I’m sharing a super delicious and healthy homemade peanut butter protein bars recipe! Perfect for preparing on-the-go meals and snacks. Plus, they are gluten and dairy free.
Hey! How are you? I hope you’re having a great week! With so much going on around here, this week seems to fly by. Between work and things with the kids, my days have been especially hectic, so I’ve opted for quick and easy meals and snacks. Which brings me to today’s post.
How about a small protein bar with your morning coffee?
I love protein bars as an on-the-go snack because they are healthy but delicious. At the same time, I typically don’t love the ingredients in many store-bought protein bars. My best bars right now are these. good! gate (which are impossible to find; Sprouts usually has them), alohaand the whole grain chocolate bars.
Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
While it is possible to find delicious ones with good ingredients, they can also be a bit pricey! On the other hand, making them at home is very easy, much less expensive, and they don’t require much time or cooking or baking skills. Peanut butter is one of the most popular ingredients used in protein bars (and one of my favorite flavors!), so today I’m sharing a peanut butter protein bar recipe* that you can make anytime .
*You can also make fun and delicious peanut butter protein balls using this recipe!
What is a protein bar for?
A quick snack when you don’t have time for a full meal.
Sometimes it’s crowded and rather than skipping a meal because you don’t have time to prepare a full meal, I prefer to rely on convenience. If they are ready in the refrigerator, you can enjoy them along with a hard-boiled egg or an apple; It’s perfect if you don’t have time to cook anything. Is it a substitute for a real meal? No! But it can give you extra fuel and nutrients when you’re short on time and in a hurry.
to travel
I love to wrap up a homemade protein bar and keep it in my bag when we travel, along with the usual suspects: beef jerky, tea, an apple, some chocolate, packets of LMNT, trail mix, and a bag of tuna. I can never find any of my favorite protein bars at the airport, so it’s nice to have one on hand that you know you like.
Post-workout fuel
They are great if you are going to the gym and then have to go straight to an appointment or back to work. As a pre- or post-workout snack, these homemade protein bars give you a burst of protein, carbs, and healthy fats—plus they’re portable and mess-free. 😉
Late night snacks
Despite what you may have heard, it is not harmful to eat before bed if it is macro-balanced. Sometimes, if you’re hungry, you may need some protein and carbohydrates to prevent a glucose drop overnight, making it difficult to sleep. Just make sure it’s balanced and not too sugary, which makes these bars a great option. My other favorite bedtime snacks include hard-boiled eggs and some fruit, yogurt with grain-free granola, and deli meat rolls with hummus.
Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- Vanilla or chocolate peas, brown rice, or whey protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
- Peanut butter (feel free to substitute almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or other nut butter)
- Oatmeal
- Maple syrup
- Mini milk or dark chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
- vanilla extract
- sea ​​salt
- Monk fruit (*optional, but I like that it is naturally sweetened, not artificially flavored)
How to make peanut butter protein bars
Step one
Grind the oats into flour in a high-speed blender or food processor. You can turn them into a fine flour or leave them with a little more texture, depending on your preference.
Step two
Add the oats to a bowl, along with the chocolate or vanilla protein powder and sea salt, then mix well.
Step three
In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter. If you want it to be less sweet, use mostly almond milk instead of maple syrup. This also depends on the sweetness of the protein powder.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and then add the mini chocolate chips.
Step four
Spread the mixture into a 9×9 baking pan lined with parchment paper and place in the refrigerator to set slightly.
Step five
Mix the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until melted.
Step six
Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and place them back in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes.
Step seven
Remove from the refrigerator and cut into bars. Keep it stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
A healthy and delicious snack recipe that you can prepare in advance to enjoy throughout the week.
1 large tablespoons (70g) vanilla or chocolate protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
3 ounces peanut butter
80g oats (about 1 cup) ground into flour
3 ounces maple syrup
1 ounce almond milk or water
2 ounces mini chocolate chips (plus one extra 2 ounces to spray)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
Monk fruit (*optional)
Step one
Grind the oats into flour in a high-speed blender or food processor. You can turn them into a fine flour or leave them with a little more texture, depending on your preference.
Step two
Add the oats to a bowl, along with the protein powder, sea salt and mix well.
Step three
In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and then add the mini chocolate chips.
Step four
Spread the mixture into a parchment-lined 9×9 baking dish and place in the refrigerator to set slightly.
Step five
Mix the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until melted.
Step six
Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and place them back in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes.
Step seven
Remove from the refrigerator and cut into bars. Keep it stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
Grades
If your protein powder is sweet, use more almond milk and less maple syrup to hold them together. If your protein powder is not sweet, add maple syrup and a little monk fruit and stevia according to your preference.
How long do homemade protein bars last?
Most homemade protein bars will last 1 to 2 weeks if you store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To make them last longer, you can also store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Are you going to make these?
Please tell me how they turned out!!
xo
gina
More of my favorite staples for making healthy meals and snacks:
buffalo chicken dip
Homemade Sous Vide Egg Bites
Chocolate protein bars
5 recipes for preparing meals rich in protein
Curried chickpea salad
Easy Meal Planning for Busy Moms
