Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Protein powder gives these bars an extra pop of protein. I prefer to use plain or vanilla flavor, but feel free to experiment with whatever flavor you desire. When it comes to brands of protein powder, I like to use less sweet varieties for baking. If you are using a sweeter tasting powder you may want to adjust the amount of sweetener you use in the bars.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)

1/2 cup plant based protein powder of choice (I use plain or vanilla)

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1/4 cup cacao nibs (optional)

1 tbsp hemp hearts

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 -1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup unsweetened plant milk of choice

1/2 cup unsalted nuts of choice (I usually use almonds or walnuts)

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 dates pitted (I prefer medjool dates)

1 medium to large overripe banana (the spottier the better)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

I like either unsweetened cashew or soy milk, the two kinds I usually make or have on hand but any kind of milk should work. If you use a sweetened milk you may want to use less sweetener in your bars.
I prefer to use just straight up ground flax in this recipe as opposed to making a flax egg, the recipe comes out much lighter.

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the oat flour, oats, protein powder, coconut, ground flax seed, chocolate chips, cacao nibs (if using), chia, hemp, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until completely combined, set aside.

In a blender, add all remaining wet ingredients, plant milk, nuts, dates, maple, banana, vinegar, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth, it may even feel a little bit warm, that’s a good thing!

I like to blend the wet ingredients until fully combined and slightly warm, this takes about 1-2 minutes depending on your blender. A food processor can also be used for this step.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold the mixture with a rubber spatula or spoon until completely combined.

Gently folding the wet mixture into the dry is best done with a rubber spatula. This assures you are fully incorporating all the ingredients and no flour pockets get left in the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking pan and use a rubber spatula or spoon to spread the mix evenly out into the pan, this will assure it bakes as evenly as possible.

Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack until golden brown and firm. The bars should lighty spring back when you touch the center, about 25- 30 minutes in total depending on your oven. My last batch tuned out perfect at 27 minutes.

Cooling the bars on a wire rack assure that they don’t get soggy as they cool.

Remove from oven and allow bars to sit in the pan for an additional 5 minutes, flip the bars out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut into long bars for a post workout meal or into smaller squares for a quick morning or afternoon snack.

Once cooled, place the bars on a cutting board and cut into desired shapes and sizes. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months. These bars can also sit at room temperature but they wont last as long. Enjoy as a pre/post workout or just as a quick snack!

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