Protein bars are a hit among fitness freaks and bodybuilders. And what's better than a homemade protein bar? These homemade protein bar recipes area must try for all who are looking for a easy and yummy way to add protein to their diet.
What Is A Protein Bar?
Best protein bars are on-the-go snack bars that are rich in proteins and low on carbs. They, however, do provide an array of vitamins and minerals that add to the long list of protein bar benefits. They lend instant energy and help keep the body satiated for longer durations. Workout protein bars are aimed at fighting mid-workout hunger pangs and can also be used to keep one from binge eating.
Protein bars are great for bodybuilders, athletes, and sports persons as they aid cell repair and help the body recover from wounds and tissue damage. They promote the body’s hormonal and enzyme function as well.
You can easily carry a protein bar in your workout bag and use it as a mini-meal replacement. If chosen wisely based on the right ingredient-mix, the calories in protein bars can be easily regulated to support your fitness goals, especially when you are on a weight loss diet plan.
Why go for homemade protein bars?
Other than the fact that store bought protein bars work out to be very expensive considering you are going to need one everyday; they are also not that nutritious. Laden with sugar and carbs they are actually not protein bars in the true sense. On the other hand, homemade protein bars are not only healthier they are also easy to make and quite economical. You can pick the best quality ingredients, have the right proportion of nutrients based on your fitness goals and make them in batches to last you the whole week. Make a fresh batch for the next week and you are good to go.
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8 Best Homemade Protein Bars
Here are some great homemade protein bar recipes. These low carb low sugar protein bars recipes give you some super delicious, easy to make bars, perfect to store at room temperature and enjoy as quick workout snacks whenever you feel the need.
To make the perfect protein bars here are some mandatory requirements –
- Protein powder and flour base – To make the base of your bar you need to select your kind of protein powder and a flour type to mix it with. Select a flour that you can consume raw or slightly toasted. A good example would be coconut, almond or oats flour.
- Binding liquid – Milk or cream is good to bind your dough with. Good examples would be – coconut milk, cow’s milk, or almond milk.
- Wow surprises – These can be nuts, nutty butter, dried fruits, berries, and more. Stuff that you would love to bite into and that lends your bars that flavorful boost.
- Yummy coating – this is optional, although a dark chocolate coating does away with the need to add extra sugar. It also offers a burst of antioxidants for that additional benefit.
1. Blueberry Protein Bar
Ingredients (Makes 15 Bars)
- Whey protein powder – ½ cup
- 1+1/2 cup oats
- Nuts – pistachios, flaxseed, walnuts, sunflower seeds – ½ cup each
- Almonds – ¾ cup
- Blue berries – ½ cup
- Honey – 1/3 cup
- Applesauce – Unsweetened – ¼ cup
- Almond butter – 1 cup
How To Make
- To make this homemade protein bar, the whey powder acts as a good binding agent.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and knead lightly
- Melt the butter in a separate pan and pour overt the mixture.
- To it also add the applesauce and the honey
- Mix again. You will see that the batter will come together and hold well.
- Now shape out the bars
- Freeze for 30 minutes and you are good to go
- These are great breakfast bars or early morning snacks
2. Coconut and Vanilla Bars
Ingredients (Makes 6 Bars)
- Vanilla Whey – 1 cup
- Flaked coconut – ½ cup
- Milk – ½ cup
- Coconut flour – ½ cup
- Melted Dark Chocolate – 50-60 grams
- Make the dough by mixing the whey and coconut flour with the milk. If your batter is too sticky add some more flour to get the right consistency.
- Add in the flakes as the chewy bits.
- Now start shaping your mixture into small bars
- Now melt some chocolate in a double boiler
- Dip each bar in the melted chocolate in a way that it coats the bars well
- Place on a tray covered with cling film
- Once all bars are done, freeze them for 30 minutes
- Take them out and wrap in cling film individually or store in a jar at room temperature
3. Strawberry Protein Bars
Ingredients (Makes 6 Bars)
- Unflavored whey protein powder – 60 gms
- Unsweetened almond milk – 60 ml
- Shredded coconut – 60 gms
- Dried strawberries – 60 gms
- Vanilla essence – ½ tsp
- Dark chocolate – 80 gms
How To Make
- Put strawberries in a mixer and finely grind
- Mix the whey, almond milk, shredded coconut, and dried strawberries together.
- Knead them lightly so that they stick together
- Add vanilla essence and mix again
- The batter is ready to shape into bars
- Once you make the bars, coat them with melted chocolate and let them cool and set on a cling film
4. Goji berry and Orange protein bars
Ingredients (Makes 5 Bars)
- Vanilla whey or unflavored powder – 1 cup
- Almond powder – ¾ cup
- Goji Berries – ¾ cup
- Coconut flour – ¼ cup
- Milk – ½ cup
- Vanilla essence – 1tsp
- Orange rind – 1tsp
- Chili powder – 1 tsp
- Melted Dark Chocolate – 30 grams
How To Make
- Mix in the whey, almond powder, Goji berries, coconut flour, vanilla essence and milk in a bowl
- Knead them all together lightly to make the batter for the bars
- Put in the chili powder and the orange rind for added flavor
- Now shape the batter into bars
- Melt some dark chocolate
- Dip each bar in the melted chocolate in a way that it coats the bars well
- Place on a tray covered with cling film and freeze for 30 minutes before storing at room temperature
5. Red Velvet Protein Bars
Ingredients (Makes 4 Bars)
- Vanilla whey or unflavored powder – 1 cup
- Coconut flour – ¼ cup
- Coconut Milk – ½ cup
- Cooked and grated beets – 2 small sized
- Pumpkin seed butter – 1tsp
- Melted Dark Chocolate – 40 grams
How To Make
- Mix in the whey, coconut flour, beets, butter, and coconut milk in a bowl
- Knead them all together lightly and shape the batter into bars
- Dip the bars in melted chocolate to coat completely and let it cool in the refrigerator
- After half an hour the bars are done and ready to store at normal temperature.
6. Chocolate and Oats Protein Bar
Ingredients (Makes 4 Bars)
- Oats – 1 cup
- Soy protein powder – ½ cup
- Cocoa powder – ¼ cup
- Unsweetened shredded coconut – ½ cup
- Pitted dates – 2/3 cup
- Brown rice syrup – 6 tsp
- Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
How To Make
- Take the oats and grind them in a grinder
- To the powdered oats add whey and cocoa powder and mix them well
- Soften the dates by dipping in brown rice syrup and blend them in the blender with salt till a thick paste forms
- Now blend in the powder mixture
- Add the shredded coconuts to the mixture.
- Spread it onto a sheet of butter paper and roll it out
- Cut out the bars and put them in the refrigerator for five to six hours to firm up and set
- These bars must be refrigerated at all times
7. Crunchy Ginger Vanilla Protein Bars
Ingrediants (Makes 5 Bars)
- Rolled Oats – 1 cup
- Protein Powder – 2 scoops
- Crushed Corn Flakes or Oats – ½ cup
- Chopped Almonds – ½ cup
- Shredded coconut – ¼ cup
- Fine chopped, crystallized ginger – ½ cup
- Almond butter – 1/3 cup
- Honey – ¼ cup
- Coconut Milk – 2 tbs
- Pitted, chopped dates – ½ cups
How To Make
- To make these bars preheat your oven to 180 deg. Cel.
- In a large bowl mix the oats, cornflakes, ginger, almonds, and shredded coconut
- Take a saucepan and add the honey, coconut milk, dates, protein powder, and butter to it
- Heat over slow flame
- Once the mixture is done, pour it over the dry ingredients and mix well
- Grease a baking tray and press down this mixture into it
- Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes
- Once done, cool the mixture and then cut into bars
- The bars can be stored at normal temperature
- These homemade protein bars work well as breakfast snacks and post-workout bars
8. Granola Bars
Ingrediants (Makes 12 Bars)
- Rolled oats – ½ cup
- Protein powder – ½ cups
- Rice crisp cereal – ½ cup
- Natural peanut/almond butter – ½ cup
- Honey – ½ cup
- Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
How To Make
- Grind the oats to a fine powder in a mixer
- Take a large bowl and mix the oats powder, rice cereal, salt, and protein powder
- Add the butter, honey and vanilla extract to the mixture and stir well
- If the mixture crumbles, add some coconut or almond milk to it to bind
- Press it into a greased pan to set in place and firm up
- Once it sets cut into bars and garnish with melted chocolate drizzle for taste and visual charm
Variations – As a great twist to the recipe, you can use chocolate whey protein powder instead of your regular protein powder and replace honey with maple syrup. You can also add nuts and chocolate chips to the mixture before setting. If you are not allergic to peanut butter and love its taste, it makes a wonderful alternative to almond butter in this recipe.
What to keep in mind when making homemade protein bars?
- Total calories – based on your fitness goals keep in mind the calories the bar is contributing. For those on a weight loss diet, a daily protein bar laden with calories might not be a good idea, however, for those looking to build lean muscle it works out just brilliantly. So choose your ingredients wisely.
- Protein to carb ratio – keep an eye on the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates in your homemade protein bar. A 2:1 ratio of proteins to carbohydrates generally works well for those looking at weight loss. Remember, a protein bar has more proteins than carbohydrates.
- Sugar and fat content – To derive maximum protein bar benefits it is always better to keep the sugar and fat content low in your protein bar, as most ingredients will be naturally sweet. Artificial sweeteners may lead to bloating and acidity.
All these homemade protein bar recipes discussed here are really simple and barring a couple, they do not even require cooking time. So go ahead and opt for these low carb low sugar protein bars recipes and lend a boost to your health and fitness goals.
