It feels like we’re finally in the era of truly-healthy protein bars, rather than chocolate-candy protein bars. Yes, I totally loved feeling healthy while I ate a glorified Snickers, but today we know better – and the market has seriously stepped up its game. New brands can push the limits of appealing nutrition now that we aren’t expecting to bite into a candy bar.
So I figured it was time to take a shot at my own homemade bars, plus an added challenge: no protein powder. (More on that below!) These bars are inspired by the truly-healthy RXBAR recipe that’s one of the best packaged options on the market. Their core ingredients are always simple – egg whites, nuts, dates – and printed right on the front of the package. This is a great foundation for so many flavors and I chose three of my personal favorites: espresso chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, and vanilla spiced chai. Let’s get baking!
Even compared with some of the healthiest whole-food bars on the market, homemade protein bars still come out ahead nutritionally. I’ve averaged the nutrition info for both this recipe and RXBAR packaged bars because nuts are the only significant difference between flavors. Comparing strictly by the numbers:
Packaged RXBAR: 200 calories, 8g fat, 23g carb, 15g sugar, 0g added sugar, 12g protein.
No B.S. Homemade: 175 calories, 10g fat, 13g carb, 8g sugar, 0g added sugar, 11g protein.
Making your own bars will save you 25 calories, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, and a pocket full of money; that’s a pretty great tradeoff for 2g fat, 1g protein, and just an hour of your time! These are ideal for home workouts, and I think my ultimate on-the-go bar looks like some cross between these soft, chewy protein bars and my healthy dark chocolate energy bites. Looking forward to trying these with some added chia seeds & flaxseed!
On the subject of “things I’ve learned from the internet”, apparently protein powder can be incredibly polarizing. There’s diet-based decisions like collagen versus vegan, a lot of disagreement over how many grams you really need anyway, and some manufacturers are still sneaking way too much sugar in there.
Bottom line: if you have a favorite protein powder, I’d definitely recommend using it! And if you don’t, then go right ahead and follow the recipe as written for a more natural approach. Do what feels right for you.
And yes, of course my favorite was espresso chocolate. I’m a total sucker for everything mocha.
No B.S. Protein Bars, Three Ways
Ingredients
Espresso Chocolate
- 1 cup almonds
- 8 dates pitted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder
- 2 T. instant espresso
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 12 egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups liquid egg whites
Peanut Butter Chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- 8 dates pitted
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 12 egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups liquid egg whites
Vanilla Spiced Chai
- 1 cup pecans
- 8 dates pitted
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup loose black tea finely ground, or vanilla protein powder
- 1 t. ground cardamom
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1 t. ground nutmeg
- 1 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 12 egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups liquid egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- Pulse nuts & dates in food processor until finely ground.
- Transfer to a bowl and mix in all other ingredients except egg whites.
- Beat in egg whites until thoroughly combined and glossy.
- Pour into an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 300° for 45 minutes, until center is set and top is not shiny.
- Use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the baking dish. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Cut into 6 bars. Leave bars out to dry for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Hi,
I made the espresso bars. They rose a lot in the oven. They weren’t the same consistency of the RX bars I buy in the store. Did I do something wrong? Maybe should have added more dates? Before I put it in the oven they were watery like there was too much egg.
Hi Jessica, these baked bars won’t be the same consistency because they use natural unprocessed egg whites. RXBAR dehydrates their egg whites into a powder which is what makes them so chewy/gummy. Mine fell quite a bit during the overnight rest, although they still aren’t quite as dense as store-bought RXBARs.
If you’d prefer that consistency, I’d suggest ordering powdered egg whites online (http://amzn.to/2DYFucO) and searching for a no-bake recipe. I know Fit Mitten Kitchen has one! https://www.fitmittenkitchen.com/4-ingredient-homemade-protein-bars-paleo/
Thank you! I would prefer to use real egg whites as the egg white powder is processed. l like as close to natural as possible.
Thanks Tasha, I agree!
Hey there, can I freeze these bars? Thanks!
Hi Catherine, good question! I didn’t try freezing them myself, but I suspect they would get a little ‘gummy’ in the freezer – likely closer to the consistency of a packaged RXBAR.
If you do try this, I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Ok I will!!!
Hi Kate, I made the espresso bars and froze them, they turned out fantastic and I really didn’t notice any difference in texture or consistency after freezing.
I will be making another batch and keeping them in the freezer too as they are such a great grab and go snack
That’s great Cat, I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying them. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I just discovered RXbars, and I’ve been looking everywhere for a copy recipe. There are several but there is one thing nobody can copy. RXbars have a firm, chewy texture at room temperature, but all the copies need to be refrigerated or frozen to maintain a good texture. Also, these only keep for a week in the frig, while RX bars keep forever. Do you know the difference? Why do real RXbars preserve so much better, even though they don’t have any preservatives?
Hi Luke, great question! There are a few major differences between RXbars and most copycat recipes:
1. RXbars dehydrates their egg whites into powder, which makes them chewier (and less sticky) than recipes using whole egg whites.
2. The dehydration process drastically increases the shelf life of egg whites, acting as a natural preservative. RXbars are also well-sealed in a clean factory environment, very different than a home kitchen.
3. Here in the States, federal regulations require commercially-sold eggs to be washed, and subsequently they must be refrigerated. The finished product containing baked egg whites must also be refrigerated according to federal food safety.
The official recommendation from FoodSafety.gov is 3-4 days. Quite honestly, I’ve often kept these longer than a week myself, but I can’t recommend that others do the same. I hope this helps, and good luck cracking the code of ‘real’ RXbars at home!
These are great! They taste more like a brownie to me than an rx bar but they’re very good! I used 4 whole eggs and some peanut butter in mine. Super easy to make! Great recipe!
So glad you like them, thanks Colleen!
Love the espresso chocolate. Wondering if you have a recipe for these bars with a fruit flavor, like apple cinnamon or mango pineapple?
Thanks Karyn! I haven’t tried a fruit version yet, but that sounds fantastic.
Here’s where I would start for an apple cinnamon flavor:
1 cup walnuts
6 dates pitted
1/4 cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. sea salt
12 egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups liquid egg whites
I’d love to hear if you try this out!
Wow, yummy! Turned out a bit moister and flatter than the chocolate ones. Great flavor. Walnuts worked better than almonds. I had tried my own recipe modifications before writing to you, but was disappointed. I like the vanilla protein powder, makes up for using nuts with less protein content.
You have inspired me to experiment. Thinking about mango pineapple with “mango flavored” applesauce and dried pineapple chunks. OR, process a little fresh or frozen mango? Probably a bit more carb content, though.
Hi there. Thanks for the recipe specially since it’s liquid egg white and not powder. I’m looking for a recipe for liquid egg white protein bar without baking. Can it be consumed just by freezing?
Hi Meygol! This is a really interesting question.
Packaged liquid egg whites are nearly always pasteurized (but definitely check the packaging to be 100% sure!), so from a food safety standpoint, it may be okay to eat them raw. Interestingly, it’s worth noting that the protein in egg whites, albumin, is difficult to digest when it’s raw. Several studies have shown that you only absorb about 50% of the protein when you consume raw egg whites as compared to cooked. [I am not a food safety expert nor a nutritionist, and it’s always best to do your own research and make food choices that you’re comfortable with.]
Baking the bars helps them set, so the texture is more like the bars you would buy at a store. I’m really not sure what the texture would be from freezing without baking. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how they turn out! Best of luck.
Yum. Could’ve eaten the whole batter raw. I made mine with the ingredients I had; 1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup almonds, 10 dates, 1tbsp coconut oil, 2 whole raw eggs, dark choc chips.