I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of things that are easy or healthy or delicious. And these bars are a triple threat: easy, healthy, and delicious all at the same time.
The other cool thing about them is that they are highly customizable. The recipe I’m sharing here is just the base, you can play with it however you want. You could try adding any kind of nut (peanuts, almonds, cashews), adding sunflower seeds, swapping the chocolate chips out for M&Ms or other candy, or using crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. I have added shredded coconut before and that was a good combo as well.
And since there is a ton of protein (I estimate between 7 and 8 grams per square) and lots of fiber, they stick with you for a while, which is great if you are in a hurry or trying to cut back on snacking.
Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cool Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/8 cup mini chocolate chips
Line an 8×8 square pan with wax paper.
Melt peanut butter on the stove or in the microwave. Add the honey and oatmeal and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it down evenly. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips evenly over the top and gently press them down so they won’t roll off when you cut the bars later.
Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow it to cool until firm, about 20 or 30 minutes. When it’s cool you should be able to lift the entire square out and onto a cutting board by gripping the edges of the wax paper. Cut the big square into 9 equal small squares and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. I really don’t know how long they will keep, they’ve never lasted long enough to test it!