Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Coconut, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Protein Bars
We eat on the go a lot at our house. Field trips, early morning runs, music lessons, dance lessons, 2 services at church on Sunday. You know the drill. Often times, we need a quick snack on the go, but I want something better than simple carbs and tons of sugar. Enter the protein bar! Store bought bars (like Lara bars and Cliff bars) are super expensive and honestly, I generally feel like I need 2 to satisfy any hunger and that adds up quickly especially with 5 people. So, that doesn't fly well at our house. Finally, Mike and I decided to make our own bars. We've been fiddling with the recipe for about 3 years and finally have it to where we love it. It's open for lots of interpretation, so take it as a spring board to find your own perfect family recipe.
Protein Bars
2 ripe bananas
1/2 C. coconut oil
3 C. oats
1 C. shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 C. dried cranberries
1/2 C. dried apples, cut into small bits (you can use any combo of dried fruits such as dates, cherries, mangoes, apricots, raisins, ect. We just prefer cranberries or cherries and apples.)
1 C. chocolate chips
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
1/2 C. walnuts, chopped (you can use any nut combo you prefer to make 1C. of nuts.)
1 C. of maple syrup/honey/molasses (I use 1/3C. of each to make a full cup. It's our preference. The original recipe called for maple syrup, but that's expensive and I prefer the depth of flavor the molasses and honey add.)
1 C. peanut butter ( or any nut butter of your preference. almond, pecan, cashew, ect.)
6 scoops of protein powder ( I use Nutiva Hemp Protein)
4 T. flax seeds or flax meal
4 T. Chia seeds
1 T. cinnamon
2 t. vanilla extract
Throw everything into your big stand mixer 2 or 3 at a time, and mash it all up together well, adding ingredients as you go. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper so you can lift the bars out when frozen to make cutting the bars easier later. Spread out mixture well and then freeze for a few hours. Remove from freezer and slice into bars. Wrap individually or not and keep them in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge. Enjoy!
Those look amazing!
ReplyDeleteLoved this if you have more of recipes with this amazing protein please mail me.
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