After refrigerating, cut into squares or bars and package to go!
You can find granola bars, protein bars, and snack bars lining every grocery store shelf, but have you really looked at the ingredients? So many are loaded with fillers, preservatives, natural flavors, and other questionable ingredients masquerading as “healthy.” Not to mention all of the SUGAR! Most are just candy bars in disguise. These DIY protein bars skip the nonsense and deliver real nourishment with simple, whole-food ingredients.
For an extra boost of nutrition and texture, I use Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Organic Rolled Oats with Ancient Grains & Seeds – it’s a blend of rolled oats, amaranth and quinoa flakes, chia seeds, and ground flax. This mix adds fiber, plant-based protein, and healthy fats, making each bar even more satisfying and nourishing. (You can totally just use organic rolled oats if you don’t have these oats from TJ’s.)
They’re easy to make, naturally satisfying, and perfect for busy days when you need clean energy to go. And this recipe is designed to play with the ingredients you have (or don’t have) in the house! Feel free to substitute and try other ingredients to make them your own.
DIY PROTEIN BARS
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup organic peanut butter (or nut butter choice)
2 Tablespoons honey (or a bit more to taste or texture)
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Organic Rolled Oats with Ancient Grains & Seeds
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or your favorite nuts)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon cacao nibs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
Optional: 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use this), and/or 1 scoop collagen powder (I use this)
Directions: Toss dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, then dump the mixture into dish. Using the back of a large flat spoon, or your clean hands, press and spread mixture around entire dish. Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours. Remove and cut up into bar shapes. I place each bar into snack sized Ziplock bags for ease and convenience.
Store these bars in the fridge. They freeze well, so make a second batch to pull out at a later time!
Notes:
*Meal prep tip – When mixing the dry ingredients together, fill a few extra ziplock bags with the dry ingredients and label appropriately so that the next time you want to make these you can easily dump the dry ingredients into a bowl with the wet!
**If you don’t have a bag of the Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Organic Rolled Oats with Ancient Grains & Seeds, organic rolled oats will do just fine! Whenever possible, opt for organic oats, as conventionally grown oats in the U.S. are often sprayed with glyphosate (a chemical herbicide) just before harvest. Organic oats are grown without synthetic pesticides and help keep your bars as clean and wholesome as they taste. Glyphosate has been linked to potential health risks, including hormone disruption and an increased risk of certain cancers, so it’s best to avoid it when you can. My preferred brand is One Degree because their oats are glyphosate-free and gluten-free. I purchase it in bulk from our local Costco.