Yesterday.was.nuts. Almonds… not peanuts 😉
I know I said I was looking forward to getting back into a normal routine after the holidays, but yesterday was not normal — either that or I lost some of my work-related fitness after taking a few weeks off for Christmas vacation. Should have been doing [number] crunches or something. Dang. But I digress.
I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve posted a recipe here on Spoons, and that’s probably because… well… it has been [what feels like] forever. The last one was the holiday cookie energy bites that I posted waaaaaay before Christmas, so I’m well overdue for another — especially since my goal this year is to share more recipes. So… here’s one for granola bars! (how’s that for an intro? 😉 )
And because that picture makes them look kind of puny and insignificant, here are some better ones…
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about… It almost looks like those one of those fancy glamour shots they take of McDonalds’ Big Macs… Except that when you make these, they actually come out looking like they do in the picture, and not like that sorry excuse for meat, lettuce, and bread that they throw at you and try to pass off as a burger. But I digress.
I’m picky when it comes to my granola bars, and it pains me to say that none of the pre-packaged ones have been able to live up to my standards. Okay, that’s not even close to being true. The reality of the matter is that it pains me to say that I have no idea whether or not the pre-packaged bars would live up to my standards because I can’t eat 99.99% of them — let’s just say that “may contain traces of peanuts” is definitely up there on my list of phrases I hate to hear the most. But, again, I digress. The point is… what? (brain fart). AH! The point is, if I want a bar, I have to make a bar; and when I make a bar, it has to be juuuuuuuuust right.
This means: soft, chewy, dense, chocolatey, nutritious, and filling. In other words, these:
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Soft and Chewy Protein Granola Bars
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups (160 g) quick oats
- 1/2 cup (40 g) vanilla protein powder
- 2 Tbsp (14 g) ground flax
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (64 g) almond butter (or any nut butter)
- 1/4 cup (80 g) honey, or brown rice syrup if vegan
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (60 g) mini chocolate chips (dairy-free if vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare an 8×8 (20x20cm) baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, protein powder, flax, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine almond butter, honey, almond milk, and vanilla. Mix until fully combined. Pour wet mix into dry mix and stir until fully incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared baking pan. Using a spatula or your hands, spread the mixture evenly in the pan, pressing down firmly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes before cutting into bars.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Click here for nutrition facts.
Bars are one of my favourite snacks because of how portable and filling they are. I’m sure there are a lot of great storebought bars out there, but for those of us who have allergies, or who are looking to save some money, homemade bars are the way to go — not only are they a breeze to whip up, but you can customize them to your heart’s content… Not feeling chocolate? Toss in some raisins, dates, or dried cranberries instead. Need a little extra oompf? Add some nuts, seeds, or coconut shreds. The possibilities are endless, and the results are delicious.
Enjoy your Tuesday, friends! And don’t forget to start Thinking Out Loud 😀
I loveeee granola bars but hate how much crap is in them. They always seem so much yummier on the package then they are in real life… I might have to make these for a sweet treat for work snacks next week 🙂
Gah I have to make these asap!! Thanks for sharing (and linking to today’s post!!) 🙂
these look like cookies…. AMAZING! 🙂
Holy moly! Need. Making these like immediately. 🙂
Mmmmm! I love the look of these bars, and they really remind me of Quaker’s bars but WAY better obviously. Those are just too sugary without that hearty touch we want from a bar. And I like the recipe format, girl! Woohoooo good job! 🙂
OhhhhHHHhhHHHH Amanda. I need these in my life immediately! I just got a ridic amount of protein powder that I’m beyond obsessed with, so you better believe I’m gonna whip up a batch of these bad boys! Genius, I tell ya!
Well…these look decadent. I’ll be making them ASAP.
Are those white spots the protein powder? Or just the oats?
Just the oats — chunky protein powder is a big no-no.
That’s weird because I love chunky protein powder…
😉
Lol. I like the beginning of your post. Nice disclaimer 😉
Storebought granola bars… So many stupid ingredients, not the least to mention– peanuts, dairy, wheat, etc. I tried making homemade ones for kicks a few years ago and they just tasted healthy and bleh… I wish I’d had your recipe then. Will need to show this to the family and see what they think. I have to run everything by them now since they are the ones eating it all. Lol.
Pshh..who needs to count crunches when you can count how many of these babies you devour in a single day =) As much as I adore quest bars (not talking about the outrageous price tag), nothing beats a good ole homemade granola bar! 🙂 🙂
p.s. your reference to McDonalds cracked me up.
Great pics girl!! I’ll replace the honey with maple syrup and call these DEVOURED!! Yum 🙂
These have officially been pinned!! I love how simple and easy all the ingredients are, I already have all these things in my pantry 🙂 I can’t wait to make these and pack them as study snacks for school, I’m so tired of spending money on over priced bars! Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
Who wouldn’t want to add chocolate?! Crazy! Chocolate is always necessary.
I couldn’t agree more 😀 I like the way you think!
These look so good! I can’t wait to make them. I would make them right now but it’s 9:30pm and I fear I won’t be able to control myself once they’re done… Tomorrow it is!
I hope you post more savoury dishes as well!
I like the new recipe format. Look at you: we’re only days into 2014 and you’re already making fun little blog updates. I’m impressed. You get two snaps and a twirl from me.
first off, these bars sound amazing! and like you, i tend to be very picky when it comes to buying bars..i would much rather make them myself. there’s only a small number of bars on the store shelves that i would even consider spending money on. must.try.these. thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
second, since i didn’t get a chance to send birthday wishes your way, i would like to take a moment to wish you a very happy 29th birthday. may all your dreams and wishes come true! X
Awwr well thank you Maria! That was super sweet of you 🙂
Yum! I was just thinking how it’s been ages since I posted a recipe! With all the good ones I see online lately (mainly here :-), I don’t create as much as I used to. Plus I need a light box desperately! It’s on my “Honey do” list 😉
These look so good!! And I’m with ya on store-bought bars. The only ones I “approve” of are Larabars. Otherwise? Homemade, please!
mmm! These are perfect for on the go!!
Yum!! These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them 🙂
Ha hello Tina Fey- Yesterday was Nuts. Actually, it was nuts. Stupid weather here made me sick.
Great recipe LCP- No 1000+1 ingredient list here and typical Amanda staples- love it. What brand of whey do you use for baking? I’ve found I can only generally use Casein of mixed blends- the whey I use tends to create hockey pucks! You should be well aware of my go to recipe, but for packaged ones- as much as I’d prefer to make my own, a Quest bar is a good grab in a pinch!
I use Proteins+ by Genuine Health, but yeah… I’m pretty iffy on using whey in baking because it came come out disastrous. I was keeping my fingers crossed while these were in the oven!
make! I do splurge & order Quest bars to have on hand for purse & trips but I made breakfast bars every Sunday for the work week. My favorite is pumpkin with chocolate protein powder- like cake for breakfast 🙂 wait. Maybe my favorite is shredded carrots with vanilla powder. Or chocolate powder with shredded zuchinni….. (I swap out the oils for veggies, can you tell??!!)
Great recipes! Keep them coming- my tummy loves it!
If you don’t have flax, is there something you can substitute?
You could replace it with chia, and if you don’t have that then you could probably just leave it out completely… it was just a last minute addition.
YES. Granola bars can be so underrated, especially since a lot of the store-bought ones can be flimsy, overly sweet, and not quite satisfying. (I do love some of them out there though! Not hatin’ on all of them for sure.) But something about homemade granola bars, like you said, are just so wonderful. I love that you can customize them too! I say huzzah to coconut in these babies.
I recently made some homemade granola bars with dried apricots, prunes, oatmeal, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and almond butter. They are gooood. And hey— no peanuts! 😉 I think I’ll have one now.
I love how easy these are! And simple, real ingredients that are totally accessible .. I’ve just discovered your blog. I’m happy to have found you!
Aww well thank you Marquis! Hope you’re having an awesome Tuesday!
These look delicious!
These look so yummy! I LOVE granola bars and especially protein bars. NuGo and MetRx and two of my favs. I am always on the go at work so they make perfect snacks. I would love to make them myself, but I never really do… I need to work on that. I always find good looking recipes! Like this one I will be trying soon 🙂
homemade granola bars are the BEST. I love being able to toss anything and everything I want into them. I haven’t baked any in a long time though! Need to get back to that I’m thinkin 😉
I’ve actually never tried my hand at making a homemade granola bar! Of course as usual, this looks delish. You have inspired me to create more recipes this year, and I wanted to get a jump start on that today since I’m sick at home doing nothing, but then I looked in the cabinet and saw that my family has no vanilla extract. -___- What kind of prison do I live in?! Just kidding. On a diff note, I have been meaning to ask you this question that popped in my head the other day when I was eating almond butter and looked at the jar – it had that dreaded phrase on it. So do you make your own AB or are there safe brands for you to consume?
There are some safe ones out there (thankfully)! Maisie Jane’s is my favourite, and Barney Butter and Justin’s both have peanut-free ones as well.
I seriously need to start making my own bars. I used to love granola bars back in the day but stopped eating them since they are so processed and contain some very unnecessary ingredients. I love that everything in these is REAL.
Yum! These look great! I honestly don’t eat a ton of bars, but when I do, I typically just buy them because they’re more convenient. My favorites are Larabars and Clif bars. But along with buying them can come some extra ingredients and sugars that aren’t the best … so there’s pros and cons to both sides I guess. In a perfect world, I’d love to make bars all the time, but to find TIME is the question! 🙂
You know I can totally relate to you here. Why can’t there be a company that makes good nut free bars (or at least free of all nuts except almonds)? I mean, I think the Enjoy Life decadent bars are tasty, but they’re not really a granola bar and they don’t really have the kind of nutrients I want in my snacks. And the nut free Quaker bars are even worse in terms of nutrition. Which pretty much leaves us without options unless we bake our own, so I almost always have homemade granola bars/snack balls on hand. These are definitely getting put on my to make list!
I remember being SO excited when Quaker first started making their bars nut-free. And then I started learning a little more about nutrition, and yeah… so much for that. I mean, there are -some- decent nut-free bars out there, but they usually cost around $4 per bar, which is kind of insanity…
I buy my bars (Luna are my favourite) but If I have the time I think they taste so much better homemade! I love adding craisins, almonds and of course a little chocolate 😉 (preferably white or dark).
I love recipes that sound delicious AND healthy AND for which I have every ingredient right here at home. Thanks! Can’t wait to make these today.
First off…. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!
Secondly…. YUMMMMM those look great! I might have to try making a batch this week. Do you think you can leave out the protein powder or sub something else for it? I don’t have any in my kitchen 🙂
You could probably sub it with an equal amount of flour, or ground oats if you want to keep the bars gluten free.
Since I have nothing to do today, I’m thinking of whipping some of these up. But, using cookie butter instead of almond butter (don’t like nuts at all ha) I’m thinking they’d turn out great. 😉