PB + Whey Protein Bars

A couple weekends ago, Rem and I had no plans in the afternoon, so we decided to experiment in the kitchen with our own protein bar recipe.  I realize this may sound lame, but it was an incredibly fun, relaxing and delicious afternoon!  Rem came up with the ingredients and ratios he wanted, and I helped him decide if it would actually turn into something in the oven.  And so we began.  These are the ingredients Rem wanted in the bars:

Protein: whey protein powder

Carbohydrates: banana, oats

Fat: coconut oil, flaxseed, natural peanut butter

In the first batch, we mixed these ingredients together along with egg whites and a bit of baking soda, poured them into a parchment lined loaf pan, and hoped for a good result!  We thought they would rise evenly and have the texture of a brownie.   So, we were pretty shocked when the first batch turned into bread!  It rose, had a nice crust on top, and was quite moist and tender.  The chocolate, banana, and peanut butter flavors were all present and blended nicely! 

On the second batch, we set out to make a fudgier, denser protein bar (not bread).  We made essentially the same recipe (used a different whey) but left out the egg whites and baking soda.  It was a great success!  The bars only rose a little this time, and were both dense and filling.  The strawberry, banana, and peanut butter flavors were delicious.

The fourth batch was the result of me making a third batch of very, very dry bars, so I decided to try AGAIN.  For the fourth batch, I decreased the amount of oats to 1 tablespoon and added ¼ cup of almond milk, and they turned out perfect! 

Batch 2 and Batch 4 were equally delicious and exactly what we had in mind when we started making these bars: equal ratios of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, prominent peanut butter and banana flavor, dense and fudgy texture, filling, portable, and delicious!  If you want to make these bars using a different brand of protein, just decide which protein powder yours most closely resembles in terms of calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein content per 40-45 g serving.  I’ve included below the recipes for the batches that actually turned out well!  So if you want a protein bread, try out batch 1.  If you want a protein bar, try out batch 2 or 4.  Let me know what you think! 

BATCH 1: Chocolate PB + Whey Protein Bread

41 g (2 scoops) Vitacost Chocolate Whey Iso

1 ripe banana, mashed until liquid

¼ c (64 g) natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 T coconut oil

2 T ground flaxseed

¼ c gluten free oats (or regular old-fashioned oats)

Splash pure vanilla extract

4 egg whites

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.  Mash banana with a fork then stir until it starts to liquefy.  Add all other ingredients and stir until smooth.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 4 bars.

BATCH 2: Strawberry Banana PB + Whey Protein Bars

44 g (1 ½ scoops) Body Logix Strawberry Banana Whey Protein

1 ripe banana, mashed until liquid

¼ c (64 g) natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 T coconut oil

2 T ground flaxseed

¼ c gluten free oats (or regular old-fashioned oats)

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.  Mash banana with a fork then stir until it starts to liquefy.  Add all other ingredients and stir until smooth.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 4 bars.

BATCH 4: Chocolate PB + Whey Protein Bars

41 g (2 scoops) Vitacost Chocolate Whey Iso

1 ripe banana, mashed until liquid

¼ c (64 g) natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 T coconut oil

2 T ground flaxseed

1 T gluten free oats (or regular old-fashioned oats)

¼ c unsweetened almond milk

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.  Mash banana with a fork then stir until it starts to liquefy.  Add all other ingredients and stir until smooth.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Makes 4 bars.

Macronutrient Breakdown in Protein Powders

Per 41 g serving Vitacost Whey Protein Iso: 140 cal, 33.3 g protein, 0 g fat, .6 carbohydrate

Per 44 g serving Body Logix Strawberry Banana Whey Protein: 172.5 cal, 36 g protein, 1.5 g fat, 4.5 g carbohydrate

Approximate Macronutrient Breakdown (for batches 2 and 4)

Per bar (4 bars per recipe): 240 calories, 14 g protein, 13 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates