Homemade Double Chocolate Almond Butter Oat Protein Bars. Using oats in protein bars makes these super quick and no food processor needed. Just one bowl and less than 30 minutes! You can’t say no to these.
GUYS. Drew has discovered my Perfect Bar stash. My world as we know it, is over.
He said to me one morning as he was digging through the fridge “I don’t know what those peanut butter bombs are, or if I am supposed to eat them or not… but they’re fricken good.” The poor soul doesn’t ever know what food is or isn’t off limits – food blogger problems. I look at what he is referring to and realize he is talking about the bottom drawer of the fridge where the peanut butter flavor Perfect Bars were (not so) secretly hidden. And at once connecting the dots – no wonder my box seemed low…
Of course I wasn’t *actually* hiding anything from him. I just strategically place my favorite items in places where my 6′ tall husband doesn’t think to look is all… Like in the bottom or back of the fridge 😀 Also for whatever reason, it seems sometimes boys tend to eat a lot more of one thing than ladies do. So it’s only fair I ration, right? Please help me justify here… I know I am not the only one who does this.
So once I discovered how much Mr. FMK was going ham on the PB Perfect bars, I set out to make some more homemade protein bars for us ASAP. I actually made one of my favorites – Peanut Butter Oat Protein Bars–that led me to explore a new rendition
Chocolate Almond Butter Oat Protein Bars
I absolutely love this recipe because it takes hardly any time at all –we’re talking like 30 minutes total– and made with most ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
what you need
- rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
- cocoa powder (or cacao)
- protein powder (plant-based of whey)
- chia seeds
- almond butter (can sub)
- honey
- oil
- chocolate chips
I actually used homemade chocolate almond butter here which I highly recommend 😀 But if you can’t make your own or just feeling lazy (no judgement here, I do it too!), Wild Friends has a delicious blend. You can also sub another nut or seed butter blend too if you’d like.
Pretty much all you need is one bowl, a sturdy spatula, and a lined 8×8 square pan.
Once everything is mixed you’re pressing the mixture into the pan and chilling it before cutting into it.
Then it’s CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE TIME.
And then it’s time to get your oat protein bar snack on.
Seriously so freaking quick and easy it’s a must for your meal prep snacking. Doubles as a healthy treat…
Chocolate Almond Butter Oat Protein Bars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Homemade Double Chocolate Almond Butter Oat Protein Bars. Using oats in protein bars makes these super quick and no food processor needed. Just one bowl and less than 30 minutes! You can’t say no to these.
Ingredients
for the bars:
- 3/4 cup natural chocolate almond butter* (regular/plain also works)
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBS honey (I like raw here)
- 1 TBS almond or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup protein powder** (plant based or whey)
- 3 TBS cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa)
- 2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 TBS chia seeds
chocolate topping:
- 2 TBS mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Line 8×8 pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl gently stir together almond butter, honey, oil, cocoa powder and protein powder. If almond butter is really thick and oil has separated, make sure it is well stirred before adding into bowl with other ingredients. You can also microwave almond butter and honey together for 15 seconds prior to adding in the cocoa and protein to make stirring easier if necessary.
- Add in rolled oats and chia seeds; use large sturdy spatula to stir. Don’t be afraid to use hands to get the dry ingredients mixed in well.
- Press mixture into prepared pan, using hands to press evenly into all corners. Place pan in freezer for 20 minutes to set, or refrigerator for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once bars have set, lift parchment paper from pan and place on cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, cut bars into 12 servings. If using topping, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave for 10 second intervals. Once completely melted drizzle chocolate on bars and allow to set, about 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Store Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Bars in airtight container in fridge 2-3 weeks, or in store in freezer for longer period of time. Enjoy!
Notes
*Feel free to use your favorite nut/seed butter or blend here as well. *If using plant-based protein you may need to add 1-2 TBS of milk or water to help mixture come together easier. I used chocolate plant-protein here and I found that was the case. I don’t think the extra liquid is necessary if using whey protein. Bars adapted from my Peanut Butter Protein Oat Bars
- Category: mixing
- Method: no-bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate almond butter oat protein bars, no bake almond butter protein bars
SOME OF THE PRODUCTS I USED IN TODAY’S RECIPE
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Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says
THESE PICTURES ARE LIFE
Ashley says
lol Thanks, Erin! 😉
Cam says
These chocolate bars looks so tasty and really delicious. Can I order whole plate?
Cindy Saunderson says
I love this recipe its so quick and easy to make. I make it regularly and have shared the recipe with my friends. I was wondering if you would be able to tell me the macros please?
Ashley says
Hi Cindy,
While I don’t calculate macros myself (for a variety of reasons) if you plug the recipe into something like myfitnesspal.com it will give you an estimate.
Valerie says
Great recipe! Since we are vegan, would we use one to one for the honey?
Thank you.
Ashley says
Hi Valerie! Brown rice syrup would be the best 1:1 sub but agave or maple syrup could work, but If you go that route you may want to use a little more almond butter, about 2 TBS more I’d say. Hope that helps!
Lea says
I strategically put things away so I am the only one who knows they are there. Sometimes my husband finds them and I am a little shocked. I say ( prefaced with “mommy’s not going to get mad😆’) “ Did you eat those….” I don’t admit that I hide them or anything!
Ashley says
Hahhaa love it <3
Cheryl Boston says
I made these and they are FANTASTIC!!! I used my own homemade peanut butter and melted the coconut oil and was very patient while they were setting in the fridge…I didn’t bother to drizzle the chocolate over them because they are already sweet enough for me – I don’t get a lot of sweetened stuff in my diet so it doesn’t take much to dazzle me 🙂
I weighed as I went along because I’m American and cups/Tbsp/tsp are how I learned to cook, but weighing each ingredient into the bowl then resetting back to zero is a pretty good trick I picked up since moving to the UK…
170 gr oatmeal
200 gr nut butter
125 gr honey
20 gr chia seeds
20 gr cocoa powder
40 gr protein powder
11 gr coconut oil, melted but not hot
Next time I’ll use agave nectar and plant based protein and see what the bars taste like – I have some vegans in my world that would love these if they come out as nice as the ones with honey and whey protein. Thank you for such a fab recipe!!! Serious noms 😀
★★★★★
Ashley says
Wow Cheryl, thanks so much for sharing here! This is so helpful 🙂 And so glad you love them! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Bridget Wells says
I used not nearly as much of the honey this recipe called for and only half the oats. The trouble I always have with these oat recipes is how to get the bars not to be crumbly… I suppose if I had used all the honey, they would’ve mixed easily and been nice and creamy, but I still don’t think I would have been able to fit all of those oats in there! I think, if I try it again in the future, I will substitute about half of the honey for more almond butter (and maybe a tad more oil) and really make sure the almond butter is nice and creamy before mixing. I’m still skeptical as to how 2 cups of oats will fit in there without making it crumble, but I guess we will see. I did half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate + coconut oil for the drizzle; they DO taste great!
★★★★
Ashley says
Thanks for the feedback, Bridget 🙂 With the recipe as written, the bars should come together just fine – I typically have to use my hands at the end to combine everything and once it’s pressed into the pan, they stay put. Your thoughts of adding more almond butter (and stirring well beforehand) and a touch more oil should also work well! Even a splash of water can help things come together a bit. Glad you still enjoyed! 🙂