I’m a little pressed for time; it’s 7:25pm and I still have 3 auditions to put on tape tonight before I shoot another commercial tomorrow, 2 loads of laundry to do, as well as prep for an audition callback for tomorrow, if I can squeeze it in around the shoot. Needless to say, time is of the essence, which ties in perfectly with today’s recipe for peanut butter protein bars.
Meal prepping has been a big focus for me lately, as I’m sure you’ve noticed in the past few recipes, and these peanut butter protein bars are a great addition. They are packed with nutrient dense foods that will give you a boost of energy and keep you going. I used peanut butter as my nut butter, but feel free to use any kind you have on hand. You can also mix it up with the spices, or make them chocolate by adding in chocolate protein powder and a handful of dark chocolate chips.
Every protein powder behaves slightly differently in my experience. For these peanut butter protein bars I used Garden of Life plant based vanilla protein powder. Use what works for you! Be sure to keep your batch of protein bars in the freezer or fridge; because they are made with whole foods (hurray for real ingredients!), they will start to get ooey if left out at room temperature.
Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 3 pitted dates
- 2 tbsp coconut oil- at room temperature
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 heaping scoop vanilla protein powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Begin by pulsing the dates in your food processor until they are slightly broken up. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse repeatedly until a dough comes together. Pinch a small piece between your fingers; if it sticks together we’re in business, if it’s too dry, add a tiny bit more coconut oil.
- Line a large Tupperware or Pyrex container with parchment paper. Scoop out the ball of dough and press it down as much as you can with your fingers. It will start to get melty, so work quickly. I like using another piece of parchment paper on top then pressing with a potato masher to get it really firm.
- Freeze for 1 hour. Lift the now solid dough out using the edges of the parchment paper, and cut into eight pieces. Return to the fridge for a tasty snack this week!
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