5 Healthy Homemade Protein Bar Recipes

According to many nutritionists, protein bars found in stores should be avoided and there is more than one reason for this recommendation. Here’s a short list of some of the reasons:

• These bars come with protein powders and oils that don't have the necessary level of quality.
• In most cases, these bars are packed with artificial fillers, sweeteners, and other artificial ingredients.
• Their taste is not very attractive.

These are only some of the reasons why more and more people turn to homemade protein bars. The preparation process for these bars is very simple. In addition, their taste is delicious, they are packed with nutrients and they don't have too many calories, so they can fit in almost any diet. The following list of protein bar recipes is ideal for consumption before and after physical activity. Of course, you can use them as snacks between your meals too.

1. Matcha Green Tea Fudge Bars

This is a recipe for pure vegan protein bars. They taste very good and the preparation process is super easy. Keep in mind that you can use casein or whey protein as an alternative. These vegan protein bars are simple to make and taste amazing. Feel free to use whey protein or casein if you'd prefer either.

Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup of roasted almond butter
• Zest obtained from one lemon
• One tablespoon of stevia extract
• ½ cup of oat flour
• 8 scoops of vanilla brown rice protein powder
• 4 tablespoons of matcha powder
• Between 2 and 4 ounces of dark chocolate (you can skip this ingredient if you want)

Directions:

• Whip the oat flour, matcha, and protein powder together. Leave the mixture aside.
• Use a stand mixer to beat almond milk, almond butter, lemon zest, and stevia. When they are mixed well, pour the matcha blend slowly.
• Use parchment paper to line the two sides of a standard 8 x 8 baking pan and pour the mixture inside. Make sure that it is spread evenly.
• Put a plastic wrap on top of it and place it in the fridge. Leave the mixture overnight.
• Cut ten bars and use melted dark chocolate on top of the bars if you want.
• Use an airtight container for storing.

Nutritional value (per serving, without chocolate):

• Protein: 15 grams
• Carbohydrates: 9 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Calories: 130

2. Candied Ginger Cheesecake Bars

If you are looking for healthy snacks that are very low on fat, you might want to skip this recipe because these bars come with 13 grams of fat per serving. However, they are very tasty and they are also packed with protein. The recipe is more complex compared to the others, but once you try these protein bars you will know that the time spent in the kitchen was worth it. Serves 16 Ingredients:

For the crust:

• ½ cup of ground flax-seed
• ½ cup of almond meal
• 1/4 cup of coconut flour
• ½ cup of quinoa flakes
• ½ cup of date paste
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• One tablespoon of chopped candied ginger
• 3 egg whites

For the cheesecake:

• One cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
• One cup of low-fat cream cheese
• 1 ½ cup of 1% fat cottage cheese
• ¼ cup of coconut oil
• ½ cup of coconut butter
• ¼ cup of chopped candied ginger
• 4 scoops of vanilla whey protein
• ¼ cup of honey
• One sheet of gelatin
• One vanilla bean

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients used for the crust in a blender (you can use a food processor too). You should wait until you get a sticky mixture.
• Use parchment paper to form a layer in a 9 x 9 baking dish. Pour the crust equally all over the baking dish.
• Use cold water to cover the gelatin sheet and leave it like that.
• Whisk together Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, coconut butter, cream cheese, protein powder, coconut oil, and a quarter cup of candied ginger. Feel free to use the bowl from your food processor. Slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seed inside the bowl.
• Cook the honey slowly on the stove and use medium heat because you don’t want the honey to boil. Take the gelatin sheet and squeeze the water. Add it to the pot and it will melt. Stir the mixture from time to time.
• Pour the warm honey into the cheesecake filling while using the processor or while stirring. It should be placed on the top of the crust. You can also put additional coconut shavings or candied ginger if desired.
• Put it in the fridge overnight.
• If you want to get a sweeter taste, use more honey on top of the bars before serving.

Nutritional value (per serving):

• Protein: 19 grams
• Carbohydrates: 23 grams
• Fat: 13 grams
• Calories: 281

3. Iced Pumpkin Protein Bar

In the moment you feel craving for a sweet cookie, grab these bars instead. They are very healthy and don't have many calories. Serves 9

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup of maple syrup
• 3 scoops of vanilla protein powder
• 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax-seed
• 1/3 cup of coconut flour
• ¼ tablespoon of Hair Buddha
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
• ¼ tablespoon of sea salt
• ½ tablespoon of nutmeg
• 1/8 tablespoon of ground cloves

For the topping:

• One scoop of vanilla protein powder
• ¼ cup of chopped pecans

Directions:

• Set the oven to 375 F.
• Blend the eggs, maple syrup, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and almond milk together in a medium-sized bowl. Use a sturdy spoon.
• Use a separate bowl to whip two scoops of vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, flaxseed, coconut flour, cloves, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda.
• Use the dry ingredients in the pumpkin mixture and wait until the mixture gets even. Leave it like that for 2-3 minutes.
• Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to line a baking sheet and separate the batter into 9 equal parts. Each part should be about 1/3 cup. Shape the batter into a rectangular form (use your hands).
• Bake between 22 and 25 minutes. After this period of time, the top should look like it is about to start cracking and the bottom should have a golden brown color.
• Let it cool for about 5 minutes and after that, put it on a wire rack.
• When they are cooled, work on the icing by mixing water at room temperature in the scoop of vanilla protein powder that was left. The mixture should be smooth and thick at the same time.
• Use a plastic bag to store the icing and remove the corner. Push the icing from the top in order to pour the icing equally on top of the pumpkin bars.
• If you want to get the best results leave the icing for an hour or two.

Nutritional value (per serving):

• Protein: 16 grams
• Carbohydrates: 11 grams
• Fat: 6 grams
• Calories: 162

4. PB Protein Brownies

These bars are definitely the favorite bars of many people. However, brownies are not at the top of the list of the most nutritious bars. If you want to make them more nutritious and healthy, you should use chickpeas. The good news is that you won't notice them, but they'll make the bars softer. Serves 10

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• One can of garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
• 6 ounces of chopped dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup of coconut sugar
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• One scoop of unflavored whey protein

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons of egg whites
• ½ cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• One tablespoon of honey
• One scoop of unflavored whey protein
• 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• One tablespoon of vanilla

Directions:

• Set the oven to 350 F and preheat it. Use coconut oil to grease a standard 8 x 8 baking pan.
• Take the blender (or food processor) and add eggs, garbanzo beans, two tablespoons of peanut butter, cocoa powder, salt, coconut sugar, and one scoop of unflavored whey protein. Mix the ingredients until they become smooth.
• Use a double boiler on the microwave or on the stove to melt semi-sweet chocolate. While stirring, carefully pour the chocolate inside the brownie batter. Spread it equally in the pan.
• Bake between 20 and 25 minutes. The edges will become golden brown and the topping will set.
• Wait for a few minutes and after that, cut the brownie into 10 equal bars. Wait until they are cooled down. Store the bars in sealed containers.

Nutritional value (per serving):

• Protein: 14 grams
• Carbohydrates: 39 grams
• Fat: 11 grams
• Calories: 292

5. Chocolate Quinoa Protein Bars

If you are looking for a protein bar that will provide energy and improve your workout performance, the quinoa bar is an ideal choice. Feel free to unleash your creativity and swap ingredients or add some ingredients that you find suitable to the recipe. For example, you can add chocolate chips, and pumpkin seeds or replace dates with figs. Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 16 whole dates (without sugar)
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of rinsed quinoa
• ½ cup of natural almond butter
• ½ of raw almonds
• ½ cup of chocolate rice protein powder
• One tablespoon of honey, if desired

Directions:

• Put a covered pot on a stove on medium heat and wait until the water and quinoa start to boil. After that, reduce to heat to a simmer and leave the pot covered for about 15 minutes. Next, cool down the quinoa and leave it in the fridge overnight.
• Create a date paste by using the blender and set the paste aside.
• Grind the almonds in the blender until you get very small pieces. Keep in mind that you don’t need to create powder.
• Now take the dates and add them to the mixture of quinoa, protein powder, and peanut butter. You can also add one tablespoon of honey if you want. Mix until you get a fine mixture.
• Separate the mixture into 8 equal parts and shape a bar. Leave the bars in the fridge for about one hour and store them in a sealed container.

Nutritional value (per serving):

• Protein: 15 grams
• Carbohydrates: 56 grams
• Fat: 9 grams
• Calories: 379

Via Muscle For Life