Fuelling Up for Cycling - Vegan (no bake) Flapjacks




 

The San Fairy Ann Inters + club ride.
 



Fuel for Cycling – Vegan Friendly and Gluten Free Energy Flap Jacks.

While stopping on a bike ride, Dad brought a flap jack and told me it tasted better than my homemade ones! So I had to get baking again…

With Ride 100 coming up, I’m trying new ways to keep my energy levels up during cycles. While gels, jelly babies and bananas are fine, over 100 miles I’m going to need something slightly more substantial. I struggle to eat on the bike, some people can tuck into a sandwich quite easily. Sports bars are good but in essence are just expensive flapjacks. So I tried to make some healthy nutritious versions of my own. I use coconut oil when cooking, coconut oil is rich in Lauric acid, a medium-chain triglyceride. This is a type of fatty acid which studies have shown have many health benefits. This chain of fatty acids is easily digested by the body, which uses it as a form of direct energy  (just like carbohydrates), unlike oils that are made of long chain fatty acids, which are more likely to be stored as fat. Some studies suggest it speeds up your metabolism and can improve endurance. Coconut oil is also a powerful antioxidant and a good alternative for butter as it is Vegan friendly!

Our oven is also currently out of use, so I experimented with this no bake recipe! Using nuts and seeds for proteins and healthy fats, the sweetness from the bananas, honey and dried fruit will also provide instant energy. The oats are low in GI (meaning their energy will be released slowly preventing that sugar dip).

 

Here’s my recipe (you can vary it with different dried fruits and nuts – apricots, figs, cherries, almonds).  Let me know if you try it J

Serves about 20 smallish squares;

1. Whizz the following ingredients in a blender;

3 Soft bananas

1 ½ tbs Organic Coconut oil

1 ½ tbs Organic Tahini paste

½ Cup of raisons

½  Cup of dark chocolate chips

3-4tbs Organic Honey

 

2. Place these ingredients in a bowl;

200g Gluten Free Oats or Jumbo Organic Oats

2tbs Pumpkin seeds

2tbs Flax seeds

Large handful of chopped walnuts

Teaspoon of cinnamon

Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence

 

3. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and mix, place in a baking tray.

4. Use a potato masher and mash into the tray, place in fridge for 12 hours and serve. 

5. Keep the flap jack refrigerated for as long as possible, once the coconut oil reaches over 23 degrees Celsius it starts to melt which makes them a bit gooey.