Best Peanut Butter Protein Bars
This No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars Recipe has quickly become one of my all-time favourites. They are hands-down the best protein bars that I have made so far.
They taste crunchy and chewy at the same time and are chocolaty without being overly sweet. If you choose gluten-free oats and protein powder they can also be made gluten-free. These are handy little workout snacks that are easy to carry around.
If you prefer energy balls make sure to check out my No Bake Almond & Turmeric Energy Balls.
Homemade protein bars are much cheaper than the shop-bought ones, plus, you get full control over what goes into them.
I have handed some out in my gym and everyone loved them and kept coming back for more. Maybe I should have kept the recipe to myself and started to produce them commercially?
Just kidding, of course, will I share my Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe with you.
Peanut Butter Protein Bars Recipe
The recipe itself is really versatile, you don’t need to use the exact same ingredients as long as you stick to the measurements.
I have made them with crunchy peanut butter, smooth peanut butter, almond butter and every single one tasted just great. So, feel free to use your favourite nut butter.
When it comes to protein powder the same principle applies, choose the one that you like best.
My favourite protein powder for baking or to make sweet treats is Nuzest Clean Lean Rich Chocolate Protein Powder. It is 100% natural and contains no artificial sweeteners, sugars or preservatives. Plus, it is free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMO, lectin, egg, peanut, sesame and mustard.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of protein you can check out my article The Importance Of Workout Nutrition & What To Eat And When.
Protein powder can be quite versatile, you don’t need to drink it as a simple shake. You can change things up by making Raspberry Ripple Protein Popsicles, Apple & Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal With Natural Protein or a Protein Hot Chocolate With Orange.
I like using cacao nibs in my protein bars but if you prefer your Peanut Butter Protein Bars to be more decadent go ahead and add dark chocolate chips.
Just get creative.
How to make Protein Bars
The process of making peanut butter protein bars is fairly simple and doesn’t require any fancy equipment. While having a blender or food processor is handy it’s not required for this recipe.
I use an Optimum VAC2 Air Vacuum Blender, you can find my full review of it here.
If you don’t have a blender you can just mash the dates and water together using a fork. Depending on the sort of dates it can be slightly trickier and require a bit of microwaving to turn it into a smooth paste. Usually, I use Medjool dates but they are more expensive than other dates.
If you don’t want to buy the more expensive Medjool dates you can simply soak any dates in warm water overnight. Don’t discard the water you can use it to sweeten beverages or desserts. If stored in the fridge you can keep it for up to a week.
After that, it is as simple as mixing all the ingredients together until they form a heavy and slightly sticky dough. Then line an 8×8 inch pan with baking paper or cling film and spread the dough evenly. I use a handy little roller for this but you can just firmly press it down with your hands.
Then refrigerate for 30 minutes and cut into 18 small bars or 12 bigger bars
Your turn
What is your favourite go-to snack? Let me know, I’m looking forward to reading your comments.
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Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 16 Medjool dates roughly chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup peanut butter crunchy or smooth
- ¼ cup almond milk or other milk of your choice
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten-free if required
- ½ cup Nuzest Chocolate Protein Powder or any other protein powder
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ⅓ cup raw cacao nibs or vegan dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the dates to a blender and blend while slowly adding water until it turns into a soft paste.
- Now add the peanut butter and almond milk and keep mixing until well combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the dry ingredients using a spatula.
- Pour the date and peanut butter mixture on top of the dry ingredients and fold it in. It might require a bit of kneading with your hands because the dough is quite heavy and dry. If it doesn't stick together you can add a tiny bit more almond milk.
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with cling film and press the mixture firmly into the pan. I use a little roller for this but you can easily do it with a spatula or your hands. Tip: Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and start pressing down, this way it doesn't stick and spreads more evenly.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then cut into 18 small bars or 12 bigger bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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