5 Energy/Protein Bar Recipes to Try Home | How to Make Protein Bars

Are you up for some healthy evening snack options? Or are you searching for some homemade post-workout options? Congrats! You have landed at the right place!

In this article, you will get to know five varieties of protein bars, which you can easily make at home with not so fancy ingredients. Also, you will learn about different toppings, storing tips & other essential points while making these healthy protein bars.

Protein bars are similar to chikki or patti (traditional sweet & brittle sweet made with nuts & jaggery). The difference is that various nuts & seeds are added to protein bars to provide instant energy. These are also called energy bars.

So, let’s get started.

 

How to Make Protein Bars at Home

1. Dates & Nuts Protein Bar

Energy bars made with dates and nuts are a perfect post-workout snack. These bars are packed with omega-3 (healthy fatty acids) from walnuts & seeds, which keeps the body energized. For people searching for good munching options in the evening, dates & nuts protein bars are good options. In this bar, healthy sweeteners (dates and honey) are used.

Required Ingredients

• 1 cup of deseed dates
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup almonds
• ½ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup grated coconut
• ½ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Rolled oats

 

Procedure

1. Soak deseed dates in warm water for 2 hours. After that, make its paste.
2. Dry roast cashews, almonds, walnuts, sesame & pumpkin seeds till these become crisp.
3. Then, add grated coconut into the mix, and again roast till it becomes golden brown.
4. Keep the mixture aside.
5. Sauté the paste of dates till it thickens.
6. Then add roasted nuts & seeds mixture into the dates paste. (keeping the flame open)
7. Mix it well.
8. Now, put the flame off.
9. Add honey, cardamom powder & salt into the pan.
10. Mix all contents well.
11. Now, dry roast the rolled oats & make it to a fine powder.
12. Add this powder to the previous mix of nuts, seeds & dates.
13. Transfer this thoroughly combined mixture into the tray & level it well.
14. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
15. After 2 hours, cut the mix into rectangular pieces (or any shape of your desire).

Ta-da! Your healthy protein bars are ready to eat!

 

Now, let’s move to the second recipe, the peanut butter protein bar.

 

2. Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Peanut butter is rich in healthy fats & proteins. It contains omega-6 fatty acids, which helps the body in increasing the protective cholesterol. Other than peanut butter, nut (almond/cashew) milk, protein powder, rolled oats, and almonds are ingredients used to make these protein bars. Nut milk is rich in vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

 

Required Ingredients

• 250 grams (or 1cup) of peanut butter
• 250 ml (or 1cup) of cashew/almond milk
• Four scoops of protein powder
• 3 cups of rolled oats
• 45 grams (or ½ cup) almonds

 

Procedure

1. Heat the peanut butter in a pan.
2. Add cashew/almond milk into the pan.
3. Stir the mix till no solid lumps are present.
4. Now, add protein powder & stir well.
5. Then, add roasted oats & chopped almonds into the mixture.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Directly transfer the mix to the dish lined with butter paper.
8. Spread the mix evenly & cut it into pieces.
9. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

NOTE: You can make peanut butter & almond milk at home. Freshly prepared homemade butter & milk make the protein bars tastier & healthier.

 

 Now, let’s move to the third recipe, the vegan protein bar, which requires an oven for baking.

 

3. Vegan Baked Protein Bar

The vegan baked protein bar is a good option for people who love having a healthy evening snack or studying late at night. This protein bar is prepared without any milk products. Flax seeds & nuts (peanuts & almonds) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (healthy fats) and rich in vitamin E (balances cholesterol levels).

All the ingredients are power packed with nutrients. Jaggery & cacao powder and raisins are used as healthier versions of sweeteners used in making the energy bar.

 

Ingredients

• 300 grams rolled oats (unprocessed)
• 100 grams wheat flour
• 75 grams jaggery powder (or brown sugar/coconut sugar)
• Two tablespoon flax seeds
• Flax mixture (crushed flax seeds with five tablespoons water)
• Two tablespoon cinnamon powder
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• ½ cup dark cacao powder
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil
• Handful of raisins
• Melted jaggery powder (or maple syrup)
• Pinch of Himalayan salt
• ½ cup of water

 

Procedure

1. Add all the ingredients to the bowl.
2. Stir & mix them well.
3. Transfer the mixture to a baking tray.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
5. Bake the mixture in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. You can also check your range in 18-20 minutes.
7. After baking, allow the mix to cool down a little.
8. Then, slice it into rectangular or square shapes with a knife.

Your protein bars are ready to serve!

Note: Rolled oats are less processed, hence healthier. Try to make freshly prepared cinnamon powder for usage. You can also add whey protein isolate in case you are into the gym. Cacao powder is a healthier version than cocoa powder, as the former has more antioxidant properties than the latter. You can also use dark chocolate or chocolate chips in place of cacao powder.

 

Now, let’s move to the fourth recipe of protein bars, especially for your chocolate cravings.

 

4. Milk & Chocolate Protein Bar

If you are a chocolate lover and want to use a protein bar as an alternative, then this milk & chocolate protein bar is for you! Made with the goodness of nuts and muesli, these protein bars are a good energy source. No artificial sweetener is used. You can relish this protein bar as a post or pre-workout snack.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup jaggery powder
• ½ cup mixed nuts
• Four tablespoon butter
• 2 cup muesli
• ¼ cup milk
• One tablespoon vanilla extract

 

Procedure

1. Heat the mix of milk, jaggery powder, cocoa powder & butter in a pan.
2. Stir the mixture thoroughly to make a smooth mix.
3. Turn off the flame.
4. Now, add muesli, mixed nuts & vanilla extract into the pan
5. Again, combine this mixture well. Make sure the mixture in the pan is still warm.
6. Pour the layer into the dish tray.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
8. Take out the tray once the mixture is set.
9. Make small cuts with a knife or pizza cutter.

Your milk & chocolate protein bars are ready to eat!

 

 Now, let’s move to the last recipe of the article, the cranberry protein bar.

 

5. No-Bake Cranberry Protein Bar

These cranberry bars are one of the easiest recipes of protein bars. Berries and almonds are rich in fibres & anti-inflammatory properties. Here, honey acts as a natural sweetener & binding agent too. It is considered an ideal power-packed snack with healthy fats, proteins & vitamin E.

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Brown rice syrup (or maple syrup/stevia)
• 2 cups almond
• 2/3 cup puffed rice
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• Two tablespoon honey

 

Procedure

1. Take puffed rice, almonds & cranberries in a bowl.
2. Then, heat a pan & put almonds, brown rice syrup & vanilla extract (optional) & blend them all
3. Pour this liquid mix onto the mixing bowl of almonds, cranberries & puffed rice.
4. Quickly mix them, else the mixture becomes hardened.
5. After thorough mixing, transfer it to the dish tray.
6. Spread the mix evenly in the tray.
7. Put the tray in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
8. After that, cut the refrigerated mixture into square or rectangular pieces.

Your healthy protein snacks are ready!

As you are making these protein bars at home, you can garnish these bars with different varieties of toppings.

Toppings You Can Add

You can add toppings like chopped almonds, walnuts, pistachios, flax seeds, and chocolate chips, etc., on energy bars, as per your liking.

 

Special care must be taken while storing these homemade protein bars.

 

How to Store These Protein Bars?

Store the non-baked protein bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. You can keep it frozen for a maximum of 3 weeks.

Store the baked protein bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

There are various small but important points to be noted regarding homemade protein bars.

Important Points to Consider

• Do the dry roasting of nuts or oats in an iron pan. Aluminium tends to leach into the food being roasted if you are using an aluminium pan.
• These homemade protein bars can be considered a good option for evening snack filler, a rescue breakfast option when running late for the office, or a student preparing for exams & studying late at night.
• Protein-energy bars are convenient for adding proteins, vitamins, carbs, and minerals to your diet.
• Do not consider protein bars as a substitute for whole foods.
• Do make homemade peanut butter & almond/cashew milk.
• No artificial sweetener/ preservatives/ additives are used while making homemade protein bars.

 

Final Thoughts

Preparing food at home can give you the freedom to customize as per your preferences & satisfaction, including the healthier versions of ingredients used. So, when it comes to protein bars for an energy boost, why don’t you make it at home? Now, when you know the above five recipes for making protein bars, why not give it a try?

 

What are you waiting for? Go and try out these recipes, and share your experiences in the comments below.