Love peanut butter and chocolate combo? You must try these!

Do you remember the no-bake chocolate cookies from your childhood? That's what these remind me of, but a much healthier version. The combination of oats, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, and chocolate protein powder means this little square gives you protein, fat, and fiber, plus a nice dose of omega-3.

I eat this either before my workout or as an afternoon "pick me up" when I'm craving something sweet. Plus no one else in my household eats peanut butter so this one pan will last me a month (stored in the fridge).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingredients:

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (my favorite is the double chocolate from Levels)

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup oats

8 oz peanut butter (I put the saucepan on my food scale and measure that way)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 cup of water

splash of liquid stevia (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the protein powder, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats. In a saucepan on low heat, mix together the peanut butter and syrup/honey until combined. (If the peanut butter isn't cold, you probably don't need to heat it). Once combined and smooth, remove from heat and add the vanilla, salt, cocoa powder, and liquid stevia. Dump that into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix. This is when you'll add the 1/4 cup of water. Keep stirring until well combined.

In an 8x8 pan, lined with parchment paper, press the mixture into the pan. You can also roll it into balls, but will make your hands super messy! Place into the refrigerator. After an hour you can remove them and cut them into one-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

**If you are consuming these outside of your house, be sure to bring a toothpick as those little chia seeds will get stuck in between your teeth!