Strawberry Puffed Millet Bars (Vegan, Nut-Free, GF)

Get your instant energy boost with these straightforward-to-make lemon & strawberry puffed millet bars! They are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free and made without baking.

No-Bake Strawberry Energy Bars

I have not posted an energy bar for awhile. Also, I have not cleaned out my pantry for awhile. The latter led to my discovery of a package of freeze-dried strawberries that had been pushed to the back of a shelf (I believe I blamed someone for eating them. Oops, and sorry), as well as an open bag of millet puffs that were begging to be used up.

These facts, as well as a few other ingredients, added up to this wholly satisfying energy bar! It is loaded with the freeze-dried strawberries and millet puffs, as well as an ample amount of lemon zest, equaling a bar that is as summery as can be.

Use Millet Puffs in Place of Crispy Rice

The millet puffs, which look like tiny, hull-less popcorn, are the foundation of these bars. Millet is a tiny, gluten-free grain that resembles couscous. It is high in fiber, as well as a host of minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) and other nutrients.

Millet can be cooked whole, like rice or a porridge (depending on the amount of water added), ground into flour, or puffed, just like puffed wheat or puffed rice. You can find puffed millet in the health food section of grocery stores or at natural food stores. Look for it in bags (Arrowhead Mills is the most common brand).

Sunflower Seed Butter for Nut-Free Bars

The light, delicate texture of the puffs, combined with a plain concoction of sunflower nut butter (yes, these are nut-free, too!) and brown rice syrup, a bit of lemon juice and a wallop of lemon zest, creates a chewy bar (similar to rice crispy treats–yes, please), but with a bright, citrus flavor.

I like to stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds to the mix, too, for both crunch and nutrition, but they are entirely optional. You could also substitute finely chopped nuts, or another type of seed.

Freeze-Dried Strawberries Add Instant Fruit Flavor

Last, but not least, the strawberries! Freeze-dried strawberries are ideal for bars, cookies and muffins, adding intense berry flavor without moisture. For these bars, I find that it is reliable to stir them in halfway through combining the cereal and the sunflower butter mixtures; it keeps their texture and form distinct and prevents them from breaking down in the warm sunflower mixture.

You can crumble the strawberries into bits, as I have done, or crush them into a powder for a more uniform (pink) color and strawberry flavor throughout.

I should note that maple syrup will not work in place of the brown rice syrup in these bars. Bywill not work, I mean that the bars will not hold together. It’s a sugar thing. Honey (if not vegan) or organic corn syrup are the only other options for these particular bars.I have a lot of other power bar recipes, with all kinds of options for sweeteners and ingredients, if these do not suit your needs!

These bars travel very well, great for all kinds of summer activities. We are off to pick blueberries in the morning (in near 10o degree heat); I’ll definitely pack some of these, along with plenty of water.

Happy weekend everyone, and here’s to more power to you!

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