Homemade Protein Bars

photo courtesy Google

So the other day leaving the gym I spent $4 on a Muscle Milk Light protein shake.  I had a pretty hard workout and was already so hungry afterwards - so after the initial price shock, (seriously, $4 24-Hour Fitness? ...robbery!) I checked th calories, checked the fat, checked the protein, fiber and sugars...and they were all "acceptable".  I wanted the extra protein, but you know it really bugged me all that other stuff in the ingredients that one, I just didn't understand, and two, probably didn't really need.

So I remembered my friend Kaci wrote about a homemade protein bar recipe on her blog.  You can find her original recipe post here.  I had been thinking about making them and finally did after realizing having the extra protein without the high price or excess ingredients was pretty cool.

So I generally followed her guidelines, but here are some changes/choices I made:

*I did not use flavored protein powder.  I used plain soy protein powder that I already had on hand for my green monsters (Bob's Red Mill - love their products).  Since it was unflavored, I added...
*Mexican Vanilla - I just poured it in, but I estimate I used about 2 tsp
* I chose to use dried cranberries, ground pecans, and slivered almonds
* I sprinkled in cinnamon (again, didn't really measure, just until it tasted right) and a dash of nutmeg for spices
* I omitted the salt since I used...
* All natural, fresh ground peanut butter (I thought it was plenty salty on it's own)
* Although I am not a huge fan of artificial sweeteners, I do use Splenda Brown Sugar here and there in certain recipes.  I used it here and thought it was good choice to cut down on the sugars and calories.
* I had never used the silken tofu before, and if you are in that same boat, don't be afraid.  It was easy to mix and I think helped keep the bars nice and chewy/soft.
* I didn't use the parchment paper because I didn't have any on hand, but turns out mine came out just fine by...
* Spraying a non-stick metal baking pan (yes the one with barely and edges) with EVOO cooking spray (I then used a paper towel to evenly coat the pan and soak up the extra oil)
* I spread the batter evenly across the whole pan - it was maybe 1/4" thick.  It didn't rise much while baking so do not worry about overflow.
* Then I added a little extra goodness with a quick drizzle of honey and cinnamon on the top before placing it in the oven.

Pre-bake photo:

Then after baking per Kaci's instructions I removed the pan, cut it into 4ths (for easy transfer) then transferred it to the cooling rack.  I let it cool completely then cut into bite size rectangles.  So easy!  Like she said to, I refrigerated them and we've ate them as needed all week!  The flavors I chose I think turned out yummy and were a safe choice since we know we like those things - they do taste like protein bars, not too sweet and with the overall soy protein taste.  I do plan on trying to change it up and try new flavors next time.

So I hope that some of you guys are able to make your own as well!  I don't know how to measure the nutrition values in this recipe, but if I could I think that would make it perfect so then I'd know not only the homemade ingredients, but also the nutritional value side.  Anyone know how to calculate that all out?

Happy Baking! :)