These are for cyclists and long-course endurance athletes who want a real-food alternative to gels on rides over 90 minutes. The trick is the blend of glucose (from rice syrup and raisins) and fructose (from dates and honey) in roughly a 2:1 ratio, which lets your gut absorb more total carbohydrate per hour than glucose alone and tends to sit more comfortably. Eat one bite every 20-30 minutes once you’re past the first hour, with a few sips of water.
Serves 10 · Time 25 min · Style Endurance
Ingredients
- 150 g pitted soft dates (about 8-9 Medjool)
- 100 g raisins
- 120 g rice malt syrup (brown rice syrup)
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 200 g rolled oats
- 30 g puffed rice cereal
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp water, if needed
Method
- Line a 20 cm square tin or a shallow container with baking paper, leaving an overhang so you can lift the slab out later.
- Put the dates and raisins in a food processor and blitz to a sticky paste. If the mixture is stiff, add the tablespoon of water and blitz again.
- Warm the rice malt syrup, honey, peanut butter and salt in a small pan over low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until loose and pourable. Do not let it boil.
- Tip the oats and puffed rice into a large bowl. Add the date-raisin paste and the warm syrup mixture.
- Mix firmly with a spatula, then with clean damp hands, until everything clumps into a uniform, sticky dough with no dry pockets.
- Press the mixture hard and evenly into the lined tin; the firmer you pack it, the better the bites hold together.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set, then lift out and cut into 10 bars or 20 small squares (count two squares as one serving).
- Wrap each portion individually so they’re ride-pocket ready.
Nutrition per serving
| Energy | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 203 kcal | 4 g | 40 g | 3 g | 3 g |
Dietitian’s tip
The glucose-fructose combination matters most when you’re aiming above roughly 60 g of carbohydrate an hour: mixing the two sugar types uses separate intestinal transporters, so you absorb more and reduce the GI upset that high single-source carb intake can cause. Build your gut up to it in training rather than trying it for the first time on race day. The bites keep for a week in the fridge or up to two months frozen, so make a double batch and stash them.
General guidance, not individual medical advice. For personalised nutrition, see a registered dietitian.