Description

These homemade protein bars are a nutritious and delicious snack, combining rolled oats, peanut butter, banana, honey, and protein powder for sustained energy. Packed with wholesome ingredients and customizable mix-ins like dried fruit or chocolate chips, they’re perfect for a quick breakfast, post-workout boost, or healthy snack anytime.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (135 g)
3/4 cup peanut butter (or favorite nut butter or sunflower butter) (180 g)
1 banana, mashed (120 g)
1/3 cup honey (or agave or real maple syrup) (110 g)
Pinch salt
½ cup ground flax seed (55 g)
1 cup protein powder* (120 g)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)

Mix-in Options

3/4 cup chopped dates, dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, or raisins), mini chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, nuts

Instructions

Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all the ingredients—rolled oats, peanut butter, mashed banana, honey, salt, ground flax seed, protein powder, vanilla extract, and your choice of mix-ins—until the mixture is well combined. The consistency should be fairly soft and not dry or crumbly. If it feels too dry, add a small splash of water, milk, or an extra drizzle of honey to achieve the right texture.
Press Into Pan: Firmly press the mixture into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or lightly greased for easier removal. Press very firmly to ensure the bars hold together well and don’t crumble after setting.
Chill and Set: Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the bars to set properly. This step helps them firm up enough to slice neatly into individual servings.
Slice and Store: Once set, remove the bars from the pan and cut into your desired sizes. Store the protein bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks to maintain freshness and texture.

Notes

You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for different flavors.
If you don’t have protein powder, use powdered milk or skip it altogether but expect lower protein content.
To keep bars vegan, use maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
Add a splash of plant-based milk if the mixture is too stiff while mixing.
Experiment with mix-ins to customize the bars to your taste, including nuts, seeds, or different dried fruits.
These bars do not require baking or cooking, making preparation quick and simple.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: No-Cook
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: protein bars, homemade protein bars, healthy snack, no-bake protein bars, energy bars, peanut butter bars