Home-Made Black Bean Chocolate Protein Bars

Keeping my energy up during big shoots is important. Sometimes I’m too busy to take the time to sit down and eat something. Other times I forget about eating entirely. When we have a craft services table set up for big shoots, I can sometimes grab a bite in between things, but on the smaller shoots, sometimes it is helpful to have something quick and healthy that I can munch on. This week’s healthy food from the studio is a little strange, but bear with me: protein bars made out of black beans.

I came across a recipe for Fudge Brownie Chocolate Protein Bars which sounded … well, it sounded weird. But I had all the ingredients on hand, so I gave it a shot. Black beans in something sweet versus something savory? Sure, why the hell not.

I made a few changes from the original recipe, in that I added some rolled oats (might use brown rice flour next time), some chopped almonds, and topped them off with flax seeds for a little crunch and to boost the health benefits a little bit more. I also emitted some of the sugar, since my protein powder is pretty sweet (contains stevia) to begin with. The verdict? These home made protein bars are tasty and because of the good-for-you ingredients they are pretty healthy. They are incredibly rich though, so I found that a portion size about half of what is called for in the original recipe works better for me. The original recipe suggested cutting them into 10 bars. I went with five large bars and ten smaller ones. I wrapped mine individually in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge for a quick snack or to fulfill a craving for something sweet.

Here are a few variations that I’m thinking of trying: chocolate and cayenne pepper; coconut, dried pineapple and macadamia nuts; white chocolate chips; dried fruit or berries instead of the chocolate chips … I feel like the options are endless.