Homemade Protein Bars
Though there are many protein bars now available for consumers, homemade protein bars are a great way to come up with a tasty, economical, and unique bar. Unlike any of the brands of protein bars in existence, having homemade protein bars allows for an infinite number of possible flavors and ingredients. Also, they tend to be less expensive as the ingredients can be purchased in relatively large quantities and a large number of bars made. This is almost always cheaper than the $4 to $7 dollar protein bars sold in stores. For people with dietary restrictions or food allergies, making homemade bars may be the only way to have protein bars. While the basic protein and carbohydrate parts of the protein bar can’t be taken out, the types of foodstuffs used to provide the protein and carbohydrates and sugars in the bar can be interchangeable. This will allow those who have specific allergies to make bars that are 100% safe for them at a much lower price than store-bought bars. Especially in the case of protein bars that were made with specific food allergies and restrictions in mind the price of making homemade bars is significantly less.
Making a recipe based on pre-existing protein bars is generally all that people really need. This offers a chance for them to use better-quality ingredients and probably spend much less for a larger number of protein bars. There are many homemade recipe variations for each brand-name protein bar, however, most of the m keep the same basic principles as the bar they are modeled after. The homemade Clif bars are often recreated with less sugar than a store-bought Clif bar will include. Reduced sugar recipes are one of the many reasons why people will choose to make homemade protein bars. These homemade Clif bars will include ingredients such as puffed rice or wheat, flax seeds, oats, nuts, dried fruits, peanut or other nut butter, honey and/or sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract for flavor. Other ingredients that can be added include cinnamon and coconut flakes. The types of dried fruits used are entirely subjective, as is the choice of peanut, almond, cashew, or other nut butters. Though they follow the basic principles of the Clif bar, these homemade bars will always have a flavor entirely of their own.
Much like homemade Clif bars, there are also homemade Power Bars. These bars are different from the Clif bars mainly because they do not rely entirely on food ingredients for protein. The main difference between Power bars and Clif bars is the fact that the Power bars use protein powder. However, there are several notable differences. The ingredients include soy powder, oat bran, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, dried fruits, salt, soft silken tofu, apple juice, sugar, eggs, and peanut butter. While of course the choice of flour, nut butter, and dried fruits is subjective as it was with the Clif bars, the ingredients in the Power bar are much more varied. The Clif bar is essentially a hardened granola or trail mix. The Power bar is a baked good, using flour and eggs to achieve the bar texture.
Homemade energy bars do not have to follow the formula of existing protein bars, however. While they will tend to be similar as the types of ingredients that are used are somewhat limited, they can be completely customized in terms of add-ons and optional ingredients. This means that although Clif bars and Power bars do not include ingredients such as strawberries or bananas, these can easily be added into a personalized home recipe for energy bars. Almost any ingredient can be added as a flavoring for the basic protein bar. Also, the ingredients themselves can be hand-picked. For those who eat only organic foods, they may want to make homemade organic protein bars. While there are several bars on the market that are sold as organic, there is nothing quite like knowing where the ingredients were purchased and where they were grown.
Most homemade recipes will fall under the category of “bake” or “no bake”, but that is about as far as the categorization goes. Baked energy bars tend to hold together better so they are a popular choice for people who will be transporting the bars quite a bit before eating them. No bake options are faster to make but tend to be easier to break apart and thus can be messy for people who will spend quite a bit of time moving around before they can eat the bar. Main ingredients can be modified as well. For peanut butter lovers, homemade peanut butter protein bars are a great choice. While many protein bars include protein, one that is focused on the peanut butter taste will include more peanut butter and avoid masking the flavor with other ingredients.
It is important to research the types of protein bars that exist before choosing a recipe. Tasting some of the readymade bars such as the Clif or Power bars can be a good way of getting ideas about what could be added or subtracted from those recipes. No matter the final result, homemade protein bars are a satisfying venture in every way.