My daughter introduced me to these delicious gluten-free and almost sugar-free chocolate protein bars. I have tweaked the recipe a bit to make it my own. Whether or not you avoid gluten, if you love chocolate and oats, and are looking for a healthy snack, you will love these protein bars.
So that I don’t have to make them as often, I have doubled the recipe. Doing this requires two 9×9 pans. It also allows me to use the entire 16-oz jar of peanut butter instead of needing to measure out 1 cup (8 oz) then scoop it out of a measuring cup).
The “Wet” Ingredients:
1 16 oz. jar organic peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raw honey
¼ – ½ cup dark mini chocolate chips*
1 teaspoon stevia** ( I know, these last 2 things aren’t wet, just go with me here.)
The “Dry” Ingredients:
2 cups oats
2 ounces chocolate protein powder
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
¼ cup ground organic flax seed
Instructions:
- Line two 9 x 9 baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Over medium heat, combine the wet ingredients.
- Stir until the chocolate chips have melted, and the mixture is smooth.
- Add wet ingredients into dry.
- Fold all ingredients together until well-combined. If mixture is too dry, add almond milk in very small increments.
- Pour the combined mixture into the parchment-lined pans.
- Press mixture into the corners of the pan, and create a smooth, even surface. You may need to use your fingers.
- Chill for 2 hours.***
- Using the parchment paper, lift the chilled mixture out of the pan, and cut into 16 small squares (I cut it into quarters, then cut each quarter into quarters.)
* My daughter’s recipe called for the chocolate chips to be mixed in with the dry ingredients. I found the bars to more “chocolaty” if the chips are melted and blended in with the peanut butter mixture.
** I included the stevia with wet ingredients so it would dissolve in the heat, and blend better.
