Copycat perfect bar recipe! Need I say more?! Since you guys are OBSESSED with our pumpkin perfect bars and birthday cake protein bars, we are sharing the classic chocolate peanut butter combo.
Have you guys had Perfect Bars before? I was introduced to them a long time ago and they are pretty great! They are refrigerated protein bars made of real food ingredients like nut butter, honey, protein, and superfoods. They make a lot of different flavors, but the dark chocolate chip peanut butter is probably my favorite!
As much as I enjoy them, I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to make them at home. Plus, the main reason is to save some money! Buying store-bought protein bars can quickly add up, especially high-quality ones. Making homemade protein bars is so much cheaper. I shared a price comparison below if you are interested!
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 them a handful of times a week as they make a great way to add some easy, healthy calories to his diet.
Why you’ll love this perfect bar recipe
- classic chocolate peanut butter combo!
- made with just 4 simple ingredients – you probably already have most of the ingredients at home.
- so much cheaper than store-bought!
- high protein with 15 grams of protein per bar
Are perfect bars healthy?
Perfect bars can be a healthy addition to your diet, especially for an active lifestyle. They good combination of protein, carbs, and fat and make an easy and delicious macro-balanced snack. The protein and fat make them satiating, carbs give you energy, and protein is beneficial for building muscle.
That being said, they are calorie-dense for such a small snack, so if monitoring your calorie intake, be mindful of how many and how often you consume them.
Perfect bar recipe ingredients
- natural peanut butter – make sure it is runny and drippy!
- egg white protein powder
- maple syrup
- mini chocolate chips – I used dairy-free, but any kind will work.
- flaky sea salt – for topping
How to make perfect bars
- Line an 8×8 pan or bread pan with parchment paper and set aside. An 8×8 will give you 8 thinner bars and a bread pan will give you 6 thicker bars.
- Make your protein bars. Add your peanut butter, maple syrup, protein powder, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Mix until a dough forms. It will get crumbly at first but will come together and have a consistency like cookie dough (see notes if not). Use your hands if needed. If needed, add a little more liquid. Add about a scant 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips and carefully mix to combine. Be careful not to overmix as the dough will become crumbly.
- Form into bars. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top with remaining chocolate chips, pressing them into the dough, and sprinkle with optional sea salt if desired. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up some (I like doing this).
- Enjoy! Cut into 8 equal-sized bars and enjoy!
Do perfect bars have to be refrigerated?
While perfect bars do not need to be refrigerated, they should be stored in the fridge to help maintain their freshness and desired texture. Once warm, they can become soft. If desired or needed, they can left at room temperature for a few days.
Can I use another protein powder in this perfect bar recipe?
I have tested this recipe with egg white protein. You can try a different protein powder, but you will need to adjust the recipe. 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!
- egg white – follow the directions as written. I used this protein.
- plant-based protein – plant-based protein powder is much thicker and more absorbent than others. If using, you will probably not need as much.
- whey protein – since whey protein powder has similar absorbency to egg white, I think it would work well. Add a little less than the recipe calls for and adjust as needed. You could also add some flour if it is too sticky. I like this whey protein.
- collagen – I have not tried this recipe with collagen and I’m not sure it will work since collagen dissolves so easily. The protein powder helps the bars come together.
Changing the protein powder will change the nutritional breakdown and macros of the recipe.
Homemade perfect bar vs store-bought
Let’s break down the difference between these homemade perfect bars and 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 just 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 293 calories with 16 grams of protein, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of fat, and 12 grams of sugar. Store-bought has 330 calories with 15 grams of protein, 24 grams of carbs, 20 grams of fat, and 18 grams 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 are not hard to make. 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!
Storage
- fridge – store an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. If exposed to the air for too long, they will dry out some.
- freezer – freeze for up to 6 months. I suggest freezing individually and then defrosting the night before you want to eat. Make sure to wrap them up well as the longer they are in the freezer, the dryer they will become.
Substitutions and additions
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:
- peanut butter – any kind of nut butter or seed butter will work, it will just change the flavor some. Try almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini. Make sure you are using an all-natural drippy/runny substitute.
- maple syrup – honey or agave will work instead. You do want to use a liquid sweetener as a dry one will make the texture too dry/crumbly and it won’t come together.
- 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 just be careful of the ratios. See the section above ‘can I use another protein powder’ for suggestions and check out the comments for substitutions others have done!
- chocolate chips – milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips will work. Use dairy-free if needed.
Here are some additions you can add:
- dried fruit – dried cranberries or blueberries would work well
- chopped nuts – for a little crunch
- shredded coconut
- vanilla extract
More healthy protein snacks
- protein baked oatmeal
- sweet potato blueberry protein muffins
- no bake chocolate protein balls
- banana protein muffins
- oatmeal raisin protein bars
- no bake protein cookies (vegan)
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Perfect Bar Recipe
equipment
- 8×8 pan
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)
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (60 grams)
- flaked sea salt, for topping
instructions
- Line an 8×8 pan or bread pan with parchment paper and set aside. An 8×8 will give you 8 thinner bars and a bread pan will give you 6 thicker bars.
- Make your protein bars. Add your peanut butter, maple syrup, protein powder, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Mix until a dough forms. It will get crumbly at first but will come together and have a consistency like cookie dough (see notes if not). Use your hands if needed. If needed, add a little more liquid. Add about a scant 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips and carefully mix to combine. Be careful not to overmix as the dough will become crumbly.
- Form into bars. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top with remaining chocolate chips, pressing them into the dough, and sprinkle with optional sea salt if desired. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up some (I like doing this).
- Enjoy! Cut into 8 equal-sized bars and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to a week.
notes
- I suggest using a food scale and weighing your peanut butter and protein powder to help ensure the right texture of the bars.
- Using an 8×8 baking dish will give you 8 1/2-inch thick bars. You can use any kind of baking dish since this is a no-bake recipe, but the thickness will change some. A bread loaf pan also works well and will give you thicker bars.
- Make sure your peanut butter is all-natural and is very runny/drippy. You can use smooth or crunchy. If your peanut butter isn’t runny, the mixture will be crumby. You can add more maple syrup to accommodate.
- 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 density, 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.
- I tested this recipe a few times and found that 1/4 cup maple syrup works the best. You can adjust the amount depending on how sweet you like them or how moist you like them. You might also have to adjust the amount depending on how oily your peanut butter is.
Kendall says
Being 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!
Kelly says
So glad you got to enjoy them then! I love them for pre-workout too. Thanks, Kendall!
Laura Schmidt says
I 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 says
So glad to hear whey works so well! Thanks for trying them Laura and glad you enjoyed!
Ernesto says
Im 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 says
I think that would work just fine! Let me know how they turn out!
Haylee Barber says
This 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 says
Aw yay! So happy to hear that Haylee – and glad they can save you some cash! 🙂
Heidi says
Followed 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 says
So 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!
Jason G says
great, thank you!
Kelly says
Of course, let me know how they go!
Jason G says
Can you use oat flower instead of egg white protein powder?
Kelly says
Yes, 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.
Mikey says
These 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 says
Oh yum!! I love that! Glad you enjoyed Mikey!