Fuel to Go Homemade Protein Bars
These Fuel to Go Homemade Protein Bars are an easy, no-bake snack made with peanut butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and coconut. Made with wholesome ingredients, they are perfect for snacks, school lunches, or a quick post-workout refuel.
I have been making these homemade protein bars for more than 15 years. They started as a nutritious treat for my son and quickly became a favorite with his track and field teammates. These and my Fuel to Go Muffins are always welcome after a long practice or competition.
If you are looking for a protein bars recipe that is a good source of fibre, and made without preservatives, this is a recipe you’ll want to try!
Ingredients for No-Bake Protein Bars
This recipe is easy to customize with your favorite dried fruits, seeds, or nuts.
- Rice Krispies: these add a crispy texture to the bars.
- Dried fruit: I use dried cranberries, raisins, blueberries or apricots, but you can easily switch these up. Dried figs, dates, apples or cherries are also delicious.
- Coconut: Unsweetened shredded coconut adds a little chewiness.
- Hemp seeds: Rich in protein, fibre, and healthful fatty acids.
- Chia seeds: Packed with fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants
- Pumpkin and Sunflower seeds: They add a nice crunch and extra nutrition.
- Peanut butter: This recipe works best with regular smooth peanut butter. Natural peanut butter is too oily and the bars won’t hold together.
- Creamed Honey: It is better than liquid honey for binding the bars. It creates a firmer texture and keeps the bars from falling apart once chilled.
- Butter: A small amount of butter helps create a smooth peanut butter mixture.
How to Prepare the Bars
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the Rice Krispies, dried apricots, dried cranberries, raisins, coconut, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
Make the peanut butter mixture
Add the peanut butter, butter and honey to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter and peanut butter have melted and the mixture is smooth.
Mixing dry ingredients with wet
Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients.
Combine everything
Stir well until everything is evenly coated with the peanut butter mixture.
Prepare pan
Line a 8×8-inch square pan with wax paper. Overhang the edges to make it easy to lift the set bars from the pan.
Press into the pan
Press the mixture firmly into an even layer into the prepared 8×8-inch square pan. Cool in the refrigerator until set.
Substitutions
- Try a variety of dried fruit such as: Cherries, figs, dates, apple, mango or pears.
- Due to my son’s tree nut allergy I have always made nut-free protein bars but if you like add some chopped nuts such: Walnuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios.
How to Store
- Seal in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Make them an easy grab and go snack by cutting into individual portions and wrap with plastic wrap after they are set.
- These Energy bars also freeze very well in an airtight container in the freezer for up 3 months.
The key is making sure the ingredients are thoroughly coated with the melted peanut butter and honey mixture, and pressing the mixture firmly into the pan while it is still warm. Refrigerate the bars until completely set before cutting. Bars should stored in the fridge.
easy to make Homemade Snacks
Make ahead recipes for easy school snacks or on-the-go snacks.
Fuel to Go Homemade Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice Krispies
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries or apricots
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup creamed honey
- 4 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the Rice Krispies, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, raisins, coconut, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
- Add the peanut butter, butter to a small saucepan.
- Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter and peanut butter have melted and the mixture is smooth.
- DO NOT boil or it may become hard.
- Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir well until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it down firmly and evenly. Pressing the mixture firmly helps the bars hold together when you cut them.
- Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.
- Keep squares or uncut bars in the refrigerator to avoid them getting soft and falling apart.
Nutrition
I originally created this post August 19, 2014. I have updated the photos, added helpful content, and eliminated the corn syrup and brown sugar from the original recipe.
Are these best kept in the fridge or can the be wrapped and stored in the pantry in an airtight container?
Hi Kassia, I always cut into squares, wrap with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
hi,
Im 5months pregnant and my doctor said i have to gain weight.. and i dont know what else to eat…
will try your recipe.. hope it can boos my weight…
wish me luck.. 🙂
Congrats on your pregnancy, how exciting, give my Fuel to Go muffins a try as well, take good care.
I do agree with you about the corn syrup, but substitutions I have tried don’t hold the bar together enough. I welcome any suggestions you have!
Rice Bran syrup will work.
Any sugar substitute is packed with danger – any of those high fructose syrups can build up in the kidneys and cause damage. Honey is the most natural, with the antibacterial properties and natural health properties somewhat making up for the high glucose content. Anyway, these are protein energy bars – we WANT the energy and sugar boost!
I have successfully used mashed dates as a sticky substitute in other recipes.
Corn syrup is the opposite of healthy. There are several alternatives you could use if you want to keep it natural and keep from being a ham.
I substituted agave syrup for corn syrup and they did not hold well. Flavour was delicious though.
These look great! I’ve been looking for a good protein bar recipe. Will be making these tomorrow 🙂
Great Mary, let me know how they turn out for you.
These look amazing…I just really would rather not use corn syrup….do you think they would still hold together if I subbed something else? Could I maybe replace the brown sugar and corn syrup with maple syrup?
Thanks Hannah, the corn syrup hold the bar together really well, I have not tried maple syrup so I’m afraid I can answer that one for you, but I think I’ll try that the next time I make them!
I wonder if black strap molasses would work instead of the corn syrup.
I made the muffins and the bars. I find the bars are too sweet for me. The muffins are Grest tho.
Thank you for the recipes.
Hey Susan, black strap molasses may work but not sure if they would hold together as well. The flavour would change as well as molasses has a very strong taste.
try sorghum, it’s not as strong as molasses and should hold it together as well as corn syrup.
I don’t think maple syrup would be thick enough to hold the bar together.
These turned out great! I have tried a few different recipes for bars in the past and they always fell apart and were too crumbly. These taste delicious and stay together.
That’s awesome, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you, my photography is always a constant learning process!
Thank you! A protein bar that isn’t loaded with tree nuts or any nuts at all! They look delicious! I’ll be trying this recipe soon.
Your welcome Betsy, my son is allergic to tree nuts, he can eat peanut butter, but tree nuts mean a trip to the hospital. This has been his favourite snack for over 10 years, he is now on the University varsity track and field team and has me making them for his teammates!
What do you recommend replacing the hemp seeds and chia seeds with
Hi Jason, you could add a variety of your favourite nuts or more pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
I was finally able to make these bars. They are absolutely delicious! A new favorite on my snack list. My husband enjoyed them as well – asking for seconds. Thanks for a great delicious nut-free snack.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks to taking they time to drop me a note.
I’ve just made this recipe although a friend made them a few months ago and I loved them. I cannot find any nutritional information however; can you post this info please.
Thanks so much
June so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I do not put the nutritional content to my recipes because I am not a Nutritionist. Most of the recipes I make are family recipes I’ve been making for years and share on my blog for others to enjoy. There must be some kind of program you can input the ingredients into to obtain a nutritional count.
Try using Cronometer. Nice nutritional break down of foods and you can create your own recipe @ cronometer.com
Thanks Belinda for the Cronometer “heads up”. I’d never heard of it before.
Kathy
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories
164
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8.5g
11%
Saturated Fat 2.6g
13%
Cholesterol 3mg
1%
Sodium 67mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate 20.8g
8%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g
9%
Total Sugars 12.3g
Protein 3.9g
Vitamin D 1mcg
3%
Calcium 29mg
2%
Iron 3mg
14%
Potassium 147mg
3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by
Has anyone tried to make this with reduced sugar content? Which one? And how did it go?