No-Bake Nutty Protein Bars
These protein bars make a great pick me up snack that will also fill you up and keep your blood sugar levels balanced between meals or after exercise. And even better, they are incredibly easy to make – no cooking involved!
This also means the ingredients stay raw, retaining more of their goodness. These bars are high in protein not only from the added protein powder, but also from the nuts and seeds, which bring the extra benefits of healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Coconut oil delivers medium-chain fats that are sent to the liver for instant energy, as well as providing anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, plus they are thought to raise the metabolism.
This recipe is forgiving, so I encourage you to play around with flavours you like – you could try different nuts and seeds, swap the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter, or even tahini. Or try adding in some vanilla extract, cacao powder, cinnamon, raisins or goji berries, or even dark chocolate chips if you’re feeling indulgent.
| Ingredients |
|---|
| 60g macadamia nuts |
| 40g pecans |
| 60g pumpkin seeds |
| 20g ground flaxseeds |
| 20g desiccated coconut |
| 50g crunchy peanut butter, unsweetened |
| 4 medjool dates, de-pitted and chopped |
| 2 tbsp raw honey |
| 75g coconut oil |
| 2 scoops/tbsps protein powder (I used grass fed collagen powder) |
Line a 20cm square baking tin or similar with parchment paper.
Put the nuts, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseeds and desiccated coconut into a processor, and whizz to a course, chunky crumb texture – don’t over mix otherwise the mixture will become too fine like flour. Then add the dates, coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, and collagen powder and blitz again until the mixture comes together and is well combined.
Press the mixture into the lined baking tin until even and flat, and place in the fridge to set for about an hour. Remove from the fridge, cut into 12 pieces and then store any uneaten slices in the fridge in a covered container for up to four days.
