Protein Peanut Butter And Banana Energy Bars

Serves: Roughly 10-12 bars (depending on how big you cut them).

Preparation Time: 10 minutes to prep, 15 minutes to cook.

Quick, easy, sweet, packed with healthy protein, carbs and fats, what more do you want?

Cut them into bite sized portions to satisfy your sweet tooth or make monster bars to utilise those calories.

These energy bars will keep you going throughout the day and are perfect for:

1. Those who need energy on the go.
2. Those looking to make some gains.
3. Those who just want a healthy sweet treat.

Cravings satisfied, energy regained and time saved… Enjoy!

• 125 grams of nut butter (of your choice – peanut butter is most popular).

• 3 mashed ripe bananas.

• 250 grams of organic oats (of your choice – Rolled oats are most popular).

• Any natural, healthy ingredients to further sweeten the mixture – 30 grams of natural raw honey, handful of dried fruit of your choice, handful of organic coconut flakes/shavings. Be aware that the vanilla extract and the bananas will already be sweet, so add sweet options to your liking.

• If you want to add protein content for additional energy, muscle repair and growth – 60g natural whey protein powder, 125 grams of chopped almonds or mixed nuts and/or a handful of mixed seeds.

• If nut butter is salt-free – a pinch of salt.

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg (optional).

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional).

• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (optional – to keep them moist and soft)

1. Preheat oven at 300°F, gas mark 2 or 150°C
2. Whilst the oven is heating, mix all the ingredients together. Feel free to use a standing or hand mixer. The dough will be quite thick.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the dough as evenly as possible on top. You want an even bake. Press and flatten with a spatula to get an even distribution if needed.
4. Bake for around 15 minutes in the oven, then check every 5 minutes until you achieve the softness or crunchiness you desire, or until they are golden brown on the edges (we recommend around 15-20 minutes so, when they cool, the centre will stay soft).
5. Take out of the oven leave to cool in the tin.
6. Cut into portions as you like – little power snacks or chunky bars.

You can store these at room temperature for a week in a lunch box or freeze them for up to 6 months in an airtight container or individual plastic wraps.

Apparently, they will last for up to two weeks if you keep them chilled in the fridge, but they’ve never lasted that long!

Here’s a batch Shaun made earlier…

Shaun’s Comments:

I included nut butter, oats, bananas, honey, cinnamon and a handful of crushed nuts and dried fruit in mine. They were delicious and a really good source of nutrition on the go.

They were rather sweet, so if you don’t have a sweet tooth, maybe hold back on the honey or fruit a little – but I loved them.

I would definitely recommend taking them out of the oven closer to 15 minutes than 20 because when the outside layer dries it goes quite crunchy. You want the middle to be soft and moist – avoid the dryness at all costs!

Please let us know how you get on with this recipe!

If you have any ideas or alternatives, add them in the comments box below!

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