Recipes/ Snacks

Mixed Nut Protein Bars

Name: Mixed Nut Protein Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: For the Base:; 10 medjool dates, pitted; 1/2 cup raw almonds; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1/4 cup hemp seed; 1/4 cup melted coconut oil; Middle Layer:; 1 cup organic natural peanut butter; 1 tbsp vanilla; 1/3 cup swerve icing sugar *see notes for sub; Chocolate layer:; 1/4 cup coconut oil; 1/4 cup cacao butter; 1/3 cup cacao powder; 1/4 cup maple syrup

Gluten-free, Vegan

Protein bars don’t always have to be made with protein powder. I love protein powder and use it often in my smoothies and protein balls, yet sometimes I just want to use a natural source of protein……and I don’t mean adding chicken to my bars! I am talking nuts and seeds and one of my favs- hemp.
For these protein bars there are 3 different types of nuts and the added hemp seeds to give it super powers and lots of protein! Not to mention when you mix different types of nuts and seeds your body can take in the variety of nutrients, minerals and amino acids.
In this recipe I used Almonds, Walnuts, Hemp seed AND Peanut butter! Here is just a glimpse of some of the benefits you will get eating these. And the kicker? It tastes like a chocolate bar treat instead of something healthy.

Hemp contains magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, folate, calcium, iron and 6 grms protein per 2 tablespoons
Almonds have a high amount of Vit E which is an antioxidant and can help battle oxidative stress in the body
Walnuts are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids
A study done in 2015 showed an association between decreased breast cancer risk in individuals who consumed a combination of almonds, walnuts and peanuts in higher quantities than those who did not.

I ended up creating this recipe during the lockdown and had to use up whatever was left in my cupboards- so it was a fluke that the combination ended up being so damn good.
These are NO BAKE, easy to whip together and even easier to eat. If you have hungry teenagers at home, or kids that play sports and are very active, these would be an ideal treat to have in the fridge. They will fill them up, give them the protein they need to build those muscles and recovery nicely after a good game, plus they will never know these are good for them too! Go ahead and let them think they are a standard treat you made. POINTS FOR YOU!
You will need a food processor for the base, I am not sure how a blender will work and think it might make the base too soft.
I labelled these as a protein bar and snack, but you can very well serve these as a dessert too. So are you ready to try these out???