15-Minute Homemade Protein Bars Peanut Butter Addicts Will Love

College is a hectic time, and I know a few too many students who sub their daily meals for grab-and-go granola bars. While pre-packaged granola bars are good in a pinch, you shouldn't rely too heavily on these processed snacks. Even though some brands boast of using "natural" ingredients, they tend to kick some other important details under the rug. Many common brands contain high fructose corn syrup and up to 12 grams of sugar. It's concerning that a bar not even the size of your hand can contain 25+ ingredients!  Why damage your health when you can make these no-bake granola bars in your dorm room?

Don't fool yourself any longer and make these homemade protein bars so that you can feel good about your afternoon snack. When creating these protein bars, I was inspired by this granola bar recipe from Skinny Ms. I prefer a crunchier bar though, so I added both flax seeds and chia seeds, and used crunchy peanut butter for added texture. 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

• Prep Time:15 mins
• Cook Time:0
• Total Time:15 mins
• Servings:9
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup agave
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Aloha vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs

• Step 1

  Combine peanut butter, almond milk, and honey/agave in a large bowl. Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

  

• Step 2

  Using a food processor, grind one and a half cups of the oats until you reach a flour-like consistency. Add to the wet ingredients.

  

• Step 3

  Add in 1/2 cup of whole oats, protein powder, raisins, flax seeds, and chia seeds to wet ingredients.

  

• Step 4

  Pulse cacao nibs in food processor until reduced by about half in size. Add to wet ingredients.

  

• Step 5

  Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

  

• Step 6

  Press mixture into a pan (roughly 8" x 6.25" in size) and store in fridge. Allow at least one hour of refrigeration before cutting.

  

#SpoonTip: Because these bars will get super soft when left out for too long, these bars are best served chilled!

These homemade protein bars only take minutes to make and contain ingredients you actually have at home. Now you can enjoy a healthy snack that tastes like dessert, but allows you to have peace of mind in knowing what you're putting into your body.