Perfectly delicious Peanut Butter Protein Bars made with oats, peanut butter, flax, hemp hearts, and honey. Each bar packs 10 grams of plant-based protein and 5 grams of fiber, making them an easy, satisfying snack for when mid-day hunger hits.
As a Registered Dietitian, I wanted a protein bar that delivers balanced nutrition without relying on excess sugar, protein powder, or fillers. I'll be the first to admit - it took some creativity to make a protein-packed bar with minimal added sugar that actually tastes good.
When it comes to protein bars, store-bought options can be convenient, but they're often packed with sugar or sugar alcohols, not-so-simple ingredients, and a price tag that adds up fast. That's exactly why I set out to make my own homemade version - one that's just as satisfying (if not more!) and made with simple, nourishing ingredients.
Mission accomplished, and I'm so excited for you to try them! 🤩
Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- Easy Recipe No baking, no cooking. All you need to do is mix most of the ingredients together and pat it down. Then drizzle melted chocolate on top and let it cool.
- Simple Ingredients No artificial sweeteners. No sugar alcohols. No protein powder. Just oats, peanut butter, peanut butter powder, hemp seeds, flax meal, honey, chocolate, and a little bit of coconut oil.
- Sweet but not too sweet Similar to my review of Aloha protein bars, these homemade protein bars are sweet but not too sweet. To make these with even less sugar, cut the amount of chocolate chips in half and drizzle the melted chocolate on instead of spreading it out.
Ingredient Notes
- Oats Use old-fashioned rolled oats. I've made these using quick oats and I did not like the texture.
- Peanut Butter Use smooth peanut butter, not crunchy. I use all-natural, lightly salted peanut butter. Drippy peanut butter (only ingredients are peanuts and salt) comes in handy because of the extra liquid.
- Peanut Butter Powder Made from peanuts - that's it! To clarify, peanut butter powder is not the same thing as protein powder. It can be found in the peanut butter section of most grocery stores.
- Flax Meal Ground flaxseeds. Flax seeds are an excellent source of fiber, protein and omega'3 fatty acids (also known as healthy fats 😉).
- Hemp Seeds Also known as hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds). They add fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and great texture to protein bars and energy bites. *Hemp seeds are higher in protein than chia seeds.
- Honey I use local raw honey, for its potential health benefits. But, really, any kind of honey will work just fine.
- Chocolate Chips These protein bars are not very sweet without the thin chocolate coating, so I use semi-sweet chocolate chips since they are sweeter than dark chocolate chips.
- Coconut Oil You only need a little bit to help thin out the chocolate just enough. The coconut flavor is hardly noticeable.
Dietitian Tip
Incorporating hemp seeds and flax meal are two easy ways to boost the amount of protein while also increasing the amount of fiber in a recipe.
How to Make Homemade Protein Bars
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
- Spread the peanut butter oat mixture out evenly to cover the bottom of a lined baking dish.
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter oat mixture to create a thin chocolate layer on top. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes and serve!
Helpful Tips
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper to keep the protein bars from sticking.
- Use the palms of your hands or very small rolling pin to form the thin bottom layer.
- Spread the chocolate coating over the oat mixture while the chocolate is still hot.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. These protein bars will soften at room temperature.
- Use an 8x11 baking dish for thin bars, or an 8x8 baking dish for thicker bars that aren't quite as long. I've made them both ways and prefer thinner bars. Refer to the image at the top of this post to see the difference in thickness between the bars in the center.
- For a lighter snack that's more like a Mid-Day Square, cut each bar in half (so you would end up with a total of 16 squares instead of 8 bars) or turn them into peanut butter cups by using regular or mini sized muffin tins. Press one to two tablespoons of the oat mixture in each muffin cup (one if using mini sized muffin liners) and press each one down. Then, top each one with some of the melted chocolate.
- To turn these into a higher calorie bar (example: athletes), double the recipe but use the same size pan to make the bars. They will be twice as thick and still delicious.
Questions You May Have
I would think so, it will just change the taste of the bars.
Maple syrup would add a different flavor and texture to these bars. If you'd like to try it, I'd recommend cutting back on the amount of maple syrup a bit since it's not as thick or sticky as honey. Let me know if you try it!
If you prefer a protein bar with a smoother consistency (like a Perfect Bar), you definitely can smooth the oat and peanut butter mixture out by using a food processor, but I don't think it's necessary for this recipe.
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More Easy Snacks
- The Best Protein Bars for Adults & Kids (RD-Approved)
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Did you make this Peanut Butter Protein Bar recipe and love it? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below to let me know! A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
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📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Equipment
- 1 6x11 inch baking dish can use a larger dish, just leave more space around the edges so the bars aren't too thin
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup natural peanut butter At room temperature. I love to use the Classic Peanut Butter by Nutty Novelties.
- ¼ cup peanut butter powder
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup honey raw local honey, if possible
- ¼ cup flax meal
- ½ cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Place the first six ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup natural peanut butter, ¼ cup peanut butter powder, ¼ cup hemp hearts, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup flax meal
- Spread the peanut butter oat mixture out in a thin layer, covering the bottom of a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Chocolate Coating
- Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl and microwave for one minute and forty-five seconds, stopping the microwave once or twice to stir the chocolate as it melts.½ cup chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter oat mixture to form a light chocolate coating as the top layer.
- Place in the refrigerator for ten to fifteen minutes to set.
- Slice into bars & serve!
Notes
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper to keep the protein bars from sticking.
- Use the palms of your hands or very small rolling pin to form the thin bottom layer.
- Spread the chocolate coating over the oat mixture while the chocolate is still hot.
- Use an 8x11 baking dish for thin bars, or an 8x8 baking dish for thicker bars that aren't quite as long. I've made them both ways and prefer thinner bars.
- For a lighter snack that's more like a Mid-Day Square, cut each bar in half (so you would end up with a total of 16 squares instead of 8 bars) or turn them into peanut butter cups by using regular or mini sized muffin tins. Press one to two tablespoons of the oat mixture in each muffin cup (one if using mini sized muffin liners) and press each one down. Then, top each one with some of the melted chocolate.
- To turn these into a higher calorie bar (example: athletes), double the recipe but use the same size pan to make the bars. They will be twice as thick and still delicious.
Carrie Lutz says
Love this recipe! I have made it as balls too - with mini chocolate chips.
Kristi Ruth RD says
Excellent idea!