Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Have you ever had the munchies, opened your pantry to peruse the options, then realized every item on the shelves is either in a shiny wrapper or cardboard box? That’s been me for the last two months. No more! I’m taking back my breakfasts and snacks with these Peanut Butter Protein Bars. Made with oatmeal, protein powder, honey, and some chocolate for happy measure, these healthy oatmeal protein bars are no bake, and the only equipment you’ll need is a bowl and a spoon.
This recipe is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
With the all-out crazy of the last few months (hi, holidays, travel, and general cookbook mania), I’ve been relying on more store-bought snacks than usual. While they certainly have their place, I’ve missed my homemade healthy snacks.
One of the shiny wrapper foods I’ve been relying on the most these past few months is protein bars. Yes, a store-bought bar will do in a pinch, and I appreciate the larger selection of healthy, high-protein options that are on the market now, but nothing feels or tastes as wonderful as making your own wholesome snacks from scratch.
I love knowing exactly what is in these homemade chocolate peanut butter protein bars, the ingredients are simple and nourishing, and the cost-per-bar is a fraction of the ones at the store.
Also, SO YUMMY. The texture of these bars is soft and chewy, and they taste like a thick, bakery-style peanut butter cookie.
As an even-better bonus, these no bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars can be stored at room temperature, something you usually only see in a baked protein bar recipe. That means they are travel friendly and easy to keep at your desk, and you can tuck them in your gym bag for a post-workout refuel.
How to Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars
The ingredient list is short, simple, and a slam dunk.
- Peanut Butter. Healthy fats, protein, and the all-out delicious factor. You can use any kind you like, be it shelf stable or drippy peanut butter.
The consistency of your batter can vary based on the type of peanut butter you use. If your batter is looser than you would like, simply add an extra tablespoon or two of oats until it holds together.
- Oatmeal. But not just any oatmeal. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats.
I am so pleased to announce that Bob’s and I will be teaming up for another year of sharing healthy recipes! I can’t say enough wonderful things about this brand and company. They put care into how ingredients are sourced and processed to make sure they deliver the max nutritional value, are employee owned (I got to meet many employees and Bob himself a few years ago), and I use and recommend Bob’s products both on and off my blog every day.
One of Bob’s most celebrated resources is its range of gluten-free products, including their certified GF rolled oats. Not every brand of oatmeal is gluten free due to cross contamination that can happen at the factory level, but Bob’s are, as they are produced in a separate, dedicated facility. If you have someone in your life who eats gluten free, I have no doubt they’d love a batch of these Peanut Butter Protein Bars! If you don’t need them to be gluten free, regular rolled oats will do nicely too.
Rolled oats are hearty, rich in fiber, and give the Peanut Butter Protein Bars their structure.
Now that we have our peanut butter and oatmeal, let’s grab the rest of the ingredients:
- Honey. For its natural sweetness and “glue” factor.
- Protein Powder. Pump ’em up! To make these protein bars with protein powder, stir in 1/2 cup (about 2 generous scoops) of your favorite brand of protein powder. You can use whey- or plant-based protein. I recommend vanilla, though I suspect chocolate would be tasty too.
- Flaxseed Meal. Omega-3s please.
- Coconut Oil. To help the bars bind and solidify.
- Cinnamon and Chocolate Chips. No ho-hum bars here. These Peanut Butter Protein Bars are loaded with the good stuff.
Once you have the ingredients, it’s as simple as stirring. These healthy oatmeal protein bars are made in one bowl.
Press your bar “batter” into the pan, pop them into the fridge, and they’ll set within an hour.
Ready for a pantry upgrade? Give these Peanut Butter Protein Bars a try! You’ll smile every time you open the door and find them waiting for you.
More Healthy Homemade Protein Snack Recipes
- Peanut Butter Protein Cookies (with protein powder)
- Protein Cookies (without protein powder)
- Protein Oatmeal (overnight oatmeal recipe)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- No Bake Protein Balls
Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter*
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder — about 2 scoops, depending upon your brand
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
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Line an 8x8- or 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides like handles.
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Place the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of water and bring the water to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. (Do not let the water boil, and make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the mixing bowl.) Stir and heat until the mixture is smoothly combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and turn off the heat.
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To the bowl with the peanut butter mixture, add the oats, protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. The mixture will seem very dry at first but will come together as you stir. It won’t be sticky but should hold together when pressed (see recipe notes for more details). If the mixture is still fairly warm, pop the bowl into the refrigerator for a few minutes to let it cool, then stir in the chocolate chips. (Cooling the mixture will prevent the chocolate from melting. Don’t worry if they do melt a little—the bars will still be delicious!) Press evenly into the prepared pan and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
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Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into bars of desired size and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- *The consistency of the bars will vary based on the brand of peanut butter you use. If they seem too loose, add a tablespoon or two of extra oats. If they seem too dry, add additional peanut butter, honey, or even water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the bars hold together easily when pressed into the pan.
- The nutritional information will vary based upon the brand of protein powder you use. If you'd like to calc them with a specific brand, you can do so for free at myfitnesspal.com.
- Store the bars at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. I like to wrap mine individually, then remove them from the freezer as needed. You can also store them in the fridge, though I find they taste best at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1 of 12) — Calories: 244, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 26g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 13g, Protein: 9gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
I am sharing this post in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands and companies that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content for you!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
Hi Erin,
These look great! Is there something I could substitute the coconut oil for?
Thanks!
Hi Charlotte! I only recommend coconut oil, but if you need to swap it, you’ll want to add additional nut butter and then store them in the fridge. I hope you enjoy!
Can I use Bobs Red Mill 100% whole grain quick cooking steel cut oats? It’s what I have.
Hi Samantha, you’re welcome to experiment, but I’d recommend sticking with old-fashioned rolled oats. Steel cut oats have a very different texture than rolled.
I will try these with another sweetener as honey is an animal product. Will let you know how they turn out and which sweetener I used.
Thanks for the recipes you post.
Thanks, Maggie! I hope you love them!
Hi Erin,
Is it okay to substitute almond meal for flax seed meal. I have a sensitivity to flax seed.
Thank you,
Hi Veronica! I haven’t tried it myself, but you could experiment. Almond meal will be drier, so you may need to add a little additional honey or nut butter.
It doesn’t get much better than a peanut butter and chocolate combo <3
I agree 100%, Gaby!
Hello. I wanted to know IF this works without the honey. I am vegan. Thanks
Hi Celeste, you could try substituting maple syrup. I do worry that it would be too runny, so you might need to add more protein powder or oats so that they hold together. I’d also recommend storing them in the fridge. I hope you enjoy!
I am allergic to honey what else could I use?
Hi Kimberly, you could try substituting maple syrup. I do worry that it would be too runny, so you might need to add more protein powder or oats so that they hold together. I’d also recommend storing them in the fridge. I hope you enjoy!
😋Our family is so appreciative of Bob’s Red Mill products for years !!
And more recently the GLUTEN FREE products..
Have proven to be tried and true and a blessing for those coping with celiac issues.
I’m so glad to hear you love Bob’s Red Mill too, Bonnie! They’re great.
These sound so much better than those boxed protein bars! I’m going to keep these on hand for lots of snacking!!!
Hi, if I wanted to not use protein powder, how would I adjust the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jessi! Protein powder is a crucial ingredient in this recipe that can’t be swapped. If you’re looking for a recipe without protein powder, I’d suggest taking a look at these trail mix peanut butter granola bars! https://www.wellplated.com/peanut-butter-granola-bars/
Looks fabulous, thank you! :)
I just made these today with a few changes. I previously made them with almond butter and they were good, but this time I used peanut butter and they were so much better. I left out the protein powder and used rice malt syrup and they were absolutely amazing! It was hard to eat just one :-). I left out the protein powder because when I made the no-bake protein balls, my protein powder was a little too strong.
Thanks for reporting back Jennifer!
My kids really loved it! Can’t wait to make it again!
Made a batch of these for school snacks- they were a hit!
Hi Erin,
I’m not really a peanut butter lover, so I was wondering can I sub it for almond butter instead?
Love your recipes, Thanks! :)
Yes, definitely! I hope you enjoy the bars!
I used chocolate protein powder instead and threw in a bunch of pumpkin seeds as well. YUM! And the kids like them over chocolate chip cookies.
Hi Brett, thanks for reporting back with your tweaks! I’m glad the bars were a hit!
I’m not much of a chef. I made these for my team at the office, and it was well received! Note: For step 2, I got lazy and microwaved the bowl with PB, honey and coconut oil for 10 seconds—just enough to slightly warm the bowl and the ingredients without a mess.
John, YAY! SO glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing!
These bars are fantastic. I changed mine a little though. I did not add the protein powder and therefore added more oats. They are easy to make and delicious.
Thanks for sharing your tweak, Susan! I’m glad you enjoyed the bars!
Love these, so good warmed up a little for a late night snack!
I’m glad you love them, Katie! Thanks for taking the time to leave this review!
For those wondering how to sub out honey, try molasses. The flavor will change, and the overall sweetness will drop a tad, but it keeps the thick, sticky consistency.
Thanks for the tip, Ben! I’m glad you enjoyed the bars!
You mention vanilla extract the article, but it’s not in the recipe. How much would you add? I think I’ll do a tap, because I love the smell of it!
Mary, I am sorry for the confusion! That was an error. You don’t need vanilla extract, since the recipe uses vanilla protein powder. I’ve updated the post. Thanks for letting me know!
Ok thank you! They turned out fabulous! I used chunky PB and added some crushed pecans as well for some extra nutty texture!
YAY!!! So glad to hear it!
This was great, I used powdered peanut butter and cut up a bar of baking chocolate I had. Used unflavored rice protein powder and had to add a little bit more water because of how gritty it felt even after mixing. If it looks a little bit too dry, just add small amounts of water at a time and mix it . The resulting bars were delicious and extremely cheap to make.
Adam, I’m glad these were a hit for you. Thanks for sharing your notes!
Thanks for such a great recipe! I was looking for a recipe so I could use up some vanilla protein (family likes to drink chocolate over vanilla) and peanut butter (found a ton on clearance) and this was perfect! I made a couple of substitutions since I’m trying to use up pantry ingredients and it turned out great. I’ll try this again when the family eats up these using some chocolate protein powder – and with a husband and 2 children who are sprinters, I’m sure they’ll eat these up quickly! Thanks again!
I’m glad it’s a hit, Michelle! Thank you for taking the time to share this review!
I have been trying to find a good alternative to store-bought protein bars, they have become so expensive and so many ingredients that I can’t even pronounce! This recipe was probably my 10th attempt at a protein bar that was full of healthy ingredients including protein powder, but tastes like something that I want to eat every day! You nailed it!! The only tweak I made was warming up the ingredients in the microwave as we are renovating and I don’t have a stove right now! Thanks for this great recipe.
HOORAY! I’m glad this recipe is a winner, Sandy. Thanks for taking the time to share this review!
Hi, I am planning a backpacking trip to Arizona and am looking to make my own trail mix and protein bars. If i substitute out the chocolate for raisins or something else, would these bars sustain the heat and long trek?
Hi Brittany! I have not taken a long hike in warm temperatures with these bars, but I do store them at room temp. If you decide to try them out, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Delicious and easy. Yummy!
Trish, I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking time to let me know. It means a lot!
Love this. In my pantry currently I have nutritional yeast, rather than protein powder. I wonder if I can substitute that? Would it work if I added more sweetener?
As for flax: I have tons of flax seeds and no flax meal currently, so I am planning to grind in the blender. Hope that’s okay. Next question: some of my flax seed supply is in the freezer, after having been boiled twice, to make flax seed gel. I wonder if those frozen seeds are still useful for this recipe? I mean, they’re lacking some of their nutrition, but they still have all their fiber. What’s your opinion?
Hi Julia! I definitely would not recommend nutritional yeast, as that is a totally different product and won’t behave properly or taste appealing in this recipe. For flax: I’d recommend using the whole seeds to grind your own flaxseed meal. Be sure to measure after grinding (the gel I don’t think would work). I hope you enjoy the bars!