Homemade Protein Bar

I'm sure you've all had your fair share of shelf-stable, terrible tasting protein bars. I'm not stranger to the protein bar aisle at our local nutrition store, and while there are a couple varieties I'll actually agree taste good, the majority of them I find barely even palatable. The nuggat in most protein bars taste disgusting to me. I don't even like Cliff bars, and I feel like everyone likes those things.

A few years ago (oh my gosh, it was actually FOUR years ago) one of my gym instructors brought homemade protein bars to class. YUM.O. They're so tasty and so easy, and they're a staple in my diet.

So why am I just sharing them on here now? Because sometimes the most obvious posts are the ones I never think to share! But, here you are, enjoy!

Homemade Protein Bars

What you need:

9x13 glass baking dish (or a similar-sized glass plate)

3 scoops chocolate whey protein powder

1 1/2 cups all-natural peanut butter (Skippy is a little less greasy than others)

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup Honey

**Other additions like carob chips, raisins, cranberries, etc. can be yummy too!**

Directions

Start by putting everything in a bowl and stir with a spoon to mix it. A little trick is that the more honey you use the easier it is to stir. I never really need more than the 1/2 cup, but if you're struggling to stir it all, add more a little at a time to make it easier.

After it's all mixed you'll end up with a big ball of what will be your protein bars. Spoon the mixture into the 9x13 baking dish or a similar sized plate like the one shown below, and flatten until it's even throughout.

You can make this in a smaller pan or plate, just remember the smaller you go the thicker your bars will be, so just do what you end up liking best.

Cover the pan/plate and refrigerate for firmness (a half hour is usually enough time for me).

Once firm, cut into squares and enjoy whenever you want! I made some for our office the other week and a couple of people told me they taste like reeces peanut butter cups. A few people were nervous to try them because they share my dislike for the standard protein bar, but even those ladies all agreed with the yumminess of these (or at least to my face haha)!

My ingredients of choice are shown in the picture at the top. The Skippy All-Natural PB I already explained, and Quaker Oats to the trick for the oats just fine (although so do plenty of other brands). The only item I had coworkers ask me about was the protein powerd I buy and why.

Truthfully, I like Optimim Nutrion (ON) Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein and BSN Syntha 6 the best. Both are on the top 10 list for bodybuilding.com, both ranking at 9.2 out of 10 for quality. For protein shakes I personally like the flavor of Syntha 6 best, but for the protein bars they both come out equal in flavor to me. ON is sold is smaller tub sizes (linked to above), so if you're just looking for the protein for this use that might be a more practical choice.

I hope you try the bars and enjoy them as much as I do!