Fruit, veggies, and plant protein are hiding in these Peanut Butter Protein Bars. Lakanto sweeteners and chocolate chips keep them sugar-free and vegan, too. These freezer-friendly bars are easy to make ahead of time and store in single-serve portions for breakfast or a snack on the run. With more than 6 grams of protein per bar, they’re small but mighty and will keep you satisfied for hours.
We chose Health Warrior Vanilla Protein Powder because it is entirely plant-based, gluten-free, grain-free, and has no added sugar. It has a clean vanilla flavor that we liked so much, we developed this recipe as well as a paleo-compliant almond butter version.
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Peanut Butter Plant Protein Bars
Peanut Butter Plant Protein Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 Bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large banana
- 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2 1/2 tbsp warm water)
- 2/3 cup shredded zucchini, firmly packed
- 3/4 c Anthony’s Blanched Almond Flour
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 1/2 cup Health Warrior Vanilla Protein Powder (packed and leveled)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup Lakanto Chocolate Chips (They’re vegan!)
- 2 tbsp Anthony’s Tapioca or Arrowroot Flour
- 2 tbsp Lakanto Golden Sweetener
- 1 tbsp Lakanto Classic Sweetener
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt (omit if the peanut butter you are using contains salt)
Instructions
- If your banana is super ripe, peel and add to a food processor as-is. If not, bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes, until skin turns black and glossy. Carefully slit down the center and empty into the food processor. Allow to cool slightly before continuing.
- Prepare the chia egg by combining the chia seeds and water in a small measuring cup or mug. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
- Line a metal 9×9 square pan with parchment paper (bottom and sides so the paper is taller than the pan sides), set oven rack to center position, and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Use a box grater to grate the zucchini and measure 2/3 cup firmly packed.
- Add banana, chia egg, half of the zucchini, half of the coconut, and all the peanut butter, almond milk, Lakanto sweeteners, and a pinch of salt to the food processor and pulse until mostly smooth and well combined.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the tapioca flour, almond flour, and baking soda. Add the wet mixture, to to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
- Add the remaining shredded zucchini and coconut, Lakanto Chocolate Chips and stir to combine, then spread evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown and center is set. It took almost 30 minutes in our 9×9 pan but an 8×8 pan will take longer for the center to set (you may want to position the oven rack higher if using an 8×8 pan).
- Cool in pan for 15 minutes then carefully lift by the parchment paper and transfer to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, fold the sides of the parchment down and score four evenly spaced slices from side to side. Turn 90 degrees and score four evenly spaces slices, which will create a total of 16 bars. Tip: Use a plastic knife for clean, crumble-free cuts.
Notes
Place bars with parchment between layers in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
To freeze longer, cut the bars but leave them all together on the parchment paper from the pan. Carefully slide into a gallon sized reusable silicone zipper bag and remove excess air. Freeze flat, up to 3 months, and break off what you need when you need it.
Nutrition Estimate Per Serving (1 BAR) – Calories: 128.5, Sugar: 1.1g, Sodium: 49.6mg, Fat: 9.4g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Carbohydrates: 7.2g total/3.6g net, Fiber: 3.6g, Protein: 6.1g, Vitamin A: 2%, Vitamin C: 1.5%, Calcium: 7.8%, Iron: 3.8% (based on 2,000 calorie diet).
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, Plant-Based
Keywords: BREAKFAST BARS, MAKE AHEAD, ZUCCHINI, VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, EAT LOCAL, LAKANTO, GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE, PLANTBASED, PLANT-BASED, SUGAR-FREE, MEAL PREP, FREEZER FRIENDLY, SNACKS, VEGAN CHOCOLATE, LUNCHBOX, PROTEIN BARS
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