I know it’s not right to play favorites, but if I had to choose just one favorite recipe from my blog, this would be it. I’ve easily made them over 100 times since first developing the recipe, and I almost always have some of these bars on hand for a quick and nutritious snack. Everyone I’ve introduced them to agrees that they’re so much better (and less expensive!) than store-bought.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (161 g) quick oats
- ½ cup (40 g) vanilla protein powder (for vegan, use a plant-based protein powder)
- 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (64 g) almond butter
- ¼ cup (80 g) brown rice syrup
- ½ cup (118 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.33 cup (59 g) mini chocolate chips (for vegan, use vegan chocolate chips)
How to Make It
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare an 8 x 8-inch (20.3 x 20.3-cm) baking pan by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, protein powder, ground flaxseed, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, brown rice syrup, almond milk and vanilla. Mix until fully combined before pouring into the dry ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are well combined and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into your prepared pan, making sure it’s distributed evenly, and press down firmly. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the center is set and the bars begin to turn golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a sharp knife to cut them into individual bars and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
