Awesome homemade protein bars!

I came across this recipe in a search today and thought I would try them. Well..I made them this evening and they came out amazing! So easy too..a one bowl recipe.

The only nutritional info I got was 5g of carbs and 15g of protein per bar. Haven't analyzed the whole recipe as of yet, but if anyone does before I post again..please feel free to let me know.

Copied and pasted the recipe.

Enjoy!

I found the cheapest protein bars are home made. I make 1 batch per week. I cut them into 7 bars, so I can have 1 each day.

Here is the recipe: Delicious!!

1 square unsweetened baker's chocolate
2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. heavy cream (whipping cream)
3 pkts Equal (Splenda)
3 scoops (1 cup) Chocolate Designer Protein Powder (I use vanilla)
1 cup chopped peanuts (or any other nuts)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 Tbls. water

Melt choc and butter in microwave for 1 min. Stir until completely melted. Add equal and heavy cream and stir til creamy. Add protein powder, peanuts, coconut and stir till mixed pretty well, add water and mix thoroughly (This step takes a while for the right consistency) Line a bread loaf pan with plastic wrap and press in mixture firmly and evenly. Chill till firm. Cut into bars

If you cut into 6 bars it equals approx. 5 carbs/15 grams protein
per 1/6 recipe.

sounds good will have to give a try this weekend.

While these are undoubtedly delicious, at 328 calories, 23.2g fat, 13.8g carbs (6.5g fibre) and 17.8g protein for each of 7 bars I'd consider them more of a candy bar than a protein bar. (I generally look to "pay" 10 calories or less per gram of protein)

They could be a great "energy bar" down the road, but the calorie price per gram of protein is too high for during weight loss.

Kelly-Anne

Oh thank you for analyzing the recipe. Which recipe analyzer did you use?? My frustration was that I was getting different nutritional values from different ones. So I didn't know which ones were accurate.

If the calorie count concerns you, I recommend decreasing..or eliminating if you prefer.. the amount of peanuts/nuts used. I used a full cup the first batch I made..found it too much..even overwhelming. The second batch I reduced the peanuts to 1/4 of a cup may even reduce it to 2 or 3 TBSP next time. Will bring down the calorie count significantly. Can even try reducing the coconut too and they will still be delicious.

 

I think the calorie count will need to come WAAAY down to be a good protein source, unfortunately. My surgeon's rule is 100 calories per 10g of protein, and with butter and heavy cream in there, I think that might be pretty difficult to hit.

 

I used myfitnesspal, which isn't perfect, but seems to be reasonably accurate when using basic ingredients.

Are the peanuts for crunch? I wonder if crunched up Hi Lo cereal would work as the crunch? (3 servings, which would crunch up to about a cupful has 36g protein, 21g fibre and only 270 calories) How important is the heavy cream? (Something I don't generally buy, so can't see buying to use only 2 tablespoonfuls)

Ok, assuming they'd "glue" together ok, the stats with milk swapped for the cream and 90 grams of Hi Lo cereal swapped for the peanuts are 179 calories, 11.1g fat, 8.5g carbs, 5.2g fibre and 15.3g protein. Not quite the 10/1 ratio I aim for, but pretty darned good and worth trying. I'm going to try them in my Babycakes cupcake maker (smaller portions, but more of them) to see if I get something my family would enjoy as an occasional change from PB protein balls.

Kelly-Anne