Rich Vegan Protein Bars
A chocolate-peanut butter combo that is oh-so satisfying!
Equipment
- Food Processor or High-Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup Medjool Dates, pitts removed (about 7 ounces)
- 1 cup Peanut Butter (Tahini or Cashew butter would probably work well too!)
- ¾ cup Hemp Hearts
- ¼ cup Flaxseed Meal
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Protein Powder (I used unflavored pea protein powder)*
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 1 ½ tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- ¾ cup Rolled Oats
- Optional Toppings - Dark Chocolate, Coconut Chips, Hemp Hearts, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Make a “flax egg” by combining the flaxseed meal and water. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- To a food processor or high-speed blender, add the pitted dates, peanut butter, hemp hearts, flax egg, vanilla, protein powder, salt, cocoa powder, and oats. Process this until it forms a mostly uniform mixture (don’t worry if it isn’t completely smooth, just make sure the dates are all broken up). If you do not have a food processor, this may take some more time– it could be helpful to first combine all of the ingredients except the dates and add them a few at a time so you don’t overwhelm your blender.
- Add the processed mixture to a 9x9” baking dish lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture down evenly using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown.
- Optionally, melt some dark chocolate on top of the bars and add your favorite toppings.
- Allow this to cool and move it to the refrigerator! I prefer to enjoy these cold!
Notes
*You could definitely use a flavored protein powder or a different type of protein, but keep in mind that some of those options have added sweeteners which may make this a bit sweeter than the original recipe.