Homemade goodness: try these four energy bar recipes - from cookie dough protein balls to apple crumble bars

Tired of choking back qualms about mass-market energy food, Tom Couzens cracked out the oats and created an entire recipe book of homemade alternatives

Male cyclist adding protein powder to a bowl to make energy bars at home
(Image credit: Future)

Although they’re convenient to use and glitzily marketed, manufactured energy products tend to be expensive as well as, in my experience, artificial tasting and much too sweet. Most of the best energy bars and energy gels come in gaudy packets printed with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients – the chemicals that ensure a long shelf life – and I never feel fully comfortable about putting such things into my body. My solution? Following an intensive few weeks of experimentation in the kitchen during lockdown, I now make all my own bars from scratch – and in this feature I’m going to show you how. It’s much easier than you might think. 

Male cyclist pulling a homemade apple crumble bar out of his cycling jersey pocket on a bike ride

(Image credit: Future)

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