No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bars

So I'm really quite excited! I recently teamed up with the Canadian company North Coast Naturals to develop some tasty new recipes using their products. I've been working very hard testing out my first recipe for these energy bars and I just couldn't wait to finally share them with you!

For my first recipe trial I wanted to make an energy+protein bar that I could feel good about eating and would help fuel me through my workouts.

Enter the No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bar.

I used North Coast Natural's vanilla 100% Iso-Protein Powder to give them a good hit of protein and nutrition. I love that this protein powder is all natural and has no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours. It's naturally sweetend with low-glycemic stevia and blends well in smoothies - no chalky taste at all. It really does taste great! Trust me, I wouldn't candy-coat the truth. I love how it tasted in these bars too. Next time I'm thinking of trying the chocolate Iso-Protein in these bars. Chocolate and peanut butter were made to go together!

Now there's 2 kinds of protein/energy bars that I like. First there's the cakey kind. And then secondly, there's the chewy kind. These are a bit of a mix between the two. They're soft and chewy, but still have some crumbliness going on. Perfection in bar form if I do say so myself.

I've been trying these as pre-workout snacks before going to the gym to lift weights. They're satiating and have just the right amount of carbs and protein. The best part is you know exactly what went into them. You get about 300 calories, 15 grams of protein, and 28 grams of clean carbohydrates. Plus they're delicious! They also make a perfect on-the-run to-go breakfast.

Happy lifting, friends!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bars Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan option | Yields 12 bars

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, or agave, coconut nectar, honey
• 2 tbsp coconut butter
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used North Coast Naturals Vanilla Iso-Protein)
• 1/2 cup raisins, or other dried fruit
• 1/4 cup roasted pepitas
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. Place oats, protein powder, raisins, pepitas and slivered almonds in a large bowl; mix to combine.
2. Warm peanut butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Pour over oat mixture and mix well to combine.
3. Press into an 8x8-inch-square pan lined with parchment paper so the bars will lift out easily. Press the mixture down until evenly flattended. Let cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour to harden.
4. Cut into 12 bars. Keep refrigerated.

Notes:

• North Coast Naturals Iso-Protein is not vegan.
• To make this nut-free try using sunflower seed butter or tahini and replace the slivered almonds with extra toasted pepitas.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 bar Calories: 337 Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 14mg Carbohydrates: 28g Sugar: 14g Fiber: 5g Protein: 15g