Made with oatmeal, protein powder, honey, and chocolate (for happy measure), these healthy homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars are no-bake and require only a bowl and some elbow grease.
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Homemade is the way to go for protein bars.
While store-bought protein bars are fine from time to time, nothing tastes quite as wonderful as making your own wholesome homemade protein bars.
I love knowing exactly what is in these peanut butter protein bars. Just like my Protein Balls, the ingredients for this recipe are simple and nourishing.
Also, SO YUMMY. The texture of these bars is soft and chewy (check out Peanut Butter Protein Cookies for another melt-in-your-mouth protein treat).
They’ll save you some money, too. Protein bars are so expensive to buy! Making them yourself is a fraction of what they cost at the store.
As an even-better bonus, these no-bake peanut butter protein bars can be stored at room temperature (like a baked protein bar recipe). This makes them travel-friendly and easy to keep at your desk or tucked in your gym bag for a post-workout snack.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Peanut Butter. Healthy fats, protein, and the all-out delicious factor. You can use any kind you like, be it shelf-stable or drippy peanut butter. For a peanut-free version, swap almond butter, cashew butter, or sun butter.
- Oatmeal. Rolled oats are hearty, rich in fiber, and give the peanut butter protein bars their structure. Using certified gluten-free oats makes these bars safe for those with a gluten allergy.
- Honey. For its natural sweetness and “glue” factor. If you would like to make these homemade protein bars vegan, swap the honey for vegan natural sweeteners, such as pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup. (Or, see these Vegan Protein Bars which are sweetened with dates.)
- Flaxseed Meal. Omega-3s, please.
- Protein Powder. You can use any whey protein or vegan, plant-based protein. I recommend vanilla, though I suspect chocolate would be tasty too.
- Coconut Oil. To help the bars bind and solidify.
- Chocolate Chips. No ho-hum bars here. These peanut butter protein bars are loaded with the good stuff. Mini chocolate chips are easy to mix in; for a stronger chocolate factor, use dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Warm the Liquid Ingredients. Melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a double-boiler and stir until smooth. (You can use the microwave instead if you’d like. Warm low and slow in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring periodically, until smooth.)
Add the Dry Ingredients. Remove from the heat and mix in the oats, protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt. If your batter is looser than you would like, simply add an extra tablespoon or two of oats until it holds together.
Make Them Chocolatey. Fold in the chocolate chips. If the mixture is still warm, pop the bowl into the refrigerator for a few minutes to let it cool. Cooling the mixture will prevent the chocolate from melting. Don’t worry if they do melt a little—the bars will still be delicious!
Finish. Press evenly into a square pan lined with parchment paper, then chill until firm. Remove the bars from the pan and slice them into bars. ENJOY!
Protein Bar Flavor Variations
This homemade protein bar recipe is super adaptable. Countless readers have shared how they’ve made this recipe their own in the comments. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Add Raisins. Fold a handful of raisins (or other dried fruit) into the mixture.
- Swap in Chia Seeds. Swap all or a portion of the flaxseed meal for an equal amount of chia seeds.
- Add Some Crunch. For added crunch, stir in a handful of crisp rice cereal.
- Make Them Nutty. Throw in a handful of your favorite chopped nuts for some additional healthy fats. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts would all be lovely additions.
- Give Them More Vanilla Flavor. Add 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, use vanilla protein powder, and swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips.
- Make Them Decadent. Use chocolate protein powder. Drizzle the finished bars with melted chocolate, then sprinkle with flaky salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel.
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