Fudge Nut Protein Bars

I'm not typically a big fan of protein bars. A coworker of mine said it best, they have a funny taste. Now, there is a couple I'm okay with, and one I actually really like but they're expensive. Some protein bars can be a couple of bucks each. Now when you eat them as a meal replacement that's not too bad of a cost. Or if you cut a bar in half or thirds like I do, again not too costly. No, it's when you eat protein bars like my brother does that you begin to have a problem. You see, he thinks nothing of having a 300 calorie protein bar only minutes after eating his dinner. So his request today was and I quote "if you're going to make something tonight, at least make some more of those protein bars." Yup, I guess I'll chalk that up as a win for me.

Basically, this recipe is a base for something amazing. I've added a lot of different things into the main base of peanut butter / honey / oats / whey / cocoa. Some examples are shelled hemp seed, ground almond, whole peanuts, shredded coconut, etc. The possibilities are really endless and I know that I won't be making these the same way any time I make them because there are just so many different things you can add in to them. It's a good thing to make to use up the tail end of bags of stuff that are cluttering your pantry. Next up for me will hopefully include some flax seed and who knows what else.

Adapted from Spark Recipes.

Ingredients

Makes 12 Bars

1 C. Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup or Honey

1 1/2 C. Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

1 C. Rolled Oats

1 Tbsp. Cocoa

+ Additional Add-Ins

Water (amount is dependent on the amount of add-ins - with no add-ins use about 4 tbsp)

Add-Ins (I used this time)

1/3 C. Wheat Bran

1/3 C. Ground Almonds

1/2 C. Water 

Directions

~Place peanut butter and syrup into a microwavable dish and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir to combine.

~Add in the rest of your ingredients and mix until it forms a crumble. 

~Add water, a tablespoon at a time until you achieve a sticky, moist texture (but not wet).

~Press into greased 8x8 dish.

~Place dish into fridge and let set (at least half an hour).

~Once cooled, cut into squares or bars.

~Store in the fridge.

Enjoy

While it may not be the most environmentally friendly way to do things, I wrap each bar up individually so they are an easy grab and go snack, just like a granola bar. 

Alternatively, instead of pressing into a dish, you could roll into balls for something a little different. If the mixture is moist enough you can then even roll the outside in a bit of ground almonds or coconut, etc. Have fun with it.