Save some money and make this Homemade Perfect Bar Recipe! Chocolate chip peanut butter protein bars are made with just 4 ingredients, come together in 10 minutes, and require no baking! Packed with 16 grams of protein per bar, along with healthy fats and carbs, they make a delicious and easy on-the-go snack or dessert everyone will love! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free.
It’s my birthday and I’m celebrating the best way I know how…homemade protein bars!! Totally kidding, some kind of delicious dessert will be had tonight that is not protein bars, but I figured this super easy copycat perfect bar recipe would be a fun recipe to share today!
I mean what is not to love about the peanut butter and chocolate chip combo. Add some protein in there and form it into an on-the-go portable snack? Sign me up!
Have you guys had Perfect Bars before? I was introduced to them a few years ago and they are pretty amazing! They are refrigerated protein bars made of real food ingredients like nut butter, honey, protein, and superfoods. They make lots of different flavors, but the dark chocolate chip peanut butter is probably my favorite!
As much as I love them, I figured it really can’t be too hard to make them at home. And clean them up a little. While the ingredients are pretty good, they do contain dairy and I don’t really see it is necessary to have in there.
But the main reason is to save some money!! Buying store-bought protein bars can quickly add up, especially good quality ones. Making homemade protein bars is so much cheaper – check out the price comparison below!
While I’m not huge on eating protein bars all the time, I love to have some on hand when I’m in an emergency and need food fast. Michael eats a lot of them (a handful of times a week) as they make a great way to add some easy, healthy calories to his diet. He has been on the gain weight plan for as long as I’ve known him haha.
It’s still a work in progress… 😆
Homemade Perfect Bar Recipe
Just 4 ingredients (plus salt) and only 10 minutes to make these peanut butter protein bars! Full of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, they make a quick and easy snack everyone will love! And they taste exactly like Perfect Bars!
Here is what you need:
- natural peanut butter – make sure it is runny and drippy (I love Trader Joe’s crunchy)
- egg white protein powder
- maple syrup
- mini chocolate chips – I used dairy-free Enjoy Life
- flaked sea salt for topping
Add the peanut butter, egg white protein powder, and maple syrup to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attached. Mix to combine until ingredients form into a dough, about 30-60 seconds.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix it by hand. It takes a little more elbow grease but works the same (I’ve done both). You can also try a food processor.
Next, add in most of the chocolate chips and mix again to combine. It should only take about 5 seconds or so if you are using a stand mixer. Be careful not to over mix it or the dough will become crumbly.
Line an 8×8 glass baking dish (or something similar) with parchment paper (this makes for easy removal) and press mixture into the bottom of the pan until evenly distributed. Finally, press the remaining chocolate chips on top and sprinkle a little bit of sea salt.
You can either eat them as is or place them in the fridge to firm up (about 1 hour). I find both ways are delicious and it just depends on if you want a softer or more firm protein bar.
How to store homemade perfect bars
This copycat perfect bar recipe can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.
Substitutions for perfect bar recipe
This no-bake protein bar recipe is so simple and pretty forgiving – you can change it up to fit your needs. Here are some suggestions:
- nut butter – try subbing almond or cashew butter for peanut butter. If you do swap out the peanut butter, make sure you are using an all-natural drippy/runny nut butter.
- seed butter – if you can’t have nuts, try seed butter! I love sunflower seed butter and tahini. Again, just make sure they are runny.
- honey – I haven’t tried it, but I would think honey would work the same as the maple syrup.
- protein powder – I like egg white protein powder in this perfect bar recipe because it’s bland and doesn’t add any additional flavor. If you don’t have egg white protein, you can substitute your favorite protein (collagen, whey, plant-based), but I would be careful of the ratios. Protein powders vary by consistency and how dense they are, so I would add a little less than the recipe calls for and add as you need for the best consistency. You can always add, but you can never take away! Check out the comments for substitutions others have done!
Homemade perfect bar vs store bought
Let’s break down the difference between these homemade perfect bars and the real deal store-bought ones. I love the store-bought ones, but I figured this would be fun!
- ingredients – homemade for the win! While I love the addition of fruits and veggies in Perfect Bars, the bars have around 27 ingredients. This includes dairy (nonfat dry milk) and grains (rice protein powder). Homemade bars have a whopping 4 ingredients and are dairy and grain-free! I am not including the individual ingredients for the chocolate chips in both bars.
- price – homemade for the win again! Breaking down the ingredients, homemade bars come out to .77 cents per bar! Prices vary at the store, but in most places, they retail for $2.99. Sometimes you’ll be lucky to see them on sale for $2 (I think that is the price at Trader Joe’s), but they are more expensive at other stores.
- nutrition – calorie and macro breakdown, the bars are pretty similar. Homemade comes in at 292 calories with 16g of protein, 20g of carbs, 19g of fat, and 12g of sugar. Store-bought have 320 calories with 15g of protein, 25g of carbs, 19g of fat, and 18g of sugar. Homemade has a little fewer calories and carbs, a little more protein, and less sugar.
- convenience – I don’t there is really anything easier than picking these up at the store (although you do have to get to the store), but in terms of making them at home, these aren’t hard at all. They only take about 10 minutes plus some time to sit in the fridge if you want them chilled/firmer.
Due to ingredients, price, and nutrition, homemade wins!
More healthy protein snacks
No Bake Walnut Protein Brownies (Vegan)
Sweet Potato Blueberry Protein Muffins
Protein Chocolate Peppermint Energy Balls
No Bake Carrot Cake Protein Bars (Vegan)
Protein Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
No Bake Protein Cookies (Vegan)
Perfect Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (256 grams) (you can use smooth or chunky)
- 1 cup egg white protein powder (80 grams) - see notes for substitutions
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (see notes)
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (60 grams)
- flaked sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Add your peanut butter, protein powder, and maple syrup to a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to mix until a dough forms, about 30 seconds to one minute. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a food processor or just mix by hand with a fork in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add in 3 tablespoons of the chocolate chips and mix again until combined, about 5 seconds. Be careful not to overmix as the dough will become crumbly.
- Line an 8x8 glass baking dish (or something similar)* with parchment paper (this makes for easy removal) and press mixture into the bottom of the pan until evenly distributed. Top with the remaining chocolate chips and a little bit of sea salt. Cut into 8 equal-size bars. To firm them up a little, you can place them in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dan
August 27, 2019 at 3:23 pmThey look great for a healthy treat
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:17 pmYou would love them!
Dad
August 27, 2019 at 3:25 pmCan’t wait to try them
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:18 pmYou definitely should!! Let me know if you do!
Dad
October 18, 2019 at 5:56 pmDid and they are GREAT
Kelly
October 24, 2019 at 2:41 pmWoot woot! Glad you enjoyed!
Kali
September 8, 2019 at 9:25 amThis took me less than 10 minutes to make! Most of that time was me searching for my rolling pin 😂😂 I also don’t have a mixer so I mixed by hand. I subbed out the egg white protein for collagen powder (only used 40gs) I also cut the bars in half to make 16 servings. Which makes them perfect for right before the gym! Thank you so much for making this recipe!!!
Kelly
September 19, 2019 at 2:22 pmHAHA! I love that you used collagen, I will have to try that! So glad you liked them and thanks for trying them Kali!!
Evelyn
September 22, 2019 at 5:00 pmThese bars are so deliciously addictive 🙈. I added 100g of quick-dry oats to mine and they turned out perfect. Mine don’t look anywhere as pretty as these but they’re absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Kelly
September 23, 2019 at 12:37 pmLove the addition of oats! So glad you liked them Evelyn and thanks for trying them!!
Courtney
October 22, 2019 at 12:20 pmI love this recipe! So simple and quick. It was a hit with my family. I also used collagen powder instead of egg white protein and it came out great. I can’t wait to play with the recipe to make different varieties.
Kelly
October 24, 2019 at 2:45 pmLove all the collagen uses! So glad they turned out and thanks for trying them Courtney!
Molly
February 3, 2020 at 9:53 amDid you sub collagen powder one for one for the egg white powder? If not, how much collagen powder did you use? Thanks!
Kelly
February 4, 2020 at 11:01 amHey Molly! I’m not sure, but I would think she did. I would try maybe a little less than 1 cup (maybe 3/4 cup) and then add more as you need so you can get the perfect consistency!
Michelle Hill
November 5, 2019 at 5:32 amMade these on Sunday night, all gone by Monday morning. Quick, easy, tasty high protein snack! I used whey protein powder and followed the directions to add a bit at a time. Ended up using 2 full scoops and it was perfect consistency. Great protein content at 15 grams per serving the way I made it. Definitely Recommend.
Kelly
November 5, 2019 at 7:35 amSo happy to hear the whey works so well Michelle! Glad everyone enjoyed – thank you for trying them!!
Sarah
November 8, 2019 at 12:16 pmOmg! These are amazing! Perfect bars are a little cost prohibitive for me to have ALL the time but now that I have this recipe I can eat them whenever I want! Thank you thank you! I cannot wait to try a million different flavor combos!
Kelly
November 23, 2019 at 2:59 pmYay, so glad you like them Sarah! Let me know what flavor varieties you try! Thanks for trying them!
elle
December 19, 2019 at 7:36 amI have spent so much money on perfect bars because they are SO addicting….my wallet and stomach are ready to give this a try!
Kelly
December 28, 2019 at 12:24 pmYay! Let me know how they go Elle!
Shadya
January 9, 2020 at 11:05 amThey look amazing!
How long will they last in the fridge ? Can you freeze them ?
Thanks ahead 🙂
Kelly
January 9, 2020 at 9:45 pmThey should last for a week in the fridge! I would suggest using 4 tablespoons of maple syrup if storing in there. I haven’t tried to freeze them, but I would think they would be okay. They might just dry out a little (like when you freeze perfect bars). Let me know if you try them Shadya!
Taylor
January 19, 2020 at 8:56 pmI made these this afternoon for a meal prep snack this week and they are AMAZING and my husband loved them as well. Definitely adding this to our weekly snack rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly
January 26, 2020 at 2:51 pmWoot woot! Glad you both enjoyed them Taylor! Thanks for trying them!
Meg Ginsberg
February 7, 2020 at 9:39 amI made these with amazing grass peanut butter superfood protein powder. They are SO delicious omg. Thank you for the inspiration!
Kelly
February 20, 2020 at 8:48 amOMG PB protein powder – that is genius! So glad you liked them, thanks for trying them Meg!
Alyssa
March 11, 2020 at 8:26 amMaybe I’m blind but are there any measurements in this recipe?
Kelly
March 23, 2020 at 11:21 amHey Alyssa! The full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, right before the comments. Let me know if you need more help!
Alicia
March 26, 2020 at 8:55 amI made these with chocolate whey protein powder and honey, and boy oh boy did they turn out well. Thanks for the simple recipe!
Kelly
April 13, 2020 at 10:33 amOMG YUM!! I need to try that! Glad you enjoyed Alicia!
Melinda
April 22, 2020 at 2:40 pmThese were SO easy to make and tasted pretty darn close to the real thing!
I didn’t have any egg white protein powder around the house, so I used a plant-based one that’s coconut flavored (which I LOVE… goes great with peanut butter). I had to play with the ratios a bit to get the right consistency, so I used more peanut butter and more maple syrup than the recipe above calls for (and less protein powder).
They taste yummy refrigerated or not! Over all, it sure beats paying $2.99+ per Perfect Bar. Give it a go and your tastebuds will thank you! Thanks Kelly!
Kelly
April 27, 2020 at 10:14 amWoot woot! Coconut flavored protein sounds so so good! Glad you enjoyed Melinda and thanks for trying it!
Megan
April 27, 2020 at 10:42 pmLove these! My boyfriend love larabars and can’t stop eating these. I had fun and made them with sunflower seed butter and chocolate protein powder with white chocolate chips. I can’t wait to keep making them and changing it up! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Kelly
May 8, 2020 at 4:56 pmYou are so welcome Megan! Glad you guys liked them and love those substitutions!
Gabbi Barnett
July 17, 2020 at 8:17 amThese are just like the perfect bars and have less ingredients! My kids love the peanut butter chocolate chip version but that are pricey so I had to try this. They really enjoyed them!
Kelly
August 17, 2020 at 10:16 amSo glad everyone likes them! I agree – so much cheaper to make at home too!
Mikey
August 19, 2020 at 5:20 pmThese are awesome! I used Trader Joe’s Crunchy Almond butter and honey to substitute. Used 5 Tbsps of honey, incredible! Thank you so much for the recipe
Kelly
September 4, 2020 at 11:23 amOh yum!! I love that! Glad you enjoyed Mikey!
Jason G
September 3, 2020 at 8:46 pmCan you use oat flower instead of egg white protein powder?
Kelly
September 4, 2020 at 10:25 amYes, that should work just fine. I would just play around with the ratios some as it might not be the exact same consistency of protein powder.
Jason G
September 4, 2020 at 4:31 pmgreat, thank you!
Kelly
September 14, 2020 at 2:22 pmOf course, let me know how they go!
Heidi
September 6, 2020 at 1:18 pmFollowed the instructions and measurements to a T, used plain egg white protein and the recommended Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter. Mixed as little as possible but immediately came out crumbly. 8×8 pan leaves them less than 1cm thick. Blaming all of this on my girlfriend since she helped by placing it in the pan so the whole thing is her fault.
Kelly
September 14, 2020 at 2:34 pmSo sorry to hear that Heidi. Not sure if you used a food scale or not, but sometimes measuring with measuring cups will not be consistent. I know not everyone has one though. You can always add more liquid (some people have added some almond milk) to help with the consistency. For the thickness, 1 centimeter or 1/2 inch is about right. They aren’t super thick, but about the same thickness as a perfect bar (give or take). Bummed it didn’t work out for you as many people love this recipe!
Haylee Barber
October 23, 2020 at 3:37 pmThis is hands down one of my absolute favorite recipes and a weekly favorite in our house. I used to spend $20 on perfect bars and these are so easy and quick! I actually don’t have a mixer but still manage to make these! The salt is key too 🙂 Thank you for making this awesome recipe!
Kelly
October 23, 2020 at 9:20 pmAw yay! So happy to hear that Haylee – and glad they can save you some cash! 🙂
Ernesto
November 8, 2020 at 1:42 pmIm a huge fan of Perfect Bars with my coffee so im definitely gonna try this. I might try this with PB2 peanut powder. Or half PB2 and half egg white powder. Hope it works. Thank you
Kelly
November 9, 2020 at 4:01 pmI think that would work just fine! Let me know how they turn out!
Laura Schmidt
January 8, 2021 at 1:57 pmI buy Perfect Bars all of the time and these are a great, easy to make, CHEAPER version! Those $2-3 bars add up. I didn’t have the egg white protein so I used grass-fed whey protein vanilla flavored and it came out great!
Kelly
January 8, 2021 at 5:05 pmSo glad to hear whey works so well! Thanks for trying them Laura and glad you enjoyed!
Kendall
January 12, 2021 at 11:34 amBeing from Canada I have never tried a Perfect Bar but in my opinion there are perfect!! They taste amazing, simple to make, and make a nice little pre-workout snack!