This recipe was developed by my dear husband after he learned just how much a box of protein bars goes for. You see somehow last week an 18 count box of Lara Bars disappeared in my house. When I complained that $18 worth of food was missing my husband realized just how much protein bars cost.
In a true man fashion he decided to come up with a solution. Make our own, the best part it was all from ingredients we already had in the house. It pays to have a well stocked pantry.
This is a basic recipe, we are still tweaking it. But from this basic recipe we have made two different versions. Those of you who know me, know that I am a little of this, little of that sort of cook. Please feel free to use this recipe as a jumping off point for your own combinations.
Basic Peanut Butter “Cliff Bar” Recipe
- 2 cups of a cereal grain like oatmeal or brown rice puffs
- 2 cups of peanut butter or other nut butter, we like nutella but it has diary in it
- 1 cup dried fruit (optional)
- optional – chocolate chips, cinnamon, other spices, nuts
- 1/2 cup of honey
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, my husband recommends using a butter knife. It will start to come together like dough when it is mixed well.
Pour mixture in a wax paper lined pan, tap down with a flat object, like a cast iron pan and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Cut into bar size piece and wrap in wax paper, they may be sticky.
What I love about this recipe is the ability to change the flavors and use whatever is on hand. If you want to increase the protein level you could add your favorite protein powder to this mix, but as it is it delivers more protein than a pb sandwich.
this post is linked up to Green and Natural Mamas, Simple Lives Thursday, Penny Wise Platter, Living Well Blog Hop,Fresh Bites Friday, Homestead Barn Hop, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Traditional Tuesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, The Green Phone Booth
16 comments:
Looks great!! We'll have to try it.
I am so excited to try this! Baby loves the Organic Kids' Cliff Bars when he needs a snack on the go. This looks like an easy recipe for him to make with me too.
Thanks for linking up at the Green & Natural Mamas Linky!
Charise this recipe is so easy, no harder than no bake cookies, and the best part is you control what goes in them. If you want less sugar, cut the dried fruit out, if you want more protein add nuts, gluten free no problem, make them with oats or rice cereal. Have fun trying new combinations of flavors.
Do you just use regular rolled oats for this? This looks SO easy and yummy! Do they hold together well?
Joanna, we have used both oatmeal and brown rice crispies, and they hold together wonderfully well, since you heat up the peanut butter and honey and mix it with the cereal.
These are great bars! Thanks for sharing on the Living Well BLog Hop!
Can't wait to try your Lara Bars too Jo!
I now have this page bookmarked so I can try the recipe!
Enjoy it Jen, I "lived" on these bars this week, since I had a cold and nothing else tasted good to me.
Looks yummy, Lisa! :) :)
I am really excited about this recipe. My kids love cliff bars but they are so expensive. Thanks for sharing this recipe; I will be featuring it on my highlights next Tuesday.
Alea, thanks so much for featuring my, or rather my husband's recipe. He is basking in the glow of this recipe and how many people are loving it.
I've seen a lot of homemade protein bar recipes, and this is definitely one of the easiest. Sounds yummy, too! Thanks for sharing at Healthy 2Day Wednesday, and don't forget to come back next week and see if you were featured!
Anne, that was my husband's goal to make it cheap and easy, and for me it is real easy because he makes them every week for us.
These look awesome! I love Clif bars, but not their long list of ingredients, or the cost. I will have to give these a try. I love homemade Lara like bars (1 part dates, 1 part walnuts, and anything else you want to add, blended and then shaped), which I usually shape into energy balls, but the husband is not a fan. I think he would like these. Thanks for sharing, and for linking up with me, too!
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