Homemade Protein Bars

Homemade Protein Bars

These homemade protein bars are no-bake, endlessly customizable energy bars. Just like Luna and Power bars, and made with your favorite protein powder.

This recipe is not like those other fussy, confusing recipes out there!

Prep time: 10 minutes



Ingredients

FOR THE DATE VERSION

  • 2 1/2 cups [250 g] old-fashioned certified gluten free rolled oats if gluten free isn’t necessary, use any oats
  • 1 scoop [36 g] gluten free protein powder I like Vega essentials chocolate flavor protein powder, but you can use whey protein, or your favorite protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
  • 10 pitted soft Medjool dates 150 g, as pitted
  • ¼ cup [84 g] pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup 2 fluid ounces milk (any kind), plus more as necessary
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped and melted (optional)
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped and melted (optional, for coating)

FOR THE NUT BUTTER VERSION

  • 2 1/2 cups [250 g] old-fashioned certified gluten free rolled oats if gluten free isn’t necessary, use any oats
  • 1 ½ scoops [54 g] gluten free protein powder I like Vega essentials chocolate flavor protein powder, but you can use whey protein, or your favorite protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
  • ½ cup [40 g] unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed (can replace with more protein powder)
  • ¾ cup [192 g] smooth natural nut butter I have used peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter—all work well
  • ¼ cup [84 g] pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup 2 fluid ounces milk (any kind), plus more as necessary
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped and melted (can replace with 2 tablespoons more nut butter + 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup)
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped and melted (optional, for coating)

Instructions

  • Line an 8-inch square baking pan or standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.

TO MAKE THE DATE VERSION

  • , place the oats in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until ground into a flour. Add the protein powder, dates, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, 1/4 cup milk and (optional) melted unsweetened chocolate. Process until the mixture is well-combined and is tacky (but not sticky) to the touch. Add more milk by the teaspoonful and process, only as necessary for the mixture to reach the proper consistency. If you opt not to use the melted unsweetened chocolate, you will have to add more milk, and the bars will not hold together as firmly when shaped.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer, smoothing the top as much as possible. Cover with parchment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until firm (about 1 hour in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer). Remove the bars from the pan and slice into 10 or 12 equal-sized rectangular bars. Dip in the optional melted bittersweet chocolate to coat and allow to sit at room temperature until set. Store the bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

TO MAKE THE NUT BUTTER VERSION

  • , place the oats in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until ground into a flour. Add the protein powder, cocoa powder (or more protein powder), nut butter, maple syrup, salt, 1/4 cup milk and melted unsweetened chocolate (or more nut butter and maple syrup). Process until the mixture is well-combined and is tacky (but not sticky) to the touch. Add more milk by the teaspoonful and process, only as necessary for the mixture to reach the proper consistency.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer, smoothing the top as much as possible. Cover with parchment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until firm (about 1 hour in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer). Remove the bars from the pan and slice into 10 or 12 equal-sized rectangular bars. Dip in the optional melted bittersweet chocolate to coat or simply drizzle some melted chocolate over the top, and allow to sit at room temperature until set. Wrap the bars individually in waxed paper, and store in the refrigerator.

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