You don’t have to be a health nut to know that protein is important. It’s essential for building muscle, repairing tissue, and keeping you feeling full. For many, protein bars are a quick way to hit your protein target for the day. They taste great, and almost everyone loves them!
What no one likes, however, is the price tag. Store-bought protein bars can be expensive. Not only that, but they’re also often filled with additives and preservatives to keep them shelf-stable longer.
The words “additive” and “preservative” just don’t sound all that healthy, am I right?
Fortunately, homemade protein bars are a great option if you’re looking for a healthy, affordable snack. You can control the ingredients so you know exactly what’s going into your body. They’re easy to make and can be tailored to your taste preferences.
Here are some tips for making your own protein bars at home:
- Choose your base: Start with a foundation of oats, quinoa flakes, or another similar base.
- Add protein powder: Stir in your favorite protein powder to boost the nutrient content. We love Sunwarrior Chocolate Protein Powder in ours!
- Mix in extras: The possibilities are endless – just make sure to choose extras that offer a health boost. We love Maca Powder for an extra kick of energy, plus Cacao Nibs and our famous Cacao Power Mix for an incredible chocolatey taste!
- Sweeten it up: Use honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup to sweeten your bars naturally.
- Press into a pan: Once everything is mixed together, press the mixture into a baking dish or lined muffin tin.
- Chill and cut: Let the bars chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to an hour before cutting them into individual servings.
In our recent video, Melissa walked us through how to make our favorite homemade protein bars using Cacao Power. Make sure to watch the video, then give them a try with the full recipe below!
As always, don’t forget to like our video and subscribe to our channel so we can continue to bring you great content for your Fit & Focused Over 50 Journey!
Cacao Power Protein Bars
Ingredients:
- 4 scoops Chocolate Protein (we use SunWarrior Vegan/Plant-based with collagen, but any chocolate protein can be used)
- 4 tbs Cacao Power Mix (get the recipe here!)
- 2 cups oats
- 4 tbs hulled hemp seeds
- 3 tbs chia seeds
- 2 tbs cinnamon
- 4 tbs Cacao Nibs
- 3 tbs raw honey
- 1 cup of Coconut H2O
- 1 cup Peanut Butter – crunchy or smooth
Materials:
- Large mixing bowl
- Meal/Bar tray
- Latex gloves
Steps:
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then add the peanut butter, raw honey, and coconut water and mix with a spoon to break down the mixture, so there are no large clumps of honey or peanut butter. Once completely blended, until there is no powder left at the bottom of the bowl, put a latex glove on and grind up the mixture until completely mixed (otherwise, you will have batter under your nails😊). The consistency should be like playdough, where no powder is left at the bottom of the bowl, but it is not too wet or sticky to the touch.
Take the mixture and press it into the meal/bar tray – this recipe makes 16 bars, so don’t overstuff each tray, just fill each section, so it is not bulging out on the sides or overflowing over the top of the trays.
Place bars in the freezer for 20 minutes, and they will be ready to eat! Remove all bars and place them into a freezer-tight bag and leave them in the sealed bag until you are ready to eat they will thaw out in less than 5 minutes. Enjoy!