Healthy Homemade Protein Bar Recipe (2024)

If your household is anything like ours, snacks are a must. My husband gets up at about 2 every morning so he’s on the hunt for a quick snack to grab on his way out the door. (Early rising for farmers!)

I used to try having him wait until after he was done with morning milking but he’s got over 6 hours into the workday by that time and it’s hard to work on an empty stomach. So instead, he tries to find something smaller to snack on that will hold him over. Not only does he like to snack, we also have six children who do too.

So today, I’m sharing a delicious homemade protein bar recipe since it’s a great alternative to the less healthy snack options we used to grab.

What Is A Homemade Protein Bar?

This particular homemade protein bar recipe is a cross between a brownie and a granola bar. It’s soft and chewy, and so very delicious. While the cacao powder helps it pack the sweetness that chocolate lovers enjoy, this recipe also features protein powder and peanut butter which helps it to be filling too.

Homemade Protein Bar Recipe

This homemade protein bar recipe is simple to make and certain to be a hit!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 scoops protein powder (vanilla or chocolate is fine)
• 1/2 cup cocao powder (I prefer Cacao Bliss)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or your favorite kosher salt
• 1/2 cup milk, separated
• 1/4-1/2 cup mix-ins (optional)
• 4 ounces melting chocolate for drizzle

Mix-ins are optional but always fun and a great way to change up this recipe for a bit of variety. Choose from your family’s favorites or experiment with something new. Popular options include mini chocolate chips, craisins, raisins, dried fruit, or peanuts.

Instructions

1. Begin by lining an 8″x8″ pan with parchment paper. Then set the pan aside. (While you can choose to just spray the pan with a non-stick cooking spray, the parchment gives you more freedom. Later on, once your bars are done, the parchment allows you to lift the entire contents out easily. Then you can just place on a cutting board for slicing into desired bar sizes as opposed to cutting in the pan and then trying to remove each bar individually.)
2. For this delicious peanut butter homemade protein bar recipe, you’ll need to place the oats in a food processor and grind them into a flour consistency.

3. Next, add the protein powder, cocao powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup milk to the oat flour. Process until the mixture is well combined and tacky (but NOT sticky to the touch).

4. Slowly add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until the correct consistency is reached.

5. Gently hand stir in add-ins.

6. Transfer your protein bar mixture to the prepared pan. Press firmly with a rubber scraper or your hands, making one even, smooth layer in your pan. (Work to make the top as smooth as possible.)

7. Top with additional add-ins, if desired. Cover your bar mixture with a sheet of parchment paper and chill till set. ***About 1 hour in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.

8. Remove the bars from the refrigerator or freezer. Gently grasp the bottom layer of parchment and lift your bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into desired bar sizes. An 8×8 pan generally makes 10-12 bars.

9. Melt your chocolate and drizzle over each bar. Let sit at room temperature until the chocolate has set. Wrap each individual bar in parchment paper and store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Print This Healthy Homemade Protein Bar Recipe

As mentioned above, these bars make for great snacks at home and on the go. They work well in holding off hunger when you’re heading out to a kid’s sporting event or to just give your family a boost of energy.

Packaged protein bars can get really expensive and may be full of additives. This homemade protein bar recipe allows you to control exactly what’s inside so you can be sure you’re serving up a delicious, healthy option.

The best part is that you can customize flavors by switching up your protein powder and add-ins.