A little hint of gingerbread, and a hint of pumpkin spice. Those are the flavors in this protein bar. They are so easy to make, and great to have tucked away in the freezer for a quick snack. These bars will be a hit with the whole family. I wanted a chewy and delicious bar, similar to my No-Bake Chewy “Better Than Store Bought” Protein Bars, so it was my mission to create a pumpkin spiced replicate. There actually isn’t any pumpkin in the recipe, but with the pumpkin spice, it seems like there is. Fooled ya!

I’m finding it hard to eat just one! You’ll probably have the same problem too.

If 16 bars are a lot for you, this recipe could be easily cut in half. Instead of using a 9×11 pan, you could use something like a loaf pan, and cut into 8 bars.

You’ll definitely want to take the time to whip up a batch of these this weekend.

No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Chewy Protein Bars

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients

3 cups whey protein or 12 (30 gram) scoops (I used Whey Gourmet Naturelle Vanilla)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup raisins
3 cups quick oats
4 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 cup natural, smooth peanut butter
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
40 drops stevia (optional) *if you think it needs more sweetness. I always do! Ha!

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (whey protein, pumpkin pie spice, oats, raisins).

Next, add in peanut butter, honey, molasses. Stir until it starts to come together. Then add in the milk and stevia drops and mix together until it forms into a big sticky ball.

Then, place the mixture into a 9 x 11 pan (9 x 13 would work too!) and press into the pan. I cover the top with plastic wrap and press it in so I don’t get my fingers and hands super sticky.

Cover the top with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for about 30-40 minutes. You’ll want the mixture fairly cold as it makes it easier to cut into bars.

Once the bars have cooled, cut bars into 16 pieces. At this point, I like to put each bar in its own little plastic baggie and return to the freezer for a quick grab-n-go. Can be eaten just a few minutes out of the freezer.

Nutrition (per bar 1/16th) Calories: 282 Fat: 10 g Carbs: 27 g Fiber: 2.8 g Sugar: 10 g Sodium: 134 mg Protein: 23 g