Homemade Protein Bars

Tawnykakers1

Does anyone make or have made their own protein bars? I was wondering what your experience has been. Are they easy to make, tasty, cost effective and worth the time?

murphyraven

I know Alton Brown has a recipe for homemade protein bars but I have never attempted to make them. If you experiment let us know how they turn out!

cmchandler74

After reading your post this morning, I received my monthly email update from the Virgin Pulse program and they had a recipe in it for homemade energy/protein bars. Figured you might want it. It's kind of high in carbs, but my guess is it would fluctuate depending on what type of fruit you use (if at all - you could probably substitute PB2 and some water for the fruit to make it lower carb). Here it is:

Homemade Energy Bars

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

1 cup nuts – we like cashews and almonds, but you can use whatever you prefer
1 cup dried fruit, like apricots, cranberries, or pineapple
1 cup dried, pitted dates
Optional: ½ cup chopped fruit and nuts of your choice

Directions

Combine the first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a ball is formed, scraping down the edges when needed. For added texture, stir in some extra chopped fruit and nuts.

Place the ball on a piece of wax paper, press into a square pan, then chill overnight.

Unwrap, cut, and serve! You can store the bars in the fridge for several weeks.

Nutritional information (serves 7)

Calories: 253
Fat: 9g
Carbs: 34g
Protein: 5g
Fiber: 4g

I've also attached the picture they include with it.

anbrdr

I wonder if you could add in some isolate to up the protein/substitute almond flour for some of the nuts. They look delicious, but the carb to protein ratio is a little offset, in my opinion.

Tawnykakers1

Thanks! I have done some internet searching and found a site that has some simple recipes I want to try. They do include protein powder. When I try them I will let you know. The carbs are lower and protein higher. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/diy-protein-bars-healthy-bars-in-5-easy-steps.html

anbrdr

Awesome link!

garber6th

Tawnykakers1 wrote: »

Thanks! I have done some internet searching and found a site that has some simple recipes I want to try. They do include protein powder. When I try them I will let you know. The carbs are lower and protein higher. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/diy-protein-bars-healthy-bars-in-5-easy-steps.html

This is awesome, I have been wanting to experiment and make some protein bars that are savory rather than sweet, and with this base recipe I think I can make it work!

ETA - some of the reviews say that the bars are sticky - I am wondering if you bake them for a bit if it would eliminate the stickiness and help them hold their shape? (Guess I will try and report back!)

Tawnykakers1

garber6th wrote: »

Tawnykakers1 wrote: »

Thanks! I have done some internet searching and found a site that has some simple recipes I want to try. They do include protein powder. When I try them I will let you know. The carbs are lower and protein higher. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/diy-protein-bars-healthy-bars-in-5-easy-steps.html

This is awesome, I have been wanting to experiment and make some protein bars that are savory rather than sweet, and with this base recipe I think I can make it work!

ETA - some of the reviews say that the bars are sticky - I am wondering if you bake them for a bit if it would eliminate the stickiness and help them hold their shape? (Guess I will try and report back!)

I have read on some other sites to bake them on a low temp. of 250 degrees. They don't say the reason for the low temp but I thought that maybe its so low to keep the protein powder from being compromised. I am going to play around with the recipe and see what happens. I need to pick up some ingredients first. It will be fun to see what we come up with.

rpyle111

garber6th wrote: »

Tawnykakers1 wrote: »

Thanks! I have done some internet searching and found a site that has some simple recipes I want to try. They do include protein powder. When I try them I will let you know. The carbs are lower and protein higher. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/diy-protein-bars-healthy-bars-in-5-easy-steps.html

This is awesome, I have been wanting to experiment and make some protein bars that are savory rather than sweet, and with this base recipe I think I can make it work!

ETA - some of the reviews say that the bars are sticky - I am wondering if you bake them for a bit if it would eliminate the stickiness and help them hold their shape? (Guess I will try and report back!)

Can't wait to see and hear the report!

What I like about this link is that it explains the important parts of 'why' each ingredient is there. Makes experimentation easier and more likely to work.

cmchandler74

anbrdr wrote: »

I wonder if you could add in some isolate to up the protein/substitute almond flour for some of the nuts. They look delicious, but the carb to protein ratio is a little offset, in my opinion.

Yeah, probably because of the double dollop of fruit.

Also, that link!! So many cool ideas. Plenty of things to play around with there. I'd have to do it without the protein powders, which make me sick, but I can substitute PB2 for that. I'm also convinced there's got to be a better way to bind them without flour in the mix.