Ditch the pre-packaged bars and make your own with this easy peanut butter protein bar recipe. These bars are soft and chewy with a rich peanut butter flavor, topped with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. With about 16g of protein per bar, they're high in nutrients but taste like a sweet treat!
This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love an indulgent dessert as much as the next gal, but you know what I love almost as much? A healthy recipe that tastes indulgent. These chocolate peanut butter protein bars are exactly that. They're made in about 15 minutes with just 10 simple ingredients, and there's absolutely no baking required. In case you haven't checked the label on your favorite protein bars lately, most of them are filled with unrecognizable ingredients, and even if they aren't, they likely cost an arm and a leg. But these? They're chewy, taste like pure peanut butter and chocolate, and fill you up with a healthy does or protein and fiber, minus the excessive amounts of sugar. Make these once and I can almost guarantee they'll become your new favorite on-the-go breakfast/midday pick-me-up/post-gym snack.
Still need convincing? Let's take a little look at what makes these bars so (deliciously) healthy:
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Ingredients (& Substitutions)
Vanilla Protein Powder: I used Naked Nutrition's Less Naked Vanilla Whey. It's grass-fed and made with just 3 ingredients: whey protein, vanilla, and organic coconut sugar. Finding a clean, all-natural protein powder isn't easy, but this one delivers! The vanilla flavor acts as the perfect base for the added peanut butter and chocolate in this recipe, but you could also try Naked Nutrition's chocolate whey to mix things up.
Almond Flour: This helps add some bulk to these bars, along with healthy fats, fiber, and protein. If you don't have any on hand, you could also use sliced almonds; just process them in a food processor until they've reached the consistency of almond flour. Alternatively, any other nut flour should work here.
Gluten-Free Oats: Oats also add bulk, fiber, and protein to these bars, along with extra texture. Use certified gluten-free oats to ensure these bars are gluten-free.
Natural (Unsweetened) Peanut Butter: Aside from being the major flavor-contributor in this recipe, peanut butter also helps the ingredients in these bars stick together, and adds to the fiber and protein content. To keep these bars low in sugar it's important to use all-natural, unsweetened peanut butter. To substitute, use almond butter or any other nut butter.
Pure Maple Syrup: Just a small amount of maple syrup helps sweeten these bars and hold them together. You can also substitute honey, or even a sugar-free liquid sweetener like allulose syrup.
Water: Along with the maple syrup, this helps all of the ingredients in these bars stick together.
Vanilla extract & salt: For added flavor!
Dark Chocolate: I recommend using one sweetened with erythritol, stevia, or another natural sweetener that won't raise the sugar content in these bars. If you want to switch up the flavor, try white chocolate! A handful of brands make it without added sugar.
Coconut Oil: A couple teaspoons of coconut oil will help your chocolate melt smoothly, and keep it just soft enough to slice into once set.
How to make these peanut butter protein bars
Making these bars is truly easier than going to the grocery store to buy some, and I don't say that lightly. There are 3 basic steps:
Pulse together the ingredients in a food processor. Start with the dry ingredients to ensure they're mixed well. Next, add the liquid ingredients and pulse in just until everything comes together.
Press mixture into a square baking pan. Let this chill in the refrigerator for about an hour to help the bars take shape.
Top with melted chocolate & coconut oil. Chill until set, and then slice into individual bars.
Can I make these without a food processor?
Yes! I like making these in a food processor because it's easy to combine everything evenly, but you can also use a simple bowl, whisk, and spatula. Whisk together the dry ingredients first, and then use a spatula to mix in the liquid ingredients, being sure the peanut butter and maple syrup get evenly incorporated. You may need to use your hands at the end to finish bringing all of the ingredients together. I would also recommend using quick-cooking oats in this case, as they have a finer texture, closer to what you get by pulsing the oats in a food processor.
Variations
As mentioned above, you can switch up this recipe with a different flavor of protein powder, different nut butters, or even white chocolate in place of dark chocolate. Think chocolate almond butter protein bars, white chocolate peanut butter protein bars, or even double chocolate peanut butter protein bars! Feel free to get creative.
More healthy snack bar recipes
Here are a few other grab-and-go bar recipes you can try:
5-Ingredient Strawberry Almond Cereal Bars: These crunchy bars are filled with tangy bits of freeze-dried strawberries. They're gluten-free, vegan, and no-bake.
Apple Cinnamon Energy Bars: Readers love this recipe! These bars are studded with chunks of fresh apples and pecans, and naturally sweetened with dates. {Gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free}
Dark Chocolate No-Bake Bars: This is the ultimate choice for chocolate lovers. Oats, almonds, and pecans make up the bulk of these bars, along with chocolate and dates for flavor and sweetness. {Gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free}
Recipe Card
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars {gluten-free, refined sugar-free}
Ditch the pre-packaged bars and make your own with this easy peanut butter protein bar recipe. These bars are soft and chewy with a rich peanut butter flavor, topped with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. With about 16g of protein per bar, they're high in nutrients but taste like a sweet treat!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: snack bars
- Method: no-bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Protein Bars:
- 6 ¼ scoops (53cc scoop size) (4 ⅛ ounces) Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I used Less Naked Whey)
- ⅝ cup (2 ½ ounces) almond flour
- ⅝ cup (2 ounces) gluten-free rolled oats
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces) natural unsweetened, salted peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons (3 ½ ounces) maple syrup
- 2 ½-3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping:
- 6 ounces no-sugar-added dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- flaky sea salt/fleur de sel (optional)
Instructions
Peanut Butter Protein Bars:
- Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Combine ingredients in food processor: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, pulse together the protein powder, almond flour, oats, and salt until the oats are broken into smaller pieces and all ingredients are evenly combined. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, 2 ½ tablespoons water, and vanilla extract and pulse just until the mixture comes together, stopping to wipe down the bowl with a spatula if needed. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon water if needed to bring everything together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press down in a flat, even layer (it helps to use a wide, flat spatula for this). Transfer to refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
Chocolate Topping:
- Make the topping: In a small, microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smoothly melted.
- Pour chocolate over bars and transfer back to refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes. Once set, use parchment or foil to lift bars from pan and slice into 12 individual pieces. Sprinkle bars with sea salt or fleur de sel if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Substitutions:
- Chocolate whey protein powder can also be used in place of the vanilla protein powder for a double-chocolate variation.
- Sliced almonds can be used in place of almond flour. Just process them in your food processor until they've reached the consistency of almond flour. Or, use any other nut flour instead.
- The peanut butter can easily be substituted with any kind of natural, unsweetened, and salted nut butter.
- Honey, or a sugar-free liquid sweetener like allulose, can be used in place of the maple syrup.
- For another flavor variation, try white chocolate instead of dark chocolate for the chocolate layer on these bars. Lily's make a white chocolate bar with no added sugar.
To make these bars without a food processor: Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk together wet ingredients in a second bowl or measuring glass. Then mix wet ingredients into dry with a spatula, using your hands if needed to finish bringing the dough together. If using this method, make sure you use almond flour (not sliced almonds) and quick-cooking oats.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 302
- Sugar: 7.8 g
- Sodium: 95.3 mg
- Fat: 20.3g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: .2g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22.8g
- Fiber: 5.6g
- Protein: 15.8g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
Keywords: chocolate peanut butter protein bars, peanut butter protein bars, peanut butter protein bar recipe, no bake protein bars
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Sandra says
I think I'm going to have a go at these this weekend!
Greg says
These are ACTUALLY great protein bars. Super high protein content perfect for a post workout snack or a meal replacement if you’re on the go. They really do taste like a peanut butter cup. Be careful though they are VERY rich but somehow one is never enough... 10/10
★★★★★