No-Bake Iowa Protein Bars
WARNING: You may find some surprising ingredients below! Support these regional producers and feed yourself something your body wants! Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available seasonally right here in North Iowa! Click on select ingredients to find them nearby or stop by your local farmer’s market.
Servings: 10 bars
Calories: 258kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates soaked overnight
- ¼ cup maple syrup*
- ¼ cup nut butter of choice, or sunbutter for allergen-friendly substitute
- 1 cup walnuts or almonds, chopped
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup rye flour* we used upcycled spent rye grains from NETZRO
- 2 tbsp cricket powder* yes, you read that right! And it’s made in Iowa!
Optional Additions
- dried fruit*
- chocolate chips
- nuts*, seeds*, etc
- cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.
Instructions
- Optional: toast your nuts and oats at 350 for 10 minutes
- Process soaked dates in a food processor for about a minute or until it looks and acts like dough.
- Place oats, nuts, and dates in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Warm up the maple syrup and nut butter over low heat and then pour into the dry ingredients. Mix very thoroughly.
- Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment. Flatten down, using another parchment paper piece to keep hands clean if desired. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for at least 20 minutes before removing and chopping into bars.
- Store bars in a ziplock/airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer!
Video
Notes
Adapted from Minimalist Baker
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg