Apple Pie Larabars (No-Added Fat, No-Added Sugar)

To be honest, I'm not a fan of most bars - whether it be Lara, Luna or Cliff (although I prefer the latter). Normally they're too high in sugar and calories and quite low in the protein that I want after an intense workout - plus they rarely taste like the description. Although the sugars are normally natural from dates and the like, its still quite a lot of ingredients for me - and so I've chosen to make my own variations of things that I loved both as a kid and now. This truly tastes like an apple pie - and its very quick to make with no added oils!

(Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup of Homemade Date Paste
• 1 1/2 cups of Old-Fashioned Oats (replace with Walnuts if you wish)
• 1/2 Chunked Green Apple
• 2 tsp of Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of Cardamom and Coriander
• A few Squeezes of Agave Nectar
• Vanilla Rice Protein Powder (optional)

(Directions)

• Place your oats in a blender with your spices, blend but allow some oat pieces to remain whole and then combine with your date paste and agave nectar in a bowl. If it has not come together and stuck, slowly add water to it and then fold in your apples.
• Place into a dish lined with parchment paper and dehydrate at 150 degrees for about 15 min to one hour but do not allow it to become like baked oatmeal.
• Cut into squares, serve and enjoy - add some stevia around top for texture!

Raw Vegan Brownies (Soy-Free, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)

Lately I've been trying a lot more raw vegan foods and recipes to get rid of over-processed sugars and take a short vacation from wheat. It has really been working for me and I'm extremely energetic due to it, which just makes me a bucketload of fun. As for these brownies, you could say that they are more than chockful of nuts - the whole base is made out of nuts and pressed into the tops of each brownie is a delicious coconut flavored almond. It took maybe only three or four hours for these to dehydrate, but it depends on how moist or crisp you want these to be. They're lightly chocolatey but full of coconutty-goodness, and a sprinkle of stevia on top can really make them "pop!"

(Ingredients)

• 5 Softened Dates or Prunes
• 1/2 cup of Coconut Flour
• 1/4 cup of Plain Almonds
• 3 tsp Grated Raw Chocolate (sub cocoa if not fully raw)

(Directions)

• After softening your fruit in warm water, you can process it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Press into a dish lined with parchment paper and dehydrate at 180 degrees for 2-5 hours or until it looks well done. I still like to stick a knife in it to test its "gooeyness" and the edges to see if they are plump or crisp. Press it thinner if you like them a bit on the crisp and chewy side.
• Allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy.