free competitions for newsletter subscribers<\/em><\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/keep-in-touch\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><img src=\"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ywvcordmssf9zizzndnrthkvqmfh0osoqkkzr0d4tgfpo2qk.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Image link to the Keep in Touch page where you can subscribe to receive regular email newsletters from Rijden.\" title=\"Image link to the Keep in Touch page where you can subscribe to receive regular email newsletters from Rijden.\" \/><\/u><\/a><\/p>","urlTitle":"homemade-energy-bars-for-cyclists","url":"\/blog\/homemade-energy-bars-for-cyclists\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/homemade-energy-bars-for-cyclists\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/rijden.uk\/blog\/homemade-energy-bars-for-cyclists\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1701697036,"updatedAt":1773675893,"publishedAt":1773675892,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":61205,"name":"Rijden_2"},"tags":[{"id":1874,"code":"guides","name":"Guides","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/guides\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/aia4mmwkohggy7geandpdjatdycgsqqjmo5yoarrfdwxpuis.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/aia4mmwkohggy7geandpdjatdycgsqqjmo5yoarrfdwxpuis.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/aia4mmwkohggy7geandpdjatdycgsqqjmo5yoarrfdwxpuis.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Homemade energy bars for cyclists | Rijden","metaDescription":"If you\u2019re looking for low-cost but tasty energy bars for cycling then why not try our no-bake recipe?  They're easy to make and cost under 10p each.","keyPhraseCampaignId":29612,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":9561,"title":"Guide to Belgian beer","url":"\/blog\/beer-guide-part-2\/","urlTitle":"beer-guide-part-2","division":61205,"description":"Here at Rijden, we love Belgian beer. There's not much better than settling down to watch one of cycling's Spring classics or a top cyclocross race with a Belgian beer in hand. In this article, we describe the different types of Belgian beer.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/utk2mdpa3ebapxomtdmcqm9xze7zpfjpxgzd2ysbsverygri.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/utk2mdpa3ebapxomtdmcqm9xze7zpfjpxgzd2ysbsverygri.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":11805,"title":"Our guide to the wine regions of the Tour de France","url":"\/blog\/wine-guide-to-le-tour\/","urlTitle":"wine-guide-to-le-tour","division":61205,"description":"Our guide to the wine regions of the 2021 Tour de France","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/64pponsah42jmom1uv2mtrkbfarx5vemcowe7qbdhs3f8dlg.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/64pponsah42jmom1uv2mtrkbfarx5vemcowe7qbdhs3f8dlg.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":18771,"title":"Review: BetterYou Magnesium Gel","url":"\/blog\/review-magnesium-gel\/","urlTitle":"review-magnesium-gel","division":61205,"description":"BetterYou Magnesium has been a life-changer in terms of my health and cycling performance. Find out why Magnesium might be your missing ingredient for cycling success. \nIn this review of Magnesium Gel I\u2019ll explain why Magnesium is so important to athletic success and health as well as some of the symptoms of Magnesium deficiency and why I always use BetterYou Magnesium Gel.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/tegvgx23lwqzxpcqrdfo52ajrcb27oxprutmhxtnkwgehmw3.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/tegvgx23lwqzxpcqrdfo52ajrcb27oxprutmhxtnkwgehmw3.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}