Finding the right type of fuel is crucial for any cyclist to keep our energy up while pedaling. That’s why we’ve prepared two flapjack recipes, specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of cyclists when we’re on the road. Full of carbs, some protein and fiber, not too much fat. We’ve got two versions – one oven-baked and one no-bake – of these delicious energy bars with easily accessible ingredients. All you need is a mixer with a chopper attachment or a food processor, a large bowl and a 25 cm x 18 cm oven-safe baking pan. Preparation time: about 10-15 minutes for the no-bake recipe and an hour or so for the oven-baked version. Enjoy your own homemade flapjack cycling snack version. Let’s get to it!
Oven-baked flapjack
Ingredients:
- 4 small or 3 large bananas
- 240 g skimmed milk (or any other type of animal and vegetable milk)
- Dash of vanilla
- 50 g honey
- 50 g unsweetened peanut butter (you can use any other type of nut butter)
- 10 g salt
- 400 g oat flour (if you don’t have oat flour, you can make it by grinding oat flakes or by using instant oats)
- 100 g chocolate with 70% cocoa content (this is optional, if you are riding in very hot weather, we do not recommend using chocolate)
Instructions:
Put the bananas in a food processor and mash them. You can also mash them with a fork in the bowl. Add the milk, vanilla and salt. Mix everything until it is well blended. Melt the honey and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Do this in 10-second rounds, stirring with a spoon. Add the honey and melted peanut butter to the previous mixture and mix well.
Add the oats in 2-3 batches and mix (by hand or using a food processor) until you get a texture like the one in the video. If it is too runny, add more oats. If it is too thick, add more milk.
Pour the mixture into the greased 25 cm x 18 cm baking pan, spread it evenly and bake at 170 °C for 40-50 minutes. They will be ready when the top is slightly toasted. Do not overbake as they will get too hard, difficult to chew and swallow when you’re on the bike.
Melt the 100 g of chocolate in the microwave in 20-second rounds. When it is well melted, pour the mixture over the dough and spread it evenly. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, cut into portions. This recipe yields about 12 flapjacks. You can store them in the baking pan or individually wrapped in aluminum foil. They will last 10-15 days in the refrigerator, although you can also freeze them and defrost them as needed.
Nutrition information:
- Total calories / per serving: 2815 kcal / 234 kcal
- Total carbs / per serving: 414 g / 34.5 g
- Total protein / per serving: 78 g / 6.5 g
- Total fat / per serving: 92 g / 7.6 g
- Total fiber / per serving: 24.2 g / 2 g
- Total salt / per serving: 10.21 g / 0.85 g
No-bake flapjack
Ingredients:
- 200 g pitted dates
- 50 g honey
- 25 g unsweetened peanut butter (you can use another type of nut butter)
- 25 g coconut oil (you can use regular butter)
- 10 g salt
- 200 g instant oats
- 70 g chocolate with 70% cocoa content (this is optional, if you are riding in very hot weather, we do not recommend using chocolate)
Instructions:
Put the pitted dates in the chopper and grind until a compact paste is formed. Add the oats and salt. Grind again until the mixture begins to blend. Melt the honey and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Do this in 10-second rounds, stirring with a spoon. When melted, add the coconut oil (it will melt in contact with the warm honey and peanut butter). Add to the previous mixture and mash well all the ingredients. The batter should be slightly sticky, but manageable.
Place the batter in the greased 25 cm x 18 cm baking pan and spread it evenly, pressing lightly. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second rounds. When melted, pour it over the batter and spread evenly. Place the baking pan in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, cut into portions. This recipe yields about 12 flapjacks. You can store them in the baking pan or individually wrapped in aluminum foil.
Nutrition information:
- Total calories / per serving: 2271 kcal / 189 kcal
- Total carbs / per serving: 324 g / 27 g
- Total protein / per serving: 45 g / 3.7 g
- Total fat / per serving: 81 g / 6.7 g
- Total fiber / per serving: 32.6 g / 2.72 g
- Total salt / per serving: 10 g / 0.83 g
As you can see, we have modified the “original” recipe to adapt it to cyclists’ needs and get rid of everything we don’t need or that may cause problems during the ride. You too can customize these recipes according to your preferences and nutritional needs. If you sweat a lot, add a little more salt. If you have a nut allergy, add more honey and substitute nut butter with coconut oil, tahini or another type of butter. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients to find your perfect combination and the flavor you like best.
