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Everything tastes better when you know it’s good for you! These Copycat Homemade Perfect Bars are a great way to fill your body with extra protein and make your taste buds do the happy dance. Topped with chocolate chips, they’re the perfect treat.
How to make homemade perfect bar recipe
Healthy protein bars right at home
There’s no denying it: granola-style bars are just better when they’re made at home! Maybe it’s the fresh ingredients, or maybe it’s the satisfaction of making your own, but something about them just tastes better.
For me, I’m all about grab-and-go style bars. Granola bars, protein bars, Perfect Bars, Clif Bars… I love them all. But when I started becoming more conscious of what I was eating and made the transition to a whole foods approach, I knew processed granola bars had to go.
Enter: My own copycat homemade perfect bars! If you’re unfamiliar, Perfect Bars are protein bars that come in a wide variety of flavors. The options are endless, and over time I’ve built up my stock pile of bar recipes to be pretty endless too!
On my website you’ll find all types of bars ranging from millionaire and s’mores bars to cookie dough and pumpkin oat bars. When you set your mind to it, you can make any recipe right at home!
So, let’s dive into creating copycat homemade perfect bars. It’s a no-bake recipe that won’t take much time at all!
Peanut butter protein bar ingredients
This recipe uses 8 different ingredients, many of which you probably already have at home. We’ll be using healthier ingredient options, which you can read more about down below!
- Oat flour (store bought is best for ultra fine texture)
- Vanilla protein powder
- Salt
- Natural peanut butter
- Honey
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut oil
- Mini chocolate chips
Tools used to create peanut butter protein bars
This recipe couldn’t be simpler. And with that, we’ll only need three tools plus various measuring cups!
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing utensil
- Bread pan
- Measuring cups: 1/4 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 3/4 cup.
How to make copycat homemade perfect bars
These bars are incredibly simple to make. You’ll start by mixing the ingredients together, and then you’ll throw them in the fridge! This is a no-bake recipe that requires less than 10 minutes of prep time.
To make your own homemade perfect bars, we’re going to start by mixing the oat flour, protein powder, and salt in a large mixing owl.
Then, add the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of the coconut oil.
Mix everything together. It will be very thick, so I suggest using your hands to ensure that everything incorporates well.
Eventually, the mix should come together like playdough. If it’s still too dry, add more coconut oil. However, don’t overdo the coconut oil as we want the bars to be firm and not too soft.
Next, mix in the chocolate chips using your hands or a spoon.
Once everything is mixed, press it into a bread pan and add more chocolate chips on top if desired. Press them into the top.
Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into the batter. Enjoy!
A healthier granola bar option
Just because thees bars are homemade doesn’t mean they can’t be protein-rich! We’re revving up the protein in these bars by including Vanilla protein powder (as well as oat flour and peanut butter). Any brand will do!
Throughout this recipe we also made some ingredient swaps to make this bar overall more whole and nutrient-rich than the processed versions you’d find in the grocery store.
Oat flour
Oat flour is a wonderful alternative to white flour. It includes more protein and fiber and comes with a lower carbohydrate count.
Natural peanut butter
Whenever I use nut butters, I always go for the all-natural options. The chemicals and preservatives present in processed versions are simply not worth it. If your grocery store carries it, all-natural is the way to go!
Honey
Honey is used as the sweetener in this recipe because it’s an all-natural option that tastes delicious and doesn’t contribute any unnecessary sugars. It’s a wonderfully sweet option!
Coconut oil
I used coconut oil in this recipe in place of alternatives like canola and vegetable oil. Coconut oil is known to be more nutrient-rich and a healthier fat than the former.
Peanut butter chocolate chip perfect bar tips
When it comes time to make your bars, take these tips into account to make the process as smooth and simple as possible!
8×4 bread pan
I like to use an 8×4 sized pan for this recipe, but any size will work! Since it’s no-bake, switching up the pan size is perfectly fine.
Add-ons
In addition to chocolate chips, there are a number of ways that you can add on to these bars! You can use white chocolate chips, nuts (like pecans or walnuts!), dried fruit, or even sprinkles.
Swapping peanut butter
If you’re more a cashew or almond butter person, feel free to use them. The peanut butter can be swapped at a 1:1 ratio with any similar nut butter!
Storage
Keep perfect bars sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 4-5 days.
More bar recipes to try
As I mentioned earlier, my blog is packed to the brim with countless bar recipes. You can choose from basically every flavor under the sun! Below are some of my favorites that I recommend trying ASAP.
- Healthy Cookie Dough Bars
- Pumpkin Oat Bars
- No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- Healthier Millionaire Bars (Gluten-Free)
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Quarter Soul Crisis
If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!
Copycat Homemade Perfect Bars
Everything tastes better when you know it’s good for you! These Copycat Homemade Perfect Bars are a great way to fill your body with extra protein and make your taste buds do the happy dance. Topped with chocolate chips, they’re the perfect treat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup oat flour (store bought is best for ultra fine texture)
- 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Original version:
- In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt.
- Add in peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft.
- Mix in chocolate chips, again using hand or spoon.
- Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add more chocolate chips on top if desired. Press them into the top.
- Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Cake Batter version:
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, honey, 1 tsp almond extract, and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 1/2 cup sprinkles, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add more sprinkles on top if desired. Press them into the top. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Thin Mint Version:
mix 1 cup fine oat flour with 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. add 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. stir until well combined. add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. press into bread loaf pan. add more chocolate chips on top and refrigerate/freeze at least 30 min. store in fridge or freezer.
Pumpkin Version:
mix 1.5 cups fine oat flour with 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice. add 1/3 cup cashew butter, 1/4 cup pumpkin purée, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, 1 tsp vanilla. stir until well combined. add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. press into bread loaf pan. add more chocolate chips on top and refrigerate/freeze at least 30 min. store in fridge or freezer.
Pecan Pie Version:
mix 1.5 cups fine oat flour with 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp allspice. stir in 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/3 cup honey, 3 tbsp molasses, 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. stir until well combined. add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. press into bread loaf pan. add more chocolate chips on top and refrigerate/freeze at least 30 min. store in fridge or freezer.
Mocha Version:
mix 1 cup fine oat flour with 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup finely ground coffee grinds, and 1/4 tsp salt. stir in 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. stir until well combined. add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. press into bread loaf pan. add more chocolate chips on top and refrigerate/freeze at least 30 min. store in fridge or freezer. sprinkle with sea salt.
Strawberries & Cream Version
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 3/4 cup crushed freeze dried strawberries and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add more white chips and strawberries on top if desired. Press them into the top. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Cookies & Cream Version
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbsp melted coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 3 crushed oreos and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add 2 more crushed oreos and a few more white chips on top if desired. Press them into the top. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Almond Joy Version
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, honey, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp melted coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 1 cup desiccated coconut, 1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds, and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add more chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut on top if desired. Press them into the top. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Blueberry Muffin Version
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp melted coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 1/2 cup dried blueberries and 1/4 cup mini white chocolate chips, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4). To make the crumble, combine 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup dried blueberries, and 1/4 cup mini white chocolate chips. Stir until combined. Press the crumble firmly into the top of the bars. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Version:
mix 1 1/4 cups fine oat flour with 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1.5 tbsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 cup finely ground coffee grinds (or instant coffee). Stir in 1/2 cup almond or cashew butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. stir until well combined. add 1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips press into bread loaf pan. add more chocolate chips on top and refrigerate/freeze at least 30 min. store in fridge or freezer.
White Chocolate Peppermint Version
In a large bowl, mix together oat flour, protein powder, and salt. Add in cashew butter, honey, 1 tsp peppermint extract, and 2 tbsp coconut oil. Mix. It will be very thick, I suggest using your hands to really mix well. It should eventually come together like playdough, but if it’s still too dry add more coconut oil. You want them to be FIRM not soft and too much coconut oil will make them soft. Mix in 1/2 cup crushed candy canes, again using hand or spoon. Press into a bread pan (~8×4) and add more candy canes and white chocolate chips on top if desired. Press them into the top. Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into. Store in fridge.
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Anna Dubiel says
I make some version of these almost every week to have for a grab and go snack and they are life savers and DELICIOUS!!! 😻
Erin says
Hi Anna, so happy you love them!
Chloe says
Absolutely amazing – recently went dairy free and have had such a hard time finding a good protein bar but these are the BEST! Thanks Erin!
Erin says
Hi Chloe, I am so glad you loved them!!
Tiffany says
I 100% agree, this recipe makes bars better than the original! I’m obsessed, gonna make a ton of flavors in the future to freeze them!
Erin says
Hi Tiffany, so glad you loved them so much! 🙂
Lauren says
Thanks so much for this recipe! My daughter loves the perfect bars as an after school/between activities snack but like others have said- I don’t live the price tag. These were super easy and my daughter said “I like these even better!” Thank you!!
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so glad you both love them!!
Jon says
Made these yesterday and they were great! Found them a little too sweet, and was curious if the recipe would be fine if I halved the amount of honey?
Erin says
Hi Jon, glad you liked them and yes that should be fine. Let me know how they come out with that change.
kate says
Omg… idk if I’m happy I found this recipe or not because I now have to make these every week of my life 😂😂😂 they are SOOO good! Such a fun, guilt-free treat that takes like five mins to make. Can’t wait to try more variations!
Erin says
Hi Kate, so happy you love them and yes! Let me know which variation is your favorite!!
Kailey Hughes says
These taste just like the Perfect bars I love so much. My husband and I both eat a bar each work day and were spending more than $20 a week on bars. Desperate for a solution to our Perfect bar addiction, I tried this recipe. For the price of a one week supply of bars, I was able to buy all the ingredients to make 3 weeks of bars!
Erin says
Hi Kailey, so glad you loved the bars so much and yes such a huge savings!!
Anna Brun-Falkencrone says
Wow, wow, wow! I live in Denmark and don’t have access to buying the real deal, and these turned out (and tasted) JUST like them. Game changer 👌
Erin says
Hi Anna, so glad you loved them from Denmark! Thanks for your support!!
Sarah says
These are addicting and INCREDIBLE! Nothing wrong with real peanut butter and honey, but I used powdered peanut butter, sugar free syrup, 0.5 tablespoons of avocado oil, and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and they still turned out delicious and I lowered the calories to ~120 per bar. They’re one of my favorite snacks to make and so easy!
Erin says
Hi Sarah, so glad you love the bars so much and made them your own!!
Laura says
Erin you did it again! I made the original and used collagen instead of the protein powder. They are amazing! I can’t wait to try the other renditions.
Erin says
Hi Laura, so glad you enjoyed them and made them your own!!
Rachael says
These are absolutely amazing! I think they’re far better than the original Perfect Bar – I will definitely be making these on repeat!
Erin says
Hi Rachael, so happy you loved them!!
Andrew says
These are awesome! I cook and try new recipes often, but this is the first time I’ve made something like this. Never have I made a bar of any kind. I love perfect bars but they’re spendy so I thought I’d see if there were any recipes. I just recently moved so I didn’t have any measuring cups! I winged it made two batches both with slightly different consistency. Still awesome! Once I get the measurements spot on probably even better. Thanks
Erin says
Hi Andrew, so happy you loved them so much and great job!
Hannah says
Oh my gosh! We literally cannot keep these in our house! The whole family is obsessed with them and everyone has their own favorite flavors 🙂 so far we have tried thin mint, peanut butter chocolate chip, cake batter and strawberries and cream. Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Wouldn’t change anything!! We personally have only used homemade oat flour blended in a vitamix as fine as I can, and the texture seems perfect! So I haven’t bothered to buy store bought oat flour. Thanks SO much for creating and sharing this recipe Erin!!
Erin says
Hi Hannah, so glad everyone loves them so much!! Thank you for sharing and for your support! 🙂
Mary Day says
Is maple syrup an appropriate substitute for honey in all the recipes?
Thanks.
Erin says
Hi Mary, yes that should work! Let me know how yours come out!
Katie Carmody says
So good!!
Erin says
Hi Katie, so glad you loved them!
Marisa says
These totally exceeded my expectations and turned out phenomenal! So far I’ve tried 2 of the flavor variations, and I will definitely be trying more! Erin has done it again!!
Erin says
Hi Marisa, so happy you loved them both so much! 🙂
Liz says
Have been wanting to make these for a while and finally got the ingredients for them! So good and so easy!
Erin says
Hi Liz, so glad you loved them!!
mackenzie says
I LOVE perfect bars but we all know how they are kind of expensive. I finally got around to making these myself over a month ago and OMG they are just as good if not better than the real thing! I have made these every week on repeat since my first time making them. I feel like I could eat the whole batch in one sitting! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Erin says
Hi Mackenzie, so so happy you love them so much! 🙂
Nicole says
I make these all the time and I’m obsessed with the mocha recipe!! I also just had my first real perfect bar the other day and can say Erin’s versions are 1000000x better!
Erin says
Hi Nicole, so glad you loved them!!
Kellen says
My go to snack, always turns out *perfect*
Love this recipe and all the variations!
Erin says
Hi Kellen, so happy you love them so much! 🙂
Rachel says
Hey there! I’m excited to make perfect bars for my husband (they’re his favorite breakfast with cold brew coffee!), but I don’t want to buy a big thing of protein powder just for this recipe, do you think they’ll be fine without it? What would you swap in for that 1/4 cup instead?
Thanks for this recipe!
Erin says
Hi Rachel, yay and the protein really makes these. I’d suggest buying some in bulk somewhere (Whole Foods and Sprouts carries this). You can also buy smaller sample packs at these stores. Otherwise, they wont have the same texture or be as sweet! Let me know how they come out!
Rachel says
Okay thanks for your suggestions!
Erin says
Hi Rachel, you’re welcome! Thanks for your support!