If you are trying to eat healthier or fill your diet with more protein, then homemade protein energy bars can be great snack option for you.

With so many protein bars on the market, it can be hard to find one brand that fits all of your snack needs. Some might seem healthy, but when you look at the list of ingredients, you can’t pronounce half of what is listed.

Save the extra -ols and isolates for the lab and make these homemade protein bars in your own kitchen instead. These delicious bars are packed with protein (instead of sugar!) to give you hours of energy without the sugar-related slump mid-afternoon. Whip up a batch this weekend for a week’s worth of snacks that will keep you full and focused—and much leaner than your usual vending machine pick.

Making your own homemade protein energy bars are much cheaper than the crazy price they go for at stores these days. Plus, they’re a million times healthier, because they have all-natural ingredients with tons of health benefits. These homemade protein bars are no-bake, and endlessly customizable.

1. Choose your base

Rolled oats is a great base to use for your protein bars. It’s a good source of complex carbohydrates that will give you the energy you need to last you throughout your workout. Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.

2. Choose your Protein

There are many different types of protein powders available on the market today. From high quality grass-fed whey to soy or plant-based protein. Choose from a variety of different flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Mocha, Cookies & Cream or just Plain.

3. Choose your nut butters, nuts and seeds.

Here is where you can start to get really creative. Add crunchy nuts like almonds or peanuts or think outside the box and try something different like poppy seeds, or hazelnuts. Peanut butter is also a good option as it helps to bond the mix together and adds some healthy monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats to your bars.

4. Choose your dried fruits

If you like fruity bars, or just want to add some extra vitamins and antioxidants to your protein bar, go crazy with this category. You can stay classic with options like raisins or go crazy with ingredients like goji berries and plums.

5. Chocolate chips

I like to add some dark chocolate to my protein bars but that’s totally up to your personal taste preferences. If you already decided to use chocolate flavored protein powder, then you probably don’t need to add any more chocolate to your bars. Make sure you use 85% dark chocolate since it contains low amounts of sugar and is a great source of antioxidants and nutrients with lots of health benefits.

6. Bonding ingredients

Once you mixed all your dry ingredients together, it’s time to add some honey and coconut oil. Adding these ingredients will help us turn our dry mix into a dough like mixture. Honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status. The unique combination of fatty acids in coconut oil may have positive effects on your health, such as boosting fat loss, heart health, and brain function.

After you mix everything together it’s time to put our “dough” on the tray and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours until the mix is solid and can be cut into individual bars. Keep your protein energy bars refrigerated.