Going gluten free 20 years ago was hard. Getting more protein in our diets to improve blood sugar and control weight was even harder. Many of the protein and meal replacement bars on the market have GMO soy isolates, or pea protein isolates which are difficult for most people to digest and may be compromised by chemical processing. We also were sensitive to dairy, so the whey bars were out.
Once we found a bar our nutritionist approved for occasional snacks, we found they tasted awful. So we started making our own!
With SunPower Bars, you’ll get a whole food source of protein (SunFlour, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds) and the texture is more like that of a fresh-baked good. The bars saved us when travelling or at work or just needing a quick something that would be satisfying. They hold together well in a purse, brief case, or luggage. And, when you can’t find healthy gluten free meal alternatives, they are there – ready to eat. Let us know how they compare to other packaged protein and meal bars you’ve tried!
Baking Tips
Mixing: Mix eggs & sunflower seed butter, peanut butter or nut butter until the clumps of seed or nut butter are thoroughy blended in. Then pour into a bowl of SunPower Bar Mix. Fold together with a spatula until the mix resembles a thick cookie-type dough.
Bar Forming: Drop 5 scoops of SunPower Bar dough, using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Only do 4 bars, if you would prefer even heartier meal-sized bars (3.5 oz, 16g protein, 7g fiber). Next, take a wide-blade knife or metal spatula and square up the sides of the drop so it resembles a rectangle. (It is also OK to skip this step and just bake it like a drop biscuit).
Optional Topping: Lightly sprinkle the top of the bar with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and chocolate chunks as we show on our package. You can also do a final sprinkle of turbinado or coconut sugar if you like a bit more sweet. The SunPower bars are great without the topping, but the topping enhances the overall appetite appeal and texture.
When making SunPower Bites or Power Cookies, we also recommend shaved coconut and a coconut palm sugar/cocoa blend. For those who love nuts, add those too! You can get creative and customize how you top your bars, bites and cookies!
Baking: Bake until tops start to get a slight golden brown. This should be about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Rotate the pan half-way through the baking cycle to even out the baking process.
Cooling: Cool on rack for about 20 minutes before eating.
Storing: Store in baggies in your refrigerator for a few days; or in your freezer for several months. Thaw and eat. No need for re-heating although that is a tasty option too!
