Homemade Protein Bars!

Around 4pm each day, I like to enjoy myself a nice cup of super strength tea and a protein snack of some form. Huge fan of Quest Bars and MyProtein Almond & White Chocolate cookies. However they do come at a high cost. Living in the UK I have to get my Quest Bars imported or buy through a company who Imports them so they cost me around £23 for not even two weeks worth. On top of my usual clean eating food bill and daily supplements (after work out shakes, super-green juice, Omega's) I only allow myself one box a month and then I have to get my mid afternoon protein fixes from either shakes, boiled eggs, a packet of turkey ham - it's definitely not the same. So this week when I ran out of my treats I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen. By that I mean destroy my kitchen & getting peanut butter everywhere..  BUT the end result was some pretty tasty (even if I do say so myself) Homemade Protein Bars!

Ingredients:

400g uncooked rolled oats

340g Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter (by The Protein Works)

250ml coconut cream or milk

150g diet whey chocolate protein powder

1 tsp of Vanilla extract

1 tbsp of Manuka Honey for sweetening (you could also use Stevia)

Method: 

In a food processor add your Oats and Protein powder and blitz until the oats become fine, I had to do this in two batches to keep it semi tidy. 
In any form of separate mixer, I used my Kitchenaid - whisk the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and coconut cream until you reach a smooth consistency. 
Add in your oat and protein mixture and then bind together - this sent my kitchenaid a little scatty so I ended up doing the majority of the mixing by hand.

Line a tray with baking parchment and then pour in your ingredients, flattening it into the tray with a spoon. Pop this into the fridge for 2 hours to set and get to clearing up the bomb site you have made out of your kitchen... 

Once ready, slice into a batch of 12, wrapping each one in cling film et voila! 12 Protein bars, out of ingredients you probably already keep in your pantry or don't cost too much to buy - ready to go when you want them!

Macros: each bar contains roughly 22g of protein, 22g of healthy fat and 29% complex carbs. Around 380 cals.

Can you tell I tried to make a pretty design on the top? & Failed..

I've never proclaimed to be a tidy cook....

The final masterpieces, plus a bunch of other snacks and breakfast ingredients I took to work with me.