All you need is 5 ingredients, one bowl and 25 minutes to make these No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Protein Bars. They’re simple, delicious and packed-full of protein with 12 grams in each bar!
I’m convinced that if food blogging doesn’t work out for me, I have a future career at BuzzFeed. I am both amazing at coming up with click-bait and being that person who clicks through every single click-bait article that appears in their newsfeed. Basically, my life is one long stream of dramatic yet completely enticing headlines.
I don’t discriminate either. I will click anything from Bruce Jenner, to superhero news (#priorities) to ebola. If there was anything in my life that completely undermines my efficiency, it’s stupid and useless articles or any “21 ways you didn’t know you could use shoelaces”-style posts from BuzzFeed.
In addition to a long list of recipe ideas, I keep a file with catchy blog post or article titles in my phone. I almost never use the ideas I come up with, but should BuzzFeed ever come calling, I’m ready.
Last week I came up with a great one, which I genuinely debated using as the title of this post instead of “No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Protein Bars”. I cannot believe I am legitimately sharing this with the interwebs but I ALMOST named this post “How One Girl Met Multiple Soulmates on Facebook”.
I should probably explain…
Last week I asked my friends on Facebook what their one food they couldn’t live without would be. 90% of you said Peanut Butter. That is how I discovered that there’s basically an entire subculture of humanity that I would like to marry. For clarity’s sake, I said “nuts” in all forms and despite the fact that peanuts technically aren’t a nut (they’re a legume), I totally was eating a spoonful of peanut butter as I posted the question on Facebook. So by nuts I meant peanuts and to everyone who responded with peanut butter, I LOVE YOU.
These No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Protein Bars are for my peanut butter loving soulmates of the world. And now that I know there are so many of you out there, I should warn you that they are completely addictive. We’re talking 12 bars down in 2 days kind of addictive.
But it’s okay. You are not alone. We can have a peanut butter themed potluck and a PBAA (peanut butter addicts anonymous) meeting all in one. Who wants in?
How To Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars
These bars don’t require any baking and are ready in under 30 minutes! Just be sure to follow specific directions as listed below including: use smooth, natural peanut butter, oat flour and eat directly from the fridge or freezer.
While these no-bake peanut butter cup protein bars are always delicious, they hold their shape best when cold. If you’d like to eat these on the go, I suggest rolling them into 24 small balls as they hold the shape best when in ball-form. But if you’re only eating them at home, leave them as bars!
Otherwise enjoy and be sure to share the love using the hashtag #thehealthymaven
PrintNo-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 Bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter*
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/2 cup oat flour**
- 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine peanut butter and honey.
- Add in protein powder and oat flour. It should come together into a ball. Batter will be slightly dry.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap over an 8 x 8 inch baking pan so that it hangs over the sides.
- Put batter into pan and flatten with hands so it fills the entire pan. Make sure it’s flat and even.
- Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
- While bars are in freezer, melt chocolate chips in the microwave. I heat in 20 second increments until smooth.
- Remove bars from the freezer and lift out of the pan using the plastic wrap.
- Cut into 12 bars.
- Using a knife spread chocolate onto bars. OR place in a ziploc bag and cut off a corner and drizzle over bars.
- Allow chocolate to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.***
*Make sure your peanut butter is the natural variety, meaning the only ingredient should be peanuts!
**You can grind the oats yourself or buy packaged oat flour. This may work with other flours but I haven’t tried.
***NOTE: The texture of these is best straight from the fridge or freezer. If you are eating them on the go, I recommend rolling the dough into 24 balls instead of 12 bars as they keep their shape better.
Like this recipe? Here are some No-Bake recipes that I think you’ll enjoy:
Raw Nutella Bars
No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars
No-Bake Gingerbread Cookies
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58 Comments
Lauren
September 4, 2016 at 6:56 pmWhat is 3 scoops of protein powder equal to? I have two kinds of protein powder and their scoops are very different sizes (once requires two scoops to get to one serving (~20g protein) vs. the other only needs one scoop to get the same amount of protein). Is there a weight or cup measurement to use instead?
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
September 6, 2016 at 10:04 amAbout 3/4 of a cup is 3 scoops of protein powder. Hope this helps!
Theresa
August 2, 2016 at 4:37 pmThese were fantastic! Thank you!! For those of you who have been eyeing these, drooling over these, wanting to make these and just haven’t yet. Try them! They are delicious!
We made them with unflavored whey isolate protein powder (I don’t like the taste of stevia). I added an extra 1/4 cup of honey and two teaspoons of vanilla extract to replace the loss of flavor and sweetness from using an unflavored protein powder. We used Jif Natural- I’m sure you probably meant to use the REAL natural peanut butter, all we had in the house was Jif Natural. The kids came running over when they heard the chocolate chips being poured into the bowl. They helped rolling them into teaspoon-sized balls. I think they gobbled two each while they were helping.
You received the approval of all three of us! Thank you for helping me to feed my family a nutritious and delicious treat. I’m hoping their classroom isn’t peanut-free this year, I’d love to send one piece in each of their lunch boxes. Thank you again, and again!
Theresa
August 2, 2016 at 8:40 pmUh oh- between the three of us (my two kiddos and myself), we polished off half the tray already. I can’t stop eating them. My mouth is actually watering, because I’m typing and not chewing. Thank you again- and again. I need to rummage through your blog to start trying more of your recipes. Pinned. Forwarded.
Stacy Braiuca
June 20, 2016 at 11:19 pmOMG I am so a member of that club too… Hello my name is Stacy and I am a PB addict. It’s not about PB & chocolate (unless it’s dark chocolate maybe); but it’s about the RATIO of PB to anything! If I were “allergic” to PB, it would be time for “suicide” b/c I’m NOT living without it!
AHHHHHHH, so glad I’m “home” and have met my peeps!!!
Peace, Love, and PB sisters and brothers!
Stacy
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
June 21, 2016 at 6:37 amhaha you have certainly found your people here! We LOVE PB!
Michelle
February 21, 2016 at 10:42 pmusing Leanfit Protein powder mine work out to 211 calories per bar, 12.2 grams fat, 16.4g carbs and 12 grams protein, 8.9 grams sugar.
Lori
February 9, 2016 at 1:42 pmHas anyone calculated the calories in these yet? I would love to know if anyone has that info!
Sophie
February 7, 2016 at 10:23 pmNutritional value, please? A few people have asked already!
Davida Kugelmass
February 9, 2016 at 7:26 amHi Sophie. Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately, I do not calculate the nutritional value of my recipes but feel free to enter it into a calculator like this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/box
topcookwareonline
January 17, 2016 at 10:05 pmLike this idea. 2 questions B4 I make these: 1) If I only have unsalted PB, how much salt would I add, & 2) Can I sub an equal amount of cacao bits? Thanks so much for all your time & energy in making life more beautiful! You are a lifesaver for people with special dietary needs. I found you only a short time ago & I have made 6-7 of your recipes but have yet to comment, though I have shared everything with family & friends who have grown to love you too! When I can breathe again (I suppose after Christmas) I promise to critique every recipe that I have made because they are soooo good! Your granola bars will forever be a staple in our home.
Lori
January 10, 2016 at 12:03 amDo you have nutrition info for these?
Wendy Johnson
September 21, 2015 at 8:07 pmI am a peanut butter junkie! I love it and I can’t wait to try out these bars.
Davida Kugelmass
September 22, 2015 at 8:30 amEnjoy, Wendy!
julie
September 7, 2015 at 6:17 pmwhat are the macros for this?
AllieSong
August 28, 2015 at 9:49 amPerfect, looking for a back to homeschool, afternoon snack. These fit the bill perfectly. I am subbing almond flour for the oat, because I have almond on hand.
Amber
July 9, 2015 at 4:35 pmI want these! Too bad I JUST got back from the store. I have everything but protein powder. Wait…I could omit it 🙂