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No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Homemade protein bars are cheaper than shop-bought ones and you know exactly what is in them. The only trick is the texture: add the milk a spoonful at a time until the mixture just holds together when pressed. Too wet and they never set firm.

Snack

15

Makes 12 bars

Stack of homemade no-bake peanut butter protein bars with a dark chocolate topping, cut into squares

Ingredients

  • 200g smooth peanut butter (100% peanuts, no added sugar or palm oil)
  • 50g runny honey
  • 120g porridge oats, blended to a coarse flour
  • 100g vanilla or unflavoured protein powder (whey)
  • About 70ml milk
  • A pinch of salt
  • 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more)

Method

  1. Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.
  2. Warm the peanut butter and honey together in a pan over a low heat, or in the microwave for 30 seconds, and stir until smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the blended oats, protein powder and salt. Pour in the peanut butter mixture and stir well. It will be crumbly.
  4. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands, until it comes together like a firm dough. Stop as soon as it holds when pressed. Protein powders absorb liquid differently, so you may need slightly more or less.
  5. Press firmly and evenly into the tin with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass.
  6. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, or in the microwave in short bursts, and spread thinly over the top.
  7. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm, then cut into 12 bars with a hot knife. Keep in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Why it works

Each bar has about 12g of protein and just over 210 calories. Over a fifth of its energy comes from protein, which meets the UK threshold for calling a food "high protein". The protein comes from the whey, peanut butter, oats and milk.

Why homemade is worth it. Many shop-bought protein bars rely on sweeteners, sugar alcohols and long ingredient lists to get their numbers. This has six main ingredients, plus a pinch of salt. Choose a peanut butter made only from peanuts.

The honest part is the calories. Peanut butter is calorie-dense, so at about 210 calories these are a proper snack rather than a light one. One is a sensible portion after training or as an afternoon snack; two would be more than many people need. Most of the fat is unsaturated.

Added sugar. The honey and chocolate add about 4g of sugar a bar, much less than most flapjacks or cereal bars. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 30g of free sugars a day.

Allergy notes. Contains peanuts and milk. Use oats labelled gluten-free if you need to. For a vegan version, use a vegan protein powder, maple syrup and plant milk; the protein will be slightly lower. Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or more has less sugar than milk chocolate. For a smaller bite-sized snack, try the date and cacao protein balls.