· By Joseph Welstead
Peanut & Pumpkin Protein Bars
Snacks are nice. But are you ever tired of overly sweet snacks?
Head to the vending machines, you'll mainly have a choice between overly sweet, and overly salty. Cue tastebud frenzy, and chaos to the stomach. And whether they are sweetened with actual sugar or the latest zero-calorie sweetener is almost beside the point: neither is a winner if you're after something real. So here's a seasonal homemade protein bar recipe you can make exactly as sweet as you like.Roasted Peanut & Pumpkin Protein Bars - Ingredients
To make around 12 bars, you will need:- Half a medium-sized pumpkin
- 1 cup oats
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 table spoons of peanut butter
- 2 scoops Peanut Butter Protein
- 1-2 tea spoons cinnamon
- 2 tea spoons vanilla essence
- 1-2 table spoon honey, or more for extra sweetness
Roasted Peanut & Pumpkin Protein Bars - Method
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 Celsius
- Scoop out the seeds for your half pumpkin.
- Cook your half pumpkin, face down on a lightly oiled baking tray. Cook for 30-40 mins, until a knife pierces through effortlessly.
- Optional - if you have an extra 5 minutes: wash and dry the seeds from the pumpkin. Oil the seeds with some rapeseed or coconut oil, and add them to the baking tray.
- Once cooked, keep the oven on, set the seeds aside (they should be golden but may not be crunchy until they cool). Scoop out the flesh from the half pumpkin and place in your blender.
- Add the banana, peanut butter, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla and honey to the blender, and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl combine your blended mixture with the oats and the pumpkin seeds.
- Spread your mix onto an oiled baking tray or pan, with a couple cm height.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes, then let cool and slice into bars or squares.
