Recipe Review: Protein Granola Bars

I often find that I get super excited to try recipes from Pinterest, blogs or even a cooking show but sometimes they are harder than expected or don't come out the way they are supposed to, even when you follow every direction. Sometimes they are so tasty and easy that you want to tell everyone you know to "make 'crock pot shredded chicken' - tonight!". I thought I could take some of the guess work out of it and be your kitchen guinea pig! Thus, recipe review is born.

I found this recipe on Chocolate Covered Katie... a great blog!

RECIPE
Protein Granola Bars

• 1-1/2 C quick oats
• 1/2 C agave
• 1/2 C Peanut Butter
• 1 scoop Cellucor PB Marshmallow Protein Powder
• 1/3 C mini chocolate chips
• Sprinkle Salt
• Wax paper
• 8" x 8" pan
• 2 tbs ground flax (not in original recipe)

Makes 12, each 190 cal | 24g carb | 14.5g sugar | 7g protein

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Place wax paper in 8" x 8" pan and spread out mixture into pan as best you can. 

3. Place another piece of wax paper on top of mixture and use your palms or a book to spread out the mixture and evenly spread it into the pan. 

4. Place pan into freezer for an hour to set then cut your bars into strips or squares. 

5. Wrap each individual piece with wax paper and store in freezer.

All the goodies!

With the second piece of wax paper, I pressed the mixture out flat. 

Cute little squares I cut after freezing! 

REVIEW

So these bars are yummy, straight up no way around it. Like a softer, homemade version of the Quaker bars we all ate as kids but sweeter (maybe too sweet for me). The thing is - they start melting around 30 seconds. I mean I can't even eat the whole thing before it starts to bend over. This could be because I used natural pb instead of Jiff or something with more substance (you know how natural pb can be runny...) or because it needed more oats. 

VERDICT
These are very calorie and sugar dense little bars. Not worth the small protein punch for the size.

I would, however, like to try these again with half the amount of agave, processed peanut butter and would add 1/ 2 cup more oatmeal. 

LET ME KNOW IF YOU TRY THESE AND WHAT YOU THINK!