Homemade Protein (Kinda) Bars

Soooo I should start off by saying that recipe measurements you get from others/other sources are NOT always exact! I get these daily e-mails from Bodybuilding.com that have amazing articles, workouts, and recipes that I sometimes glance through. A couple days ago I saw "DIY Protein Bars: Healthy Bars In 5 Easy Steps" and I figured I'd give it a go.

I wrote down the ingredients when I saw the e-mail with every intention of going right to the store and picking everything up. That didn't happen. I got side-tracked and lost my mind...and then lost the recipe. Well, I was super motivated to clean today and I found it. I also had to run to the grocery store so I intentionally went to one that had a "health food" section because of one of the ingredients. Check them out below:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup coconut 
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup coconut (or oat, quinoa) flour
1/4 cup milk
A couple globs of peanut butter (not in the original recipe but I LOVE PB)
30 g melted Dark Chocolate (recommend 85% cacao)

HOW-TO
1. Toast the coconut and almonds (roughly 8-10 minutes), let cool
2. Mix flour, protein, milk, PB and cooled coconut/almonds until combined
3. Melt chocolate over a double-boiler (place chocolate in glass bowl and set over sauce pan with hot water)
4. Separate the mixture into 3 or 4 sections. Roll them into balls or shape into a small bar
5. Dip balls/bars into chocolate, place on wax paper and place in the freezer for roughly 30 minutes
6. Take them out and let soften slightly before eating

Seems simple enough, right? Today was my first attempt at the recipe and this is what happened...

MINE: NOT QUITE A BALL OR BAR!!!

From the looks of them I think of pecan clusters...mmmm...they don't taste quite THAT delicious but not too bad. The crunchy from the almonds and the texture from the coconut is amazing. 

I have to admit that I had to play with the recipe a little because MY CRAZY SELF decided to try out 100% cacao instead of the 85%. ABSOLUTELY THE MOST DISGUSTING THING EVER! I caution you, do not attempt! You'll be mad at yourself for wasting the time and money so stick with 85% (or whatever darkness you like). 

One other thing I must confess ties into how I opened my post, that recipes from others are not always exact. I mixed everything as suggested but it was a little runny and gooey so I had to add more Oat Flour and Protein Powder. You really have to get them to a consistency that allows you to pick it up and roll it in your hand (not stick to your hand). I think that's why my picture (above) does not quite look like the one from the article (below) I got the recipe from. 

Nonetheless, they aren't too shabby AND you have much more control over what you're eating then grabbing a bar off the shelf at the store. Plus, you can play around with the ingredients. Try it out and let me know what you think and how you changed up the recipe.