The protein bars you grab off the shelf of a convenience store are often full of questionable ingredients. The best way to get around this, is to make your own! It’s not hard with this super easy and delicious recipe. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein.
2. These bars make a great breakfast or snack and are dairy-free, egg-free and paleo.
3. They can easily be made nut-free by substituting extra pumpkin seeds to replace of the pecans.
Homemade Cranberry Protein Bars
Makes 10 bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 1/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a square 8x8 pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with some olive or coconut oil.
2. Throw coconut, pecans, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds into a large frying pan. Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl with the ground flax seed, cranberries and sea salt.
3. Add honey and sunflower seed butter into the mixing bowl and mix well until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Transfer mix into the pan and press down evenly. Take some time to really pack it in there. (If you don’t pack it down firmly enough, the bars will crumble.)
4. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, lift parchment paper out of the tin and slice into bars with a sharp knife. Enjoy!
Photo courtesy of the author
Abigail Hopkins is a Registered Nurse, culinary nutrition expert, and co-founder of That Clean Life, a platform that makes eating healthy simple and fun. She lives in Toronto and studied nursing at Ryerson University before studying at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition.