If you've ever read the ingredients on a protein bar package you've probably scratched your head in confusion. There are more ingredients in many store-bought bars than in a box of processed cereal, and that's a lot. I'm all about eating real food and that's precisely why I created these bars of deliciousness for you.
They are packed with flavour, crunch, protein and fibre. Eat them for breakfast or as a power snack before you hit the gym! One thing is for sure, they won't last long in your household because they are so tasty!
Ingredients:
3 cups organic raw oats (soaked for a few hours to increase digestibility)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut (Make sure you buy "sulfite-free)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate vegan protein powder (I used this one by Genuine Health)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
Method: Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix. Melt the coconut oil and the almond butter in a small pot over low heat on the stove. Mix the the coco oil, almond butter and remaining wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix together until fully combined. Give it a little taste test, add more maple syrup if you desire a sweeter taste.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9"x13" baking pan. Spread the mixture out over the pan and press down with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then cut the protein bars as you desire, place onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes more. You may find that you lose about 10-15% of your mixture as you are cutting them and transferring them to a cookie sheet, just keep it and use it as a topping for yogurt - homemade granola!
Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy immediately! Makes 20 bars (depending on the size you cut them into).
Enjoy!
Joy
Joy, do you recommend whey protein powder from a quality source?
ReplyI am not a big fan of whey.... It may be one of the best forms of protein for absorption but causes far too many tummy troubles for too many ppl so I suggest you avoid. I much prefer whole food based protein like the one I used in this recipe. Let me know if you like it!
Ooooo they sound wonderful!!!
Replyyum! this sounds great
ReplyThese sound great and smell great baking in the oven. My comment is re: the nutrient content. I weighed my protein powder (sun warrior) and this recipe calls for the equivalent of 4 scoops. 64 grams of protein. If you have 20 bars that is only 3 and a bit grams of protein per bar. Great ingredients so no doubt better than a lot of other snack options, but not nearly enough protein to be really called a protein bar. Obviously this doesn't take into account the protein in the nuts, oats etc. Would be very interested in seeing the nutritional information on this.
ReplyHey there, how did they turn out!? I just make beautiful food in my kitch to share with you all and focus on using "whole" food always. I called these protein bars because I added additional protein. The oats and nuts are good sources of protein as well. I don't measure the nutritional value or count calories for any of my recipes and have no interest in doing so in the future -- otherwise, it would slow me down and it's not my philosophy. Hope that makes sense and I do hope you enjoyed them!
How long do these bars stay good for? Should I store the in the fridge or leave it out? Thanks!
ReplyI store them in the fridge. I made them last week and they are still good. I would freeze them if you plan on keeping them longer than 10-14 days.
[...] better yet, make your own! Here is a recipe from Joyous Health and you can find a great recipe on page 35 of this [...]
ReplyI just made these! They smelled delicious even before I put them in the oven. I didn't end up using the almond milk because they were already very wet from the soaked oats but they turned out really well! Thanks Joy!
Reply[...] from She Let Them Eat Cake. Mint Chocolate Protein Bars from Cara’s Cravings Almond Bars from Joyous Health (make sure you use gluten-free oats) Gena’s No-Bake Omega 3 Vegan Snack Bars Choosing [...]
ReplyHi Joy, Is it ok if I use coco oil to "grease" my pan?
ReplyYes definitely!
making up a batch right now....looking forward to giving these a little tasty taste.....YUMMY!!!!
ReplyI made a batch over the weekend and it's too loose. I can't cut it, it just falls apart. Do you have any suggestions to make it stick? I didn't soak the oats by the way. Was that my issue?
ReplyHi Svetlana, I actually don't always soak them. You could add a banana next time or more almond butter? Maybe your oven dried them out too much?
Hi Joy, Your link to protein powder no longer works - do you still use genuine health or other? Could you provide link or full name please? Thanks for always sharing so much!
ReplyI made these yesterday and nowhere can I find how many calories in a small bar.
ReplyHi Colleen, thanks for making the bars. You may have noticed if you've looked at other recipes that I never post the calorie count. I'm anti-calorie counting. The key to listen to your body and stop eating when you feel satisfied. Your body's inner wisdom will guide you :)
I made these yesterday and nowhere can I find how many calories in a small 2" by 2" bar.
ReplyI tried these Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Bars but when I tried to cut them after the first 10-12 minutes of baking they just crumbled. I was not able to cut them. The only thing I can think that I may have misunderstood was the soaking of the oats. I used rolled oats so didn't think I needed to soak them. Help! Want to try these again but want them to turn out properly :-) Thanks!!!
ReplyIt really depends on your oven! I find that sometimes I get crumbly bits (depending where I'm baking them) but I just pop in a mason jar and use as granola. The other thing that affects how much moisture you use is your almond butter. If you're using store-bought, some brands are much drier than others. If you think the almond butter you're using is dry then add a touch of liquid ie. water. Hope that helps!
LOVED!! I keep these in the freezer for quick pick me up. I used sunflower seeds instead of sesame seeds. This was an accident but they turned out great. I used chopped cashews instead of walnuts. I will always have these in the freezer!
ReplyMmm, that sounds delicious!