Share a super tasty and healthy recipe for homemade peanut butter protein bars! Ideal for preparing meals and snacks. Plus, it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
Hello! what are you doing I hope you have a great week! With so much going on here, this week just seems to fly by. Between work and things with the kids, my days have been especially hectic, so I’ve been looking 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 as well as tasty. At the same time, I usually don’t like the ingredients for many store-bought protein bars. My top bars right now are these good! bar (which are impossible to find, Sprouts usually has them), Alohaand the chocolates whole food bars.
Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
While it is possible to find delicious ones with good ingredients, they can also be a bit more expensive! Making them at home is so easy, much less expensive and doesn’t require much time or cooking or cooking 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 good for?
A quick snack when you don’t have time for a full meal
Sometimes it’s busy and instead of skipping a meal because you don’t have time to make a full meal, I’m ALL about convenience. If these are in the fridge ready, you can enjoy them with a boiled egg or an apple – perfect if you don’t have time to cook anything. Is it a substitute for a real meal? No! Buuuut can give you extra fuel and nutrients when you’re in a rush.
For travel
I love to roll up a homemade protein bar and throw it in my bag when we travel, along with the usual suspects: jerky, tea, an apple, some chocolate, LMNT packets, trail mix, and a case 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 enjoy.
Post workout fuel
These are great if you’re going to the gym and then need to go straight to a date 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 while being portable and mess-free. 😉
Late night snack
Despite what you may have heard, it’s not harmful to eat before bed if it’s macro-balanced. Sometimes, if you’re hungry, you may need some protein and carbs to keep your blood sugar from dropping at night, challenging sleep. Just make sure it’s balanced and not too sugary, which makes these bars a great choice. More of my favorite bedtime snacks include hard-boiled eggs and some fruit, yogurt with some grain-free granola, and hummus-wrapped deli meats.
Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- Vanilla or chocolate pea, brown rice, or whey protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
- Peanut butter (feel free to substitute with almond butter, sunflower butter, or other nut butter)
- Oats
- Maple syrup
- Mini pieces of milk or dark chocolate
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Monk fruit (*optional, but I like that they are natural sweeteners, 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 grind them into 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 the sea salt, then mix well.
Step three
In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter. If you want it less sweet, use the majority of the almond milk instead of the maple syrup. This also depends on the sweetness of the protein powder.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and then stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Step four
Spread the mixture in a 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper and put it in the fridge to harden slightly.
Step five
Combine 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 return to the fridge to set, about 30 minutes.
Step seven
Remove from the fridge and cut into bars. Keeps in the fridge in a covered container for up to a week.
Imprint
Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
A healthy and delicious snack recipe that you can make ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week.
1 large scoops (70 gr) vanilla or chocolate protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
3 oz peanut butter
80 gr oats (approx 1 cup) ground into flour
3 oz maple syrup
1 oz almond milk or water
2 oz mini chocolate chips (plus an extra 2 oz for drizzle)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Monk fruit (*optional)
Step One
Grind the oats into flour in a high-speed blender or food processor. You can grind them into 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 stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Step four
Spread the mixture in a 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper and put it in the fridge to harden slightly.
Step five
Combine 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 return to the fridge to set, about 30 minutes.
Step seven
Remove from the fridge and cut into bars. Keeps in the fridge in a covered container for up to a week.
Notes
If your protein powder is on the sweet side, use more almond milk and less maple syrup to hold it together. If your protein powder isn’t sweet, add maple syrup and some monk fruit and stevia to your liking!
How long do homemade protein bars last?
Most homemade protein bars will last 1-2 weeks if stored 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.
Will you make these??
Please let me know how they turn out!!
xo
Gina
More of my favorite meal staples and healthy snacks:
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Homemade Egg Sous Bites
Chocolate protein bars
5 high protein meal prep recipes
Curry chickpea salad
Easy meal planning for busy moms
