Peanut Butter Filled Protein Bars
These bars have a wonderful chocolate flavor and the natural sweetness of dates. The texture is soft and wonderful, and every bite is enriched with creamy peanut butter.
Time to read: 7 mins | Time to make: 1 hour | Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
Bars
1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
20 Medjool dates, pitted
4 tablespoons (25 g) cacao powder
1 scoop plant-based protein powder
3 tablespoons (40 g) coconut oil
pinch of salt
Filling
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons peanuts
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
Topping
4 tablespoons (60 g) dark chocolate chips
Chopped peanuts
Method
To make filling place peanut butter, coconut oil, peanuts and nibs in a food processor and blend for a minutes until ingredients come together and peanuts break down into smaller pieces.
Transfer the peanut butter mix to a small bowl and set aside.
In the same food processor bowl, add oats, dates, cacao, protein, oil, and salt. Blend for a few minutes until the mixture reaches a dough-like consistency that is soft and easy to shape.
Take 2/3 of the mix and fill the bottoms of the rectangular molds. For each bar take small log from the mix and press it on the bottom of the mold. Then, using your finger, make an indent lengthwise. Make sure that all sides stay taller since we will use them to seal the tops of the bars.
Fill up the bars with the peanut butter mix. Make sure to stay below the height of the side walls. Otherwise, your filling will leak out.
Now, set this aside, preferably in the fridge, until we make the tops. Take the remaining 1/3 of the mix and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to ¼ in thickness and then cut it into 8 rectangles.
Now, take each rectangle and use it as a lid for our filled-up bars. Use a spoon or your finger to press along the sides to seal the bottom and top. Transfer to a freezer for 30 minutes. You can leave bars as they are or cover them with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle some peanuts for extra crunch.
Nutrition facts per one serving:
Energy: 180 kcal | Carbs: 22.1 g | Protein: 6.4 g | Fat: 8.1 g
