Healthy Snack Recipe: No Bake Nutter Butter Bars

Today, I was in desperate need of a healthy snack recipe. The cutest lil girl came to the door selling chocolate and caramel corn for her dance team. I do alright avoiding the sweets until the are right in my face haha  Soooo I decided to let Jay eat the junk and make my own yummy but healthy treat. 

If you love peanut butter, you NEED to make these!

No Bake Nutter Butter Bars 

3 cups Old Fashioned Rolled oats
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
2 tbsp coconut butter (optional)
2 tbsp Vanilla Almond Milk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup nut butter (peanut or almond)
1/2 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc)
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
2 scoops Protein Powder (Vanilla or I used Cookie Dough choc chip)

First, warm your nut and coconut butter with your agave.  I used really low heat and gently stirred until they were soft. Add in Vanilla Almond Milk. 

Remove from heat. Add oatmeal, cinnamon, and protein powder. To make this easier/more fun, I just used my hands to mix everything together. (I used gloves so I didn't get peanut butter everywhere)

Add in dried fruit, nuts and anything else you want to add (ex: flaxseed, dried apples, sunflower seeds or get creative and add in 2 tbsp instant coffee!) 

I covered a pan with parchment paper- press into your pan, refrigerate. Once it's cool...you can cut into squares...and Enjoyyyyy! 

Peanut Butter Recipes!

Today is....NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY!!! This calls for a celebration! In honor of Peanut butter...here are some unbelievable recipes to try!

Remember to CHECK YOUR LABELS PEOPLE!!! I feel like I need to shout this from the rooftops =) 

The ingredients list on peanut butter should look like this - Roasted Peanuts. 

There is no reason to add hydrogenated vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Stick to the basics! You might have the scour a few labels to find an all natural one- but they are there! I am just going to make my own from now one (peanuts + food processor = pb!) but Giant Eagle even has a nifty machine in some stores were you can get it made fresh!

I actually bought a brand that said "All Natural" that had added oil. The front of the label tricked me into a jar of peanut butter with an ingredient I didn't want. Make sure you know what you are buying! They spend prob millions of dollars on marketing tactics to trick people. BOOO! 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal 

1/2 Cup Old Fashion Oats
1 Tbs. All-Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup Almond Milk (or water)

Cook Oats in Almond Milk according to package instructions. Stir in peanut butter until evenly mixed.


Thai Peanut Butter Tofu

4 oz. Extra-Firm Tofu, well pressed
1 Tbs. onions, chopped
2 Tbs. Organic Peanut Butter
2 Tbs. Coconut Flakes

Cut tofu into 3/4 inch slices. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the tofu and green onions in the olive oil and sesame oil for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides.  Add remaining ingredients, except coconut and cook for another minute, stirring gently until tofu is completely covered. Remove from heat. Gently toss with coconut flakes and serve immediately.               

1 Serving. 


Protein Peanut Butter Cup Shake

1 Scoop Chocolate protein Shakeology
1 Cup Almond Milk
2 Tbs. Peanut Butter or PB2
1/2 Cup Ice

Blend ingredients in food processor and enjoy!



Peanut Butter Bites!

1 cup Natural Peanut Butter (creamy or smooth) (you can also use almond butter!)
1 cup Honey
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Diced Apricots
1 cup Sliced Almonds
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

Directions:

1) In medium size pot, on lowest heat warm up the Honey & Peanut Butter until texture is smooth.
2) Mix in Apricots, Nuts and Oats.
3) Stir until all ingredients are well coated
4) Cool in fridge for at least 45 minutes
5) Roll into small bite sized balls (about 1 tbs)
6) Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Servings: 3 bites
Calories: 275
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 90mg
Carbohydrates: 39g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 25g
Iron: 1mg
Protein: 11.5g
If you want to make them higher in protein, we like to add 3 scoops of organic vanilla protein powder. We like brown rice protein!

Lighten Up Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup All-Natural Peanut Butter (creamy)
3/4 Cup Agave Syrup
2 egg whites
1 tsp. natural Vanilla extract
3/4 Cup All-Natural flour (whole wheat or gluten-free)
3/4 Cup Oats
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix peanut butter, egg whites, agave and vanilla together in a small mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine flour, oats and baking soda. Mix the contents of the two bowls together and stir thoroughly. Let the better chill for about half an hour before placing small amount of the batter evenly on a cooking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 10 minutes or until your cookies are lightly browned. 

Creative Ways to Use Peanut Butter for Dinner:

The 2 Ps in SUPPER are for peanut & protein. What, you didn’t know that? : P

• Smother peanut butter on chicken breasts and place them on the grill for a sweet nutty flavor
• Add peanut butter to noodles for a taste of Thailand
• Use peanut butter mixed with vegetable broth for the base of peanut or pumpkin soup
• Add a little peanut butter to your favorite Indian dish
• Use peanut butter as the base of dips and dressings for your favorite salad and veggies
• For a light dinner blend peanut butter with bananas and milk to create a power-packed smoothie.

Enjoyyyyy!!!

Have a favorite PB recipe?? I'd LOVE to try it! Share in the comments!! xoxo