simplehiker

Not long ago I posted about about Trailblaze Energy Bar Mix well and after a few emails to the Matisse & Jack’s crew I was able to Yogi two boxes from them to do some personal taste testing. Aimless and I decided to take a batch of the Chocolate Chip on our Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore trip a few weeks ago.

Our adventure started out in simplehiker kitchen following the simple recipie on the side of the box which involves 3 steps..
1- Add yogurt or apple sauce to mix
2- Bake at 350 for 30 min
3- Cut into bars

Amy want to make sure for public record what her shirt said.

This is the mix ready to go in the oven in a 9.5 X 6.5 pan as opposed to the 8×8 suggested in the directions.

The results are pretty delicious. We cut these up into 8 bars and then put them in snack size plastic baggies. As you can see the bars are more like a thick hearty muffin then the consistency of a Power or Cliff bar. I my opinion that is a good thing, does anyone actually like the rubber consistency of a Power Bar? They hold up fairly well in the pack but can not be treated nearly as brutally as a most energy bars which can be stuff into a pocked then bended or smushed back into bar form. They made a great breakfast food and snack on the PIRO hike. A big difference you experience when eating a trailblaze bar is the moistness compared to eating a energy bar where you have to drink a lot of water to get the food to all go down. On hot days I was really more excited to eat the trailblaze bar then choke down a traditional bar. I do not think these cheaper yet gourmet bars will replace Power/Cliff/Luna bars for everyone. This is definitely a slower paced food, If you are doing any speed based endurance sports these are a bit too delicate, you will want to stick with your rubber bars and goos. As a leisurely hiker I am grateful to have an alternative food that is not based on someone who is eating and running at the same time. I am also very happy with the price and the option of a quality vegetarian / vegan product.
As a side note I wouldn’t pigeon hole this product to your hiking food box. Recently when on flight to Florida and the attendant threw me a bag of small hard pretzels I really wish I had baked up my other box of trailblaze bars to take with me on the plane.

As a post script my editor (Amy) wanted to make note that she prefered the flax seeds to be ground so they do not stick in her teeth :O

+Positives+
Price
Veg*n
Taste

-Negatives-
Durability
Limited Availability
Stays fresh for 5 days

So give them a try and tell them simplehiker.com sent you.

Matisse and Jacks Homemade Energy Bars
Trailblaze Bars FAQ

License

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