Orange Chocolate Pea Protein Bars (Recipe)

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These two-layered Orange Chocolate Pea Protein Bars are high in protein, vegan, and one of my new favorite recipes!

The bars are easy to make and a fantastic snack for any time of the day.

Let’s jump right into the ingredients for the recipe & how to make this fantastic treat!

Ingredients for the Orange Chocolate Pea Protein Bars

Layer 1:

• Dates – Dates are a great natural sweetener, high in fiber, and packed with various antioxidants.
• Cashews – Another great face of fiber while providing healthy fats and additional plant protein.
• Oats – Helps you to feel full while providing a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.
• Protein protein – I use Form Nutrition for most of my protein sweets. It contains all 9 essential amino acids, 20g of plant protein, and 7g of fiber per serving. For this recipe, you can use their Vanilla & Chocolate Salted Caramel flavor. If you are based in the US, you can order it from here, or you can also get it within the UK, and Europe.
• Orange juice – For additional orange flavor, we will use the juice of one orange. 
• Coconut oil – To bind everything nicely. 

Layer 2:

To make a healthy and low-calorie version of a peanut caramel layer, we will mix:

• Date syrup
• Peanut flour 
• Peanut butter
• Plant milk 

Additional ingredients:

• Rice crips – Optional, but will boost the flavor by adding another texture. You can use quinoa pops or anything small and crunchy. Crushed nuts will work, too.
• Chocolate – To cover the bars.

Orange Chocolate Pea Protein Bars Recipe:

Materials

• Metal net tray
• A tray or silicone molds for the bars

Ingredients

• 150g dates (⅔ cup) – after being soaked in water, they were ~170g
• 70g cashews (½ cup) 
• 70g rolled oats (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) 
• 88 ml orange juice (1 medium squeezed orange) 
• 100g protein powder (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
• 10ml coconut oil, melted (~1 tbsp)
• A pinch of salt 

Second layer – Peanut caramel:

• 50g date syrup (~2 and a half tbsp)
• 35g peanut flour (½ cup + 1 tbsp)
• 20g peanut butter (~1 ⅔ tbsp)
• 50 ml milk (0.2 cups)

Additional:

• Rice crisps on top (optional) 
• 150g melted chocolate + 1 tbsp cocoa butter or coconut oil (1 cup chocolate chips)

Instructions

In a small pot, soak dates in hot water for 20 or so minutes (you can also do a “quick-soak” in boiling water for a couple of minutes until the dates become softer).

In a blender or food processor, add cashews and whole oats, and a pinch of salt. Blend for a few seconds until you get a flour-like texture (if you still have bigger pieces, it’s okay).

Then, add the pea protein and blend again. After, add the soaked and dried dates, the orange juice, and melted coconut oil, and blend until everything is well-combined. 

Spread the dough in a small tray, and put it in the freezer to rest.

The peanut caramel layer:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the caramel layer until you everything is mixed. Spread on top of the chilled dough and then put back in the freezer. If you wish, sprinkle a few rice crisps or popped quinoa on top. Return to the freezer.

Chocolate layer:

Melt a chocolate bar to a double boiler on medium heat. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Add one tbsp cocoa butter or coconut oil and mix. Once melted, take away the chocolate from the heat, and wait for it to cool down.

Take out the bars from the freezer, and cut them into 16 pieces. Start putting each of the bars in the melted chocolate, and then transfer to cool down on a metal net tray. Since the bars will be cold, the chocolate will become solid quite fast, so try to be a bit faster here, or you will have to re-melt the chocolate again. 

After all the bars are covered with chocolate, you can decorate them with dried raspberries or eat them like that!

Notes & Troubleshooting:

• Chocolate – When dipping the bars, the chocolate might become more solid faster since the bars will be cold from the freezer. That’s why you can try to be fast when coating the bars in chocolate, and if it becomes too hard, re-melt it. 
• Adjust the dough – If the dough is too dry and too difficult to combine the ingredients, add a splash of melted coconut oil or plant-based milk. Usually, 1-2 tablespoons will be enough.
• Caramel too liquid or solid – If the caramel is too thick, add a splash of milk, and if it ends up too liquidy, add a bit more of the peanut flour.

Substitute ingredients:

Changing any ingredients will also change the final result, and I can’t promise it will be as good. But in case you are missing some of the ingredients, you can use those substitutions:

• If you don’t have rolled oats, you can use quick oats, too.
• Add more peanut butter if you don’t have peanut flour for the caramel layer. Skip the milk, or add very, very little if needed. If it’s too liquidy, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
• If you don’t have date syrup for the caramel, you can blend dates and make a paste or use agave instead.

FAQ:

Why and when should you eat protein bars?

Protein bars are a convenient way to increase your protein intake. But, especially if you make your homemade version, you will make sure to avoid consuming sugary and high-calorie bars with unnecessary additives. 

Protein bars are great post-workout fuel or a healthy snack for any time of the day. Due to the high protein content, they are filling and a great way to enjoy a delicious treat after a workout or a long day.

Can I make these protein bars with different flavors?

You can easily switch up the flavor of these protein bars by using any other protein powder from Form Nutrition. They have a fantastic range of great flavors, including:

• Chocolate salted caramel
• Toffee
• Tiramisu
• Chocolate peanut

Sum up

Homemade protein bars are a fantastic substitute for store-bought ones; you can make them healthier with less sugar, no artificial ingredients or additives, and play around with the flavors!

Will you give these Orange Chocolate Pea Protein Bars a try? Let me know in the comments below!

Also, feel free to check my Cocoa Protein Bars With Peanut Caramel (no chocolate coating), which have just 120 calories and 10g of protein: