No-Bake Iowa Protein Bars

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.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 10 bars
Calories 258 kcal

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* 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

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!

Notes

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 6mgPotassium: 337mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 13IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cricket powder, maple syrup