I don’t know about you, but I frequently need a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Sometimes I need both! If I’m training for a race and my weeks are pretty high mileage, I need something to get me between meals or I find myself reaching for something less than healthy. These chocolate peanut butter protein bars fit the bill! They are perfect to grab when I know I’m about to go from hungry to hangry.
You wouldn’t even know these are good for you, and they’re full of good-for-you ingredients like flax meal, hemp hearts, and chia seeds. You can use your favorite vanilla protein powder, but if you want some extra chocolate in your life, you could use chocolate protein powder. This is my favorite protein powder and what we put in all our smoothies.
I plan to keep this in my refrigerator all summer long since I’m training for a race in October and the 3pm slump is real! I try to reach for a snack that also packs a protein punch so I’m not starving again an hour later. These are perfect for when I’m craving something sweet (and hummus and veggies or the three seed crackers from Trader Joe’s are my go-to when I need salty/crunchy). I don’t see anything wrong with indulging once in a while, but I try to keep it healthy most of the time!
- ¾ cup smooth natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 tbsp. flax meal
- 3 tbsp. hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ tbsp. coconut oil
- In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, honey, flax meal, hemp hearts, chia seeds, and protein powder.
- Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spread the peanut butter mixture in the pan and refrigerate while you make the chocolate coating.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent burning. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter bars and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until solid.
- Remove from pan, slice into 8 squares, and enjoy! These soften quickly at room temperature so refrigerate until ready to eat.
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[…] a sweet tooth, and peanut butter cups are one of my favorite treats. I’ve had my recipe for chocolate peanut butter protein bars on the blog for years, but I decided to take a fun twist and turn them into peanut butter hearts. […]