Want to add a little extra protein to your snack repertoire? Try these easy peanut butter protein bars! Made with just four ingredients, these bars are incredibly simple to make. Each bar packs in 10 grams of protein and tastes amazing!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by NOW®. As always, all opinions are my own.
Ingredients
You only need four simple ingredients to make this recipe!
- Peanut butter – You’ll need natural peanut butter for this recipe, which means the peanut butter is only made from peanuts and salt. Natural peanut butters have a different (drippier) texture than regular peanut butters (regular peanut butter often has additional oils added to create a firmer texture). If you try to make this with regular peanut butter, it will likely be too dry.
- Honey – Any variety of honey works in these bars, whether you want to use NOW® Real Food Manuka Honey (which has an incredible robust flavor), a local beekeeper’s brand, or a standard supermarket variety.
- Chocolate chips – Is any snack bar complete without a few chocolate chips?! I use regular dark chocolate chips in this recipe, but you could also substitute those with stevia-sweetened chocolate chips if you prefer less sugar.
- Protein powder – I highly recommend using NOW® Sports Whey Protein or NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex in Creamy Vanilla. Both of these products are high quality, taste great, and contain protein with branched chain amino acids to support post-exercise recovery. (You can also use the chocolate versions if you prefer adding a little more cocoa flavor to your bar). Plus, you can save on these staples by using code CHRISSY for 20% off your order at NOW Foods.
Instructions
This recipe couldn’t be easier! You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s a helpful overview with photos.
Start by adding all four ingredients – the peanut butter, protein powder, honey, and chocolate chips – to a bowl. Stir it with a spoon until well combined.
Line an 8×8 baking dish (or whatever other dish you have lying around – no need to be perfect) with parchment or wax paper. Pour the protein mixture out and flatten it into a square with your hands.
Pop that in the fridge for a few hours, and then cup it up into ten bars. That’s it! So simple.
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may arise as you prepare this recipe:
Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can enjoy homemade bars as part of a balanced on-the-go breakfast (for example, paired with a piece of fruit and a hardboiled egg), as an afternoon treat, or as a post-workout snack.
Protein requirements vary based on your gender, age, fitness level, and medical conditions. For an adult without a regular exercise routine, approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram is usually sufficient. For active individuals, needs increase to around 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram. The range varies based on the training regimen.
Nutrition Benefits
With both fat and protein, these bars are super satisfying. They’re great for taming that afternoon hunger that tends to come along with training for a race or committing to a gym routine.
You’ll also get a few key micronutrients:
- Magnesium – This mineral plays a role in many processes in the body, including energy production, bone health, and even potentially exercise recovery (read more about magnesium for runners). Each bar packs in 10% of your daily needs.
- Iron – Iron is involved in helping transport oxygen in your blood to your muscles, making it particularly important for active women. You’ll get 10% of your daily needs in one of these bars.
- Vitamin E – This vitamin acts as an antioxidant in the body, protecting cells from damage. Each bar provides 16% of your daily needs.
More protein-rich snack recipes
If you’re on the hunt for more protein-rich snacks, be sure to look at some of these recipes:
- Pumpkin protein muffins
- Pumpkin protein bars
- Banana protein muffins
- Peanut butter protein fudge
- Chocolate coffee protein balls
- Protein coffee
I hope you enjoy these peanut butter protein bars. If you get a chance to make ‘em, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅔ cup NOW® Sports Creamy Vanilla Whey Protein or NOW® Sports Creamy Vanilla Plant Protein Complex
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the peanut butter, honey, protein powder, and chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper. Pour the protein mixture into the pan. Press down with your hands to flatten into a relatively even square.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours (the mixture will firm up a bit as it chills). Cut into ten bars. Store in the fridge and enjoy as you please!
Notes
- You need natural peanut butter for this recipe – the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt. This is “drippier” than regular peanut butter. If you use regular peanut butter, the mixture may be too dry.
- Bars will be a little thinner and softer than a store-bought protein bar. If you prefer, you can create a smaller square to form bigger, thicker bars. You can also use this recipe and roll into protein balls instead.
- Store bars in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Share: Do you ever make homemade protein bars? What are your favorite flavor combos? If you tried this recipe, what did you think?
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Just 1 week PO Gastric Bypass, so very much the newbie. Can you use any brand of whey protein powder? Thank you.
Hi Karen! Yes, you can use any brand of vanilla whey protein powder. 🙂 Just a quick note though that I’d encourage you to check in with your doctor/dietitian – as a dietitian myself, these bars wouldn’t be my choice to recommend to someone in the post-op time frame, as generally the diet is staged to be very progressive (i.e. liquids, soft diet, lean protein focus, etc — before progressing to regular foods like this). There are some bariatric-specific protein bars on the market that tend to be a bit lower in sugar/fat than this recipe, which may be helpful as you progress into later stages of the diet. That said, you could totally just be saving this recipe for months down the road, in which case I hope I’ve answered your question. I hope you’re feeling good post-surgery!