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No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars

A superfood-packed protein bar, these No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars are also naturally gluten-free, perfect for on-the-go and with a secret ingredient!

Are you noticing a trend? It's kind of been peanut butter everything around here. I, for one, am l-o-v-i-n-g this trend! I'm like seriously obsessed with peanut butter lately.

For me, peanut butter is the ultimate snack food. It's quick, easy (hello, spoon in jar) and is packed with protein and healthy fats. I almost always turn to peanut butter for my snack, whether slathered on a rice cake topped with sliced apple, or made into energy balls, nut butter always hits the spot. Or honestly, just a scoop on my way out the door is often how I fuel up pre-workout!

So today we're using this superstar ingredient in a no-bake power bar that is snack and dessert-worthy!

Healthy Peanut Butter Protein Bars

How to make Homemade Power Bars

I'm calling this recipe a power bar because it's my spin on the classic protein bar. I'll admit, I'm not a fan of power bars. I think they're kind of stuck in the 80s and haven't advanced with the rest of the industry.

But the concept of power bars is on point! They're portable, they're high in protein, they're great for refueling after a workout.

The only problem? Even though they have minimal ingredients, the first ingredient is cane sugar. There's 26g of sugar in one peanut butter power bar. 26!

We're obviously flipping this recipe inside out and reinventing it with SQ approved ingredients. Our base? Dates, nuts and seeds, some protein powder and quinoa.

And we're making it all in our food processor!

How to Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Our No-Bake Protein Butter Power Bars

There are so many things to love about this recipe, but I'll narrow it down to my top four faves. These bars are…

a) no-bake, meaning they're a cinch to throw together

b) loaded with nutrients and superfoods

c) cheaper than store-bought

d) amazingly delicious!

Healthy Protein Bars with Peanut ButterHealthy Peanut Butter Quinoa Bars

Healthy Homemade Protein Bars

You know those raw protein bars that cost nearly $2.00 a bar?

Well with this recipe, you can have a 12 bar stock of those healthy treats on-hand all the time. Plus, you'll be saving a bunch of money! What's better than that?

I combined many of my all-time favorite ingredients (minus the chocolate, we’ll save that for next time) and whipped it into a healthy, superfood-packed energy bar that will give you the little boost you need to power through your morning or afternoon.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Protein Bars with Peanut Butter

More Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes:

No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars

4.6 from 19 votes
Well with this recipe, you can have a 12 bar stock of healthy treats on-hand all the time. Plus, you'll be saving a bunch of money! What's better than that?
author: Alyssa
yield: 12 bars
Healthy Protein Bars with Peanut Butter
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Add the dates to the bowl of a food processor fit with the steel blade and process until chopped. Remove the lid and add the nuts, quinoa and seeds and process until a meal has formed. Next, add the protein powder and process a few times until combined. Once you have a sandy text, add the peanut butter and honey and process until a thick dough forms.
  • Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking pan. I used a loaf pan for skinny, thick loaves, but you can also use a square baking dish for bars that thinner. Place the bars in the freezer until set, about 1 – 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and slice into bars. Store in freezer until you’re ready to eat them.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1.2mg
cuisine: American
course: Snack

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17 comments on “No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars”

  1. Hi Alyssa, I made these wonderful no-bake power bars last night, and they are the perfect raw treat. I really am getting into the raw desserts of late and this is a choco bar without the chocolate, but the next time I make them I plan to coat them with a chocolate topping. I did substitute the peanut butter for almond butter, and I didn’t have any protein powder and so left that out. I did have raw almonds on hand and medjool dates, used unpasteurized honey (I am assuming that raw honey is unpasteurized). I loved all the ingredients you used upon reading your e-mail, and was excited about making these right away, and was really hoping that the taste would be that great go to treat.

    So I just wanted you to know that these are definitely a keeper for me. I love quinoa more and more each time I work with it, and love the recipes you have here on your blog. Keep up the great work.

  2. Hi Alyssa,

    I just made these and they were fantastic! I didn’t have any sunflower seeds so subbed in some chopped toasted pecans and dried cherries. So many things you could sub in…..even cocoa nibs 🙂 My daughters even agreed to take these as their snack at school rather than the traditional granola bar. Thanks so much for giving me a much healthier alternative!!

    1. Oh yay! They seriously are amazing, aren’t they?!? Love, love, LOVE your additions!! I’ll have to try those 🙂 xo!

  3. Pingback: 03-28-2013: Recipe: No Bake Quinoa-Chia-Peanut-Butter-Power-Bars | Muddy J.com

  4. Hi there! I’ve recently discovered your lovely website, which matches my obsession with quinoa! I made this recipe a week or so ago, with the intention to bring some along with me in a ziplock bag for a long marathon training run. I subbed almond butter for the peanut butter and made them into balls versus a bar. They got pretty mushy on my run, but still tasted great and supplied me with a natural alternative for nutrition/energy, compared to a processed ‘gu’ or ‘gel’. Thanks so much for sharing this!

  5. Pingback: No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars, gluten free - healthy,… | Dieting 'n' Fitness

  6. Avatar photo
    Zack Robertson

    Looks good. Would be very helpful to see the nutritional facts listed here as well, so that we (those of us who care about such things) don’t turn away from it because we’re daunted by having to input it all into a nutrition calculator to see if it pencils out for our diets.

  7. Avatar photo
    Crystal Baker

    Wow – these are SO good! I only had chocolate protein powder and it tastes great with the peanut butter. My husband even loved them and he’s super picky!

  8. These look delicious. Any suggestions on how to incorporate oats into this recipe? Amount? If they can be added straight from the package or should be toasted first? Many thanks.

    1. I think you could just swap them in for some of the other dry ingredients. Maybe just swap out the cooked quinoa 🙂 And no they don’t need to be toasted!

    1. Avatar photo
      Teagan Mosenthal

      You can definitely sub! If you use a darker maple syrup I don’t think they would be too sweet!