Selfmade Protein Bars (Peanut Butter + Chocolate)
My selfmade protein bars are a no-bake snack made in a meals processor with delicate dates, peanut butter, oat flour, and protein powder. I prime them with chocolate and coarse sea salt for a easy, make-ahead deal with.
For those who love my peanut butter protein balls, you’re going to adore these peanut butter protein bars. I additionally love serving them as a dessert at any time of day.
Why You’ll Love These Selfmade Protein Bars
- No baking: These bars set within the freezer as an alternative of the oven.
- Easy components: Dates, peanut butter, oat flour, honey, vanilla, and protein powder type the bottom.
- Cookie-dough texture: Delicate dates, drippy peanut butter, and honey assist create a combination that holds its form.
- End and retailer: Add the optionally available chocolate topping, then chill or freeze the sliced bars for later.
“Nice bars. I’ve made them 4 or 5 occasions. I like to recommend pitting after which soaking the medjool dates in heat water for 10 minutes, grind up your oats to make flour, switch the flour to a bowl, after which grind up the medjool dates earlier than including the rest. Makes it a lot simpler.” – Josh
Components for Selfmade Protein Bars
- Medjool dates: Be sure your dates are delicate. If they’re arduous or stale, you possibly can soak them in heat water for a couple of minutes to melt.
- All-natural peanut butter: Use a drippy, all-natural peanut butter reminiscent of Smucker’s or Dealer Joe’s model. The thickness of your peanut butter impacts how a lot water the combination wants.
- Honey: Honey provides sweetness and helps bind the bars collectively, so I don’t suggest swapping it for maple syrup or agave on this components.
- Vanilla protein powder: I used whey protein. Different varieties or flavors may match, however protein powders differ in sweetness and consistency.
- Ground oat flour: Floor oat flour is an entire grain and may simply be made by pulverizing oats in a meals processor till flour-like.
- Vanilla extract: Provides nice taste.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
The obvious substitution I could make on this recipe is nut butter. If I can’t do peanuts or don’t have peanut butter, I can attempt cashew butter or almond butter, although the consistency might change.
Whereas I want whey protein powder, different varieties or flavors are choices. Protein powders differ, so a unique powder might change the sweetness or cookie-dough consistency.
If I’m feeling lazy, I can flip these protein bars into protein balls as an alternative. I merely use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the batter into my arms and roll it into balls.
High Suggestions for Selfmade Protein Bars
- Too dry: Add water one tablespoon at a time.
- Too moist: Add extra oat flour.
Elective Chocolate Topping
The optionally available chocolate topping provides chocolate taste and a bit of coarse sea salt to those bars. It must harden earlier than the bars are sliced.
Sure. The chocolate topping is optionally available; the peanut-butter/date bar combination might be pressed into the ready pan and chilled or frozen till agency sufficient to slice. The topping’s chocolate chips, coconut oil, and coarse sea salt aren’t included within the base diet calculation.
Add water one tablespoon at a time and proceed processing till the combination resembles cookie dough and holds its form. The quantity of water can differ relying on how drippy your peanut butter is, so chances are you’ll want much less or greater than the listed 1/4 cup.
Use a drippy, all-natural peanut butter. A thick peanut-butter unfold could make the dough tougher to mix and should change how a lot water it wants.
The present recipe was made with vanilla whey protein powder, and the submit notes that different varieties or flavors can be utilized. As a result of protein powders differ, the sweetness and cookie-dough consistency might change; regulate the water progressively relatively than including it all of sudden.
Retailer sliced bars in an hermetic container or gallon-size bag within the fridge for as much as 7 days, or freeze them for as much as 3 months.
Use a 9×9-inch parchment-lined pan for thicker bars or a 9×13-inch pan for thinner bars. Different pan sizes can work too; the pan measurement adjustments the bar thickness and yield/form.
As soon as your protein bars have been sliced and the chocolate has hardened, switch them into an hermetic container or gallon-size plastic bag and retailer them within the fridge for as much as 7 days.
I truly want to retailer selfmade protein bars within the freezer as a result of they last more.
Switch sliced bars right into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag and freeze for as much as 3 months.
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Line a 9×9-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Use a 9×9-inch pan for thicker bars or a 9×13-inch pan for thinner bars; different pan sizes work too, however they alter the bar thickness and form.
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Place the Medjool dates, peanut butter, oat flour, honey, vanilla extract, and protein powder right into a high-speed meals processor.
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Course of on excessive for 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape the edges as wanted.
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Add water by the tablespoon and proceed to course of on excessive till the dates have disappeared into the dough and the combination resembles cookie dough that holds its form. The listed 1/4 cup of water is variable relying on how drippy your peanut butter is, so chances are you’ll want much less or extra.
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Press the dough evenly into the ready pan.
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Put together the chocolate topping by putting the darkish chocolate chips and coconut oil right into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between increments, till melted and easy.
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Pour the chocolate topping over the protein bars and use a spatula to unfold it evenly. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
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Place the bars within the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or till the chocolate has totally hardened. Slice the bars as soon as set.
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Retailer sliced bars within the fridge for as much as 7 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months.
- This recipe was up to date on January 16, 2021. Click HERE for the unique recipe.
- Medjool Dates: Be sure your Medjool dates are delicate or they won’t break down. In case your dates are arduous, you possibly can soak them in scorching water to melt them.
- Peanut butter: The peanut butter I used was very drippy. I counsel utilizing the next manufacturers: Kirkland, Smucker’s All-Pure, or Good and Collect All Pure.
- Diet info doesn’t embrace chocolate topping.
- Use a good food processor: This needs to be my #1 tip. A high-speed meals processor is so necessary for not solely pulverizing your dates however combining all your components right into a easy consistency.
- Any measurement pan works: Since these are no-bake protein bars, you should utilize any measurement pan. Use a sq. pan and even 2 loaf pans. You may minimize your bars smaller, longer, thicker, and many others. The pan measurement adjustments the bar thickness and form.
- Consistency is essential: All mentioned and performed, you’re seeking to get a cookie-dough-like consistency out of your batter. That is why this recipe requires drippy peanut butter and honey. They are going to assist your components stick.
- Too dry: Add extra water.
- Too moist: Add extra oat flour.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”3hePpiZF” upload-date=”2021-01-17T00:00:00.000Z” name=”Peanut Butter Protein Bars” description=”This delicious peanut butter protein bar recipe pack in protein, fiber, and flavor. The kids will love these homemade protein bars!”]
Energy: 199 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 6 g, Fats: 8 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g
Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.