Runner-friendly recipe: Chia bars

Chia seeds: I’m back. And look out, because this time, I brought my food processor.

After getting lots of tips from readers and fellow runners (thanks, guys!), I decided my next two attempts at enjoying these weird little seeds would involve smoothies and energy bars. So yesterday, I got out my food processor and my chia seeds, and tried the latter.

My bag of pesky chia seeds.

Matt at No Meat Athlete provided this tasty-looking recipe to avoid the “little globs of chia snot” in chia fresca. Also, Nina at Transition Multisport suggested a few bar and cookie ideas in her comments on my chia post earlier this week. I worked with what I had in my cupboard and basically just added the seeds to my own homemade Larabar recipe. Here’s how I did it:

Combine two tablespoons of almonds or cashews, dried cherries and chia seeds, plus five or six dates, in a food processor. Grind into a meal-like consistency. Form into bars. Freeze for a firmer consistency.

Ingredients in my yummy, homemade chia-Larabars.

I’m pleased to report that these were a major success, taste-bud-wise! Chia seeds almost taste like poppy seeds when they’re mingling with their nutty, fruity friends. The bad news: I had a bit of a stomach disaster while running last night—though it’s not clear whether the chia seeds were to blame, or if this was an unhappy coincidence. Next up: a chia-oatmeal “cookie,” with only stomach-friendly ingredients, so I can figure out once and for all whether chia seeds are my friend or foe.

Does this look tasty, or what?

Do you have a tasty bar, cookie or smoothie recipe that incorporates chia seeds? My food processor and I want to hear them!