homemade protein bars.

Here is one I found online and altered it to my liking...............


Gluten Free Almond Power Bars
2 cups almonds (raw)
½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a Vitamix)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup unsalted creamy roasted almond butter
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup coconut oil
4 drops stevia
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao (optional)
1.Place almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, almond butter and salt in a food processor
2.Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds
3.In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat
4.Remove coconut oil from stove, stir stevia, agave and vanilla into oil
5.Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a coarse paste
6.Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish
7.Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens
8.In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously
9.Spread melted chocolate over bars; return to refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chocolate hardens
10.Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve

Makes 20 bars

Here is my other one I use, my hubby likes this one better!!

Keep in mind, we eat Paleo / Primal standards so they are low in sugar and all natural, using raw ingredients for a lot of items.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Mixed Nuts + Seeds (I used linseed, sesame, pumpkin seed, slivered almonds + sunflower seed)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup crunchy almond butter (although hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/4 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)

1/4 cup almond meal ( or alternatively simply pulse approximately 1/4 cup of almonds until it creates a coarse flour)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw organic manuka honey (although, this is really kind of optional because the egg will help hold the mixture together)
3/4 cup whey protein powder (or 90g)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top


This is not actually me.



Method:
1.On a cookie sheet, toast nuts+seeds and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking…trust us!
2.Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts+seeds are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).
3.In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
4.Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
5.Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
6.Add whole egg and mix thoroughly.
7.Fold in goji berries.
8.Press mixture into an 8 by 8 loaf pan (a modification that we made to keep everything crisper and help the bars to hold together).
9.Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
10.Remove from oven, sprinkle a ¼ cup of shredded coconut on top and place under broiler until top begins to brown.
11.Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces/bars.
12.Enjoy or stack on wax paper/parchment and store in an airtight container.




Nutrition Information:

Nutrition for 1/12 of the batch. Nutritional breakdown courtesy of FitDay.com:

Calories: 184

Fat: 14.0 grams

Carbohydrates: 6.0 grams

Protein: 12.6 grams