Remember those days of grabbing a giant box of Clif Bars from Costco? My husband and I used to stock up on those chocolate chip and peanut butter wonders, thinking we were fueling our mornings with wholesome goodness. Oh, the blissful ignorance of those early days!
Now, don’t get me wrong, we still love Clif Bars. But these days, we’re a little more conscious of our sugar intake, especially at breakfast. So, those chewy energy bars have been relegated to afternoon treats or post-dinner desserts.
But here’s the thing: I’m a firm believer in homemade versions of everything. Why settle for store-bought when you can create something even better in your own kitchen? So, I set out on a mission to make my own mini-batch Clif Bars, using only a few high-quality ingredients.
Forget the brown rice syrup, the tapioca syrup, and those impossible-to-pronounce additives. My version is all about real food: nut butter, maple syrup, oats, and a touch of wholesome goodness.
And guess what? I nailed it! These homemade Clif Bars are the real deal. They have that same chewy, crispy, sweet taste and texture as the original, and they provide instant energy with 7 grams of plant-based protein per serving (I made mine a little more snack sized than the OG, otherwise the macros are identical per 68 grams of bar).
My husband, our little one, and I are completely hooked. These mini-batch Clif Bars have become our go-to afternoon snack or after-dinner treat. And the best part? Making them in mini-batches of four means we can customize the flavors every time. No more getting stuck in a flavor rut!
That’s it! Simple, wholesome, and oh-so-delicious. These mini-batch Clif Bars are perfect for on-the-go snacking, pre-workout fuel, or just a satisfying treat any time of day.
So ditch those processed energy bars and give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think!
Mini-batch Clif Bars
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (84 g)
- 2 tbsp any nut/seed butter (32 g) I tested with almond butter and peanut butter
- 3/4 cup oats (60 g) I used quick oats, but rolled oats should work as well
- 3 tbsp protein powder (21 g) I used Aloha vegan vanilla, it will also work with whey protein or oat flour if you don't have protein on hand
- 3/4 cup rice crispy cereal (20 g) sub any cereal you like and crush into small flakes (shredded coconut should work too!)
Mix-ins (optional)
- 4 tsp chocolate chips, chopped (20 g) sub nuts/raisins/seeds etc
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add nut butter, maple syrup, warm in the microwave 30 sec at a time, stir until well blended.
- Add protein powder, blend well. Then add oats, rice crisp cereal, pinch of salt and combine.
- If the mixture is too dry and will not stick together like cookie dough, add 1 tsp water or milk at a time and stir until it does. If it's too wet then add a bit more protein powder or oats.
- Fold in any mix-ins if using.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions and shape them into bars. Wrap each bar individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the bars to firm up. Enjoy!
