Paleo Protein Bars

Protein bars were a staple in my diet prior to going Paleo. One of my favorites was Clif Builder's Bar with a whopping 20g of protein. At 270 calories, I would grab this for a lunch at school when I was too lazy to put one together the night before.

On the wrapper you can see that it boasts being "the entirely natural protein bar". Here are the ingredients in my favorite chocolate mint flavor:

Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Juice Concentrate, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Kernel Oil, Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Rolled Oats, Cocoa, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Organic Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Organic Dry Roasted Almonds, Rice Starch, Evaporated Cane Juice, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Cocoa Butter, Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Fiber, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Red Cabbage Color.

Kinda scary. Missing the quick energy and sustenance of a protein bar, I was up for the challenge of making some of my own. Luckily my BFF Mark was ready to help me out with his Primal Energy Bar Redux... my bars are tweaked a little to my taste.

Yummy, Real-Food Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond meal
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw honey
1/2 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (or 60g)
1 large egg
1 ripe banana (I added this based on some comments on Mark's page. Some people said theirs came out crumbly, and one person recommended adding a banana for some more moisture)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried blueberries

I had trouble finding regular dried blueberries that didn't have any added sugar, so I opted for this freeze dried variety from Trader Joe's whose only ingredient was "freeze dried blueberries". Perfect! What is even more perfect is that the entire bag is only 120 calories and the strawberry variety packs in 230% vitamin C! I was worried they should effect the taste of the bars, but once they were baked they turned soft and mushy just as I wanted. 

Easy Preparation:
1. On a cookie sheet, toast nuts until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking. Try not to take your dogs for a walk while they're toasting - when you get back they will assuredly be slightly burnt :P

2. Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).

3. In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
4. Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
5. Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly. At first I thought the 1/2 cup of protein powder was a little extreme, but its necessary to put the protein in these protein bars.

6. Add whole egg and mashed banana and mix thoroughly.
7. Fold in blueberries.

8. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 loaf pan. (For once I actually had the proper baking pan!)

9. Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and place under broiler until top begins to brown. (OOPS I accidentally skipped this step.. I must have been really anxious to eat! Not to mention that I'm not sure how to use a broiler.. does my oven even have one??)
11. Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces/bars.

12. Enjoy or stack on wax paper and store in an airtight container.

I put mine in the refrigerator because they were a little soft (maybe too moist or undercooked) - particularly on the inside of the pan. After they had some time to cool they stuck together a very well! I still would have added a couple more minutes of cook time though. These bars came out so OMG yummy that after I enjoyed two, I had to package them up immediately to keep myself from popping another one in my mouth. I will definitely be making these again. They will particularly come in handy when my schedule becomes overwhelmingly busy again in the Fall.