Crispy quinoa pops, crunchy nuts and smooth peanut butter topped with decadent chocolate – the best Peanut Butter Bars ever! Gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free too, unbelievable right?!
Anyone remember Toffee Crisp? Those crispy rice and caramel chocolate bars you ate as a kid in the 90s, wrapped in orange plastic wrappers with brown and yellow writing (at least I think that’s what the packaging looked like!). Well these are like those, but with a peanut butter taste. Better in my opinion, though if you like the rice crispies, you could replace the quinoa with crisped rice.
As an adult (no I’ve not outgrown the love and cravings for this chocolate bar), I’ve managed to make a healthier version that’s pretty similar with a greater flavour dimensions. The popped quinoa makes the perfect replacement for the crispie rice and it’s so easy to make at home it’s crazy- pop it in the oven on a gentle heat and roast about 10 minutes, giving the tray a little shuffle halfway and that is literally all there is to it.
Great after the gym, after dinner, for breakfast or a late morning/afternoon snack – pretty much works for every occasion.
Questions about Peanut Butter Bars
How to make Peanut Butter Bars? To make Peanut Butter Bars you need to add pitted dates, peanut butter and vanilla extract to a food processor until smooth and fudgy. Fold in nuts, quinoa pops (or crisped rice) and protein powder. Press into a tin lined with greasproof paper. Melt dairy-free chocolate in plant milk and pour over the nutty mix. Leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Is peanut butter good for you? Peanut butter is rich in protein. However, it is also calorie-dense and can be quite highly processed if shop-bought. Many brands now make peanut butter without adding salt and artificial additives, which are a better option.
What is the best plant-based protein powder? There is a wide range of plant-based protein powders on the market, which have increased significantly in the last couple of years due to the rising popularity of veganism and plant-based diets. Prevention have a great article on the 15 best vegan protein powders which you may find useful if you’re undecided on which protein powder(s) you’d like to try out.
Peanut Butter Bar Substitutions
Peanut butter can be replaced with any other nut butter of your choice. Almond butter and cashew butter and great alternatives and are not as strong-tasting.
Any nuts can be used in place of cashews and walnuts. Almonds, macadamias and pecans work pretty well here.
These Peanut Butter Bars are…
- Smooth
- Fudgy
- Crispy
- Nutty
- Protein-packed
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Plant-based
- Made with 8 ingredients
Peanut Butter Bars
Serving size:
Makes 6-8 bars
Ingredients for protein bars:
- 150g pitted dates
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp peanut butter
- 60g cashews
- 60g walnuts
- 60g popped/toasted quinoa
- 90g protein powder
- 100g dairy-free chocolate
- 5 tbsp plant milk
Method:
- In a food processor, blitz the dates, peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the nuts, quinoa pops and protein powder.
- Press into a tin and leave aside.
- Melt the chocolate and pour over the nut mix in the tin.
- Refrigerate to set for at least 2 hours.
Made this Recipe?
If you had a go at these protein bars please feel free to give me a shout on Instagram at @food_flaneur – would love to see your pics!
If you like protein bars…
You should definitely give these recipes a try:
Big Thanks to…
Chew out Loud for their inspiration in helping me to create this recipe. You can find their version here.
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