No-bake chocolate protein bars (powder-free!)

This isn't your average nut butter-based bar that hardly has 5g of protein. Get ready to be wowed: each one of these chocolatey treats pack more than 11 grams of the nutrient!

Wonder how I made them? You'd be shocked. They are made with a secret ingredient which everyone knows is jam-packed with protein, but never thought it could be used in such a recipe.

O.K., I will divulge the secret, but don't tell anyone. You'll have to share too. (Sharing is not always caring.)

It's cottage cheese. Yes, you read that right.

Don't panic yet - you won't be able to tell it's in there. It will get completely blended up with all the other ingredients. I hate the taste of cottage cheese, but these bars are so freaking yummy, I could have literally ate the batter raw! It tastes so much like chocolate banana bread. Well, probably because it's made with bananas. Oh, and they also have a beautiful crunch thanks to the nuts. 

I definitely made you curious. Without further ado, let's see how you can make these perfect no-bake chocolate protein bars that don't use artificially sweetened powders full of chemicals!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4

• 1 medium banana
• 1/3-1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup raw oats
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 30g whole peanuts (a little bit more than an ounce). about 36 peanuts  
• 10 pistachios
• 2 tbsp seeds (of choice)
• 2 1/2 tbsp uncooked quinoa 
• Optional: honey/maple syrup, dried fruit, chocolate chips 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash the banana in a bowl.

2. Add in the cottage cheese and mix very well.

3. Add the oats and the egg whites and mix well.

4. Add the cocoa powder and mix again.

5. Fold in the peanuts, pistachios, seeds, quinoa and optional add-ins. Mix well. It should be very thick and creamy.

6. Transfer to a plate, flatten and let freeze for about an hour.

7. Cut into bars and enjoy!

(These images are actually mine. I know I don't take pretty pics.)

That was easy, wasn't it?

I bet you want a peek of the macros. Here you are:

Nutrition facts per 1 bar

Calories: 219   Carbs: 25g   Fiber: 3.25g   Fats: 8.25g   Protein: 11.25g

 -> If you decide to use a whole 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, then it will be 226 calories and 12.25g of protein. 

 -> As the batter is very dry, you could easily add even more egg whites - 2 more will up the protein ante with 2g per bar. 

 -> Choose hemp seeds for more protein - I used a mix that has 2g of protein per tablespoon.

See? There are many ways to play around with this recipe to get even more out of it. If you want to get big, do any (or why not, all) of the tips above, and throw some fruit into those bars to feed your muscles with carbs. If you just want to lose weight, stick to the original recipe, or add more egg whites and ditch some of the peanuts.  

As you can see, these bars are pretty much perfect: they keep you full with the satiating trio of protein, fats and fiber while also providing other essential nutrients, such as magnesium, vitamin E, vitamins B, phosphorus etc., and they taste like dessert. It is often recommended that a snack has around 200 calories (check) and at least 10g of protein (check). What could you ask for more?

If you still aren't satisfied, check out this guy's version of powderless protein bars - https://theproteinchef.co/cheap-protein-bars-without-powder-recipe/  

I personally think there's so much work to make them (including baking) and the filling looks too mushy and... well, cottage cheese-y, but you can go for it if you wish. His bars are even higher in protein and lower in carbs and calories than mine!