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!
Amy Reinink 
Thanks so much for posting this..very generous of you. I have to FIND some of the chia seeds before I can do a recipe..glad to know you found them worth the time and effort to buy and make into bars.
Yeah, a serving of chia seeds do have some 6g of fiber in them, so if you aren’t used to that, use it sparingly!
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Chia seeds are a water absorbing food, when you add the other sugar rich foods like dates then you lessen the ability of the stomach to function efficiently by increasing the amount of acid. If you make these bars for running try small ones first with more water.
Can you substitue the dates with something else?
Absolutely! Any dried fruit with a semi-moist consistency would work. I’d try prunes.