No-Pea-Protein Protein Bars
After searching high and low for a substantial snack bar that didn’t have pea protein… I decided to make my own. These are easy to make, and I offer nut-free modifications and also substitutions if you don’t want to use the peanut butter and pumpkin powders.
Servings 12 squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates steam if needed, see note
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup organic peanut butter see notes for peanut/nut free
- 1/4 cup organic peanut butter powder see note
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seed protein powder see note
- 1/4 tsp scant sea salt
- 1 scant tablespoon or 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare a loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper.
- In a food processor, add all ingredients and pulse through until crumbly. Then continue to process until the mixture becomes sticky and begins to form clumps on the blade. This may take a couple of minutes. It will appear as if nothing is happening, with the mixture whirring around in crumbs, but soon it will start to become sticky.
- Stop the machine and remove the dough, placing in the loaf pan. Use a spatula to press the mixture into the loaf pan.
- Then, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or longer.
- After chilling, use a butter knife or spatula to begin to release the mixture away from the edges of the loaf pan, and then use the parchment to lift the mixture out.
- Cut into squares or bars, and then store in the fridge in an airtight container. Makes 12 squares/bars.
Video
Notes
Dates Note: If the dates you have are tough and not moist, steam dates to soften ahead of time. Usually, store-bought dates are soft enough to process.
Nut-free Note: For a peanut-free version, replace the peanut butter with cashew butter, and replace the peanut butter powder with the pumpkin protein (thereby using 1/2 cup total of the pumpkin protein powder). For a fully nut-free version, use regular tahini or black tahini (sesame seed paste), sunflower butter, or pumpkin seed butter to replace the nut butter. Since seed butters have a more natural bitter taste, you may want to use another few dates in the mixture or add a touch more vanilla.
PB Powder/Pumpkin Powder Note: If you don’t have, or don’t want to use, the peanut and pumpkin protein powders, you can omit and make these modifications: use 1/3 cup peanut butter or nut butter instead of 1/4 cup; 1/3 cup cocoa powder instead of 1/4; and increase rolled oats by another 1/2 cup (using 1 cup total).
Idea: If you prefer, you can roll the mixture to form small balls, and optionally roll in a dusting of coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and/or nuts or pumpkin seeds.