Salty, nutty, fruity, and slightly sweet, PB&J bars are an insanely good idea when the craving for the classic sandwich strikes!  

Who doesn’t love a PB&J sandwich?! Although a sandwich is always a good idea, I wanted to amp up the protein and turn this flavor profile into a sweet treat. Enter, my Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Bars! 

Each layer includes a protein source, but you’d never know because it tastes just like a crave-worthy, no-bake dessert. 

The base is made from a mix of nuts, gluten-free oats, and vanilla protein powder. 

Next up, is the beloved peanut butter layer made, of course, from creamy peanut butter along with unflavored collagen peptides, maple syrup, and coconut oil. 

Lastly, the refined-sugar-free jelly layer comes together really quickly thanks to a bag of frozen mixed berries, collagen peptides, and chia seeds. 

Making these bars is almost as fun as eating them. I can’t wait for you to give these insanely good bars a try. Enjoy!   

Key Ingredients for Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

Does this look like a long ingredient list? Maybe. But remember we’re making a three-layer bar and many of the ingredients are used throughout the layers. Here’s what you’ll need. 

• Nuts: For the crust, you can use either cashews, walnuts, or almonds. Choose your favorite — cashews are mine! 
• Gluten-free Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are chewier than instant oats and hold up better in the crust. 
• Protein Powder: I love @ritual plant-based vanilla protein powder. 
• Dates: This helps the crust ingredients bind together without an abundance of oil. Make sure to pit the dates before soaking them in the hot water. 

• Coconut Oil: This healthier oil is used in both the crust and the peanut butter layer. I don’t find it has an overpowering coconut flavor. 
• Creamy Peanut Butter: A key ingredient of a peanut butter and jelly bar! One of my favorite brands is @picspeanutbutter which I also use in my Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust. 
• Maple Syrup: This adds a caramel-like taste to the peanut butter layer, and adds some natural sweetness too. 
• Unflavored Collagen Powder: I used @sportsresearch collagen for both the PB layer and the jelly layer.  Collagen has multiple health benefits, including strengthening bones, joints, hair, and nails. Collagen powders contain a decent amount of protein too and easily dissolve into the layers without adding any taste. 

• Mixed Berries: Frozen mixed berries are always in my freezer. They’re great in smoothies and work well in this jelly layer too. 
• Juice: You’ll also want to add a bit of fresh orange or lemon juice to add some acidity to the berries. 
• Chia Seeds: These add fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. 
• Arrowroot Starch: This helps the jelly layer firm up, otherwise it will be too runny. You can substitute cornstarch or tapioca if you don’t have arrowroot starch.

Step by Step Instructions for PB&J Protein Bars

Here’s how to make these three-layer protein bars.

First, Make the Crust

we’ll need to start by making the crust. Add the cashews, gluten-free oats, protein powder, dates, and coconut oil to a food processor and process until it comes to a sandy consistency and starts to ball up.

Press the crust mixture into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking pan. Refrigerate and let chill while you work on the other two layers. 

Next, Make the Peanut Butter Layer 

Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, collagen, and sea salt to a bowl and stir until smooth.

Add the mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring and smoothing on top of the crust. Refrigerate while you make the jelly topping.

Lastly, Make the Jelly Topping

Add the berries and orange or lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking up the berries as you go.

Add the chia seeds and collagen and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the arrowroot starch and cook for another minute, allowing the berries to thicken.

Set aside to cool fully before pouring on top of the peanut butter layer.

Chill the bars in the fridge for 4 hours before slicing. Enjoy! These bars will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge — although that rarely happens in my household! 

More High-Protein Snacks: 

• Protein Overnight Oats
• Molten Chocolate Chip Protein Baked Oats
• Bone Broth Protein Hot Chocolate
• Dairy-Free High Protein Cookie Dough Yogurt Cups