How to Make an Easy Homemade Protein Bar

Tofu adds extra protein to baked bars.

Individually wrapped protein bars, ubiquitous in grocery and drug stores, provide quick snacks and fuel for workouts. But they're pricey, packaged in plastic and some brands contain undesirable ingredients such as preservatives or excessive sweeteners. By making your own protein bars, you can control the ingredients and save money. These egg-free and dairy-free bars are highly customizable. Each 248-calorie bar contains over 12 g protein, 11.6 g fat and 34.8 g carbohydrates.

Things You'll Need

• 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish
• parchment paper
• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup soy protein powder
• 1/2 cup wheat bran or oat bran
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups dried fruit
• 1 shelf-stable pack silken tofu
• 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. apple cider or soymilk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup peanut butter

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of parchment paper and fit it the bottom of the baking dish. Spray the paper and the sides of the dish generously with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Chop up the dried fruit into pieces the size of raisins. You can use any mixture of dried fruit that you like. Try equal amounts of golden raisins, apricots, cherries and cranberries for attractive bars flecked with gold and red.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients -- soy protein powder, bran, flour, ground flax and salt -- in a big bowl and set aside. Whole wheat flour works well here, but any type will do.

4. Combine the tofu, apple cider or soymilk, sugar and peanut butter, mixing well. If any tofu lumps remain, beat the mixture with a hand mixer or whisk until completely smooth.

5. Combine the wet mixture, dry mixture, fruit and chopped nuts and stir until thoroughly mixed. If you like, add additional nuts and seeds for extra crunch and richness. Using a spatula, spread the batter into the pan and pat it down evenly.

6. Bake for 35 minutes until firm to the touch and lightly golden. Let the pan cool completely before slicing into 16 bars.

Tips & Warnings

• Try customizing the dish to meet your own needs. Use less sugar or substitute an alternate sweetener, use almond butter instead of peanut butter, or substitute a different type of protein powder.

• To use eggs in this recipe, add two eggs and omit the ground flax and 6 tbsp. of liquid.

References

• Food Network; Protein Bars; Alton Brown; 2005

Resources

• Daily Garnish; Morning Muesli Bars; Emily Malone; March 2011
• Daily Garnish; Three-Grain Chewy Energy Bar Recipe; Emily Malone; July 2010