Toffee Protein Bars

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar substitute (brown allulose works well) or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 1/4 cup milk of choice
• 1 cup (about 4 scoops) vanilla protein powder
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and let it cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes. Watch it closely toward the end, browned butter goes from perfect to burnt fast.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the brown sugar substitute and maple syrup until dissolved into the butter. This is where the toffee flavor comes from, so let it sit a minute to fully combine.
4. Whisk in the peanut butter and milk until smooth, then let the mixture cool for 2 to 3 minutes. It should be warm, not hot, before the next step.
5. Whisk in the protein powder gradually, a third at a time, stirring until fully smooth between additions. Adding it too fast or while the mixture is still very hot can make it clump instead of blending in.
6. Fold in the oats, chopped almonds, vanilla, and salt until evenly combined into a thick, moldable dough.
7. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan using a greased spatula or your hands, pressing all the way into the corners.
8. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm, before lifting out with the parchment overhang and slicing into 10 bars.