Protein bars: an easy homemade recipe

Protein bars are a handy snack for when you want something sweet but don’t want to grab the first random candy bar you see. Here is an easy lemon-flavored recipe you can make ahead and keep in the fridge.

Why make protein bars at home?

A store-bought bar is a quick fix, but when you make your own, you know exactly what goes into it. This recipe is a good example: the ingredient list is short, the flavor comes from lemon and coconut flour, and the texture comes from protein powder and a protein drink.

Honestly, a bar like this is most useful as practical food. It isn’t a miracle food or a substitute for training. What it can do is help you stay on track during the day when hunger hits after work, school or a workout.

The original recipe uses specific products: protein powder, coconut flour, a protein drink in a Tetra Pak and a protein bar. If you follow the same logic, keep the dry and liquid parts balanced. Otherwise the mixture ends up either crumbly or too soft.

How to mix the protein bars

Ingredients for the bar base:

• 100g protein powder
• 100g coconut flour
• 100g protein drink in a Tetra Pak
• Grated lemon zest
• A couple of drops of lemon juice

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 35g protein bar
• 20g protein drink in a Tetra Pak

Take a bowl and mix all the bar base ingredients together. Take your time, because coconut flour soaks up liquid and the mixture thickens as you stir. If it seems a little dry at first, don’t rush to pour in more liquid. Letting it sit for a few minutes may already improve the texture.

Next, press the bar mixture into a 12x20cm pan. Really press it down, don’t just smooth the top. The more tightly the mixture is packed into the pan, the better the pieces will hold together later.

For the glaze, melt one protein bar in a double boiler and add 20g of protein drink in a Tetra Pak. Stir the glaze until it becomes a smooth, creamy mass, then pour it over the bar base you put in the bottom of the pan earlier.

Put the pan in the freezer for a couple of hours, then leave it in the fridge overnight to set. This waiting time matters. If you cut the bars too early, the filling tends to stick to the knife and the pieces won’t look nice.

What to look for in texture and flavor

A good homemade protein bar doesn’t have to be rock hard. It’s better when it is slightly dense but soft when you bite into it. Lemon zest gives this recipe a fresh flavor, while lemon juice adds sharpness. A couple of drops is enough, because too much juice can make the mixture too runny.

If you want to take the bars with you, cut them only after they have sat in the fridge overnight. Wrap the pieces separately in paper or put them in a container. In summer, keep in mind that the glaze softens faster, especially if the bar sits in a bag or a car.

100g of the bar contains:

• 296.8 kcal
• 19g fat
• 34.6g protein
• 13.9 carbohydrates
• 8.8g dietary fiber

These numbers make the recipe quite nutritious. That means the bar works better as a snack than for mindless nibbling in front of the TV. A simple truth: portion size matters even when the food is made with better intentions.

FAQ: protein bars

Do these bars have to be stored in the freezer?

During preparation, the freezer helps the mixture firm up faster. Afterwards, keep the bars in the fridge, because that keeps the glaze and filling in better texture.

When is the best time to eat a protein bar?

It works as a snack or after a workout when you don’t have a proper meal at hand. If your next meal is already close, there’s no need to squeeze in a bar on top of it.

Why does the bar fall apart after cutting?

Usually it’s because the mixture wasn’t pressed firmly enough into the pan or didn’t get enough time to set in the fridge. Let the pan sit undisturbed and cut with a sharp knife.

Author: Turg.Fitenss.ee

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