Recipes when I feel like it: Homemade Penutbutter & Banana Protein Bars

It's time again for another protein bar recipe.  My curious mind hasn't stopped racing with ideas since my last protein bar post.  Since then I've been experimenting with various recipes.  Here is my favorite out of the bunch.

Just like before, to make things easier, I will again separate the ingredients into a dry and wet bowl.  Remember  you will need two large bowls that make up your dry and wet bowls.  However, this time around your wet bowl may be metal as nothing will need to be melted.  Lets get started!     

Dry Bowl Ingredients:
2 cups Oats
1/4 cup Shredded Coconuts (Sweetened or Unsweeted, pick your poison)
1/2 cup Raisins (or dates, cranberries, dried fruits, etc)
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips or Chunks (Check out the benefits)
1/4 cup Almonds (shredded or whole, your choice.  Can also substitute for other nuts)
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Protein Powder (Natural, Vanilla or Chocolate are best for taste)

**Optional**
2 tbsp Flax Seeds (Check out the benefits)
2 tbsp Chia Seeds (Check out the benefits)
1/2 Apple (cut into small chunks)

Assemble everything into one bowl. Mixing everything up. Now put your dry bowl a side to make room for the next bowl.

Wet Bowl Ingredients:
1 Ripe Banana (mashed)
1/4 cup Maple Syrup (or honey if that is all you got) (Check out the benefits)
1/2 cups Peanut Butter (prefer natural but if all you got is skippy or Kraft - go with what you got!  Any other nut butter will work as well)
1 tsp Vanilla

Unlike the last bowl, where it was just collecting ingredients, the wet bowl will require you to use some "elbow grease". Before assembling the ingredients together, you will need to first place a pealed banana into the bowl and mash it up.  I found a spoon works best, but anything you find that you believe will get the job done will work.  After the banana is completely mashed, you can begin to assemble the remaining ingredients into the bowl.  Mix everything up! 

Now that you have your two bowls completed, pour the contents of your wet bowl into your dry bowl.

Now for the fun part (finally!). Time to get your hands all up in there and mix everything up.  Remember though, wash your hands first lol ;)


Once everything is mixed together, transfer the contents to a baking tray to be put into the fridge for an hour or two (or in the freezer if your in a hurry). I found long tupperware containers works well as well (so save those pastic chinese take out containers). Keep the tray in the fridge until ingredients have completely solidified.

Voila!!! The protein bars are done!!! I'll leave you with the freedom to decide how to cut into smaller bars.

Enjoy!!!  And again, don't be shy - If you have an input on how to make this better (or different, in a good way) send your thoughts my way :)