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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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Sara says
My husband often grabs a perfect bar for a quick breakfast in the morning, so I figured I would give this a try and it was a HUGE hit! After taking a bite, his response was, ” Oh my, these are GOOD!”. We’ll be trying another flavor once this batch is gone 😊
Erin says
Hi Sara, so happy you both loved them so much!!
Sue Forrest says
These are so good! I cut these into bite sized pieces and use them as a dessert!
Erin says
Hi Sue, so glad you loved them!
Heather Bernarding says
Erin, 1 bar is serving size- do we divide the nutrition facts by 8 ( says serves 8) to get the per serving info?
Erin says
Hi Heather, yes, one bar is one serving size and nope, the nutrition facts are per serving. Hope that helps!
Heather Bernarding says
Thanks, sorry I duplicated the question!
carlee says
Amazing!! I only had kodiak cake protein oats…so ground them in the food processor for a bit. My son and most picky, just asked for a second! Great easy recipe! Thanks Erin!!
Erin says
Hi Carlee, I am so glad you both loved them and made them your own!
Liz says
Same amount for almond or coconut flour, that’s all I have?
Erin says
Hi Liz, yes that should be fine. Just double check the ratio since not all are 1:1 depending on which flour you use. Let me know how they come out!!
Anna says
My favorite flavor of Perfect Bars is the plain peanut butter, so that is the version I made from this recipe (no chocolate chips even). The texture is really nice, but for me the sweetness and vanilla flavor from the protein powder was overpowering. The peanut/honey flavor combo is what I like best about the original bars, so next time I’m going to try it with unflavored protein powder to see if it lets the natural flavors come through more. Excited to have a recipe that lets me make these at home, as my grocery store is frequently out of stock, plus they’re so expensive! Thanks for the recipe, I’m excited to try different combinations.
Erin says
Hi Anna, so happy you loved them so much! Thanks for sharing!! You can always adjust the ingredients if you want to! 🙂
Gabby says
These bars are amazing! Been making them on repeat!
Erin says
Hi Gabby, so happy you loved them!
Anna says
I have made these consistently for a few months now to have in the fridge for an easy snack. I didn’t have time this week and bought some of the store bought ones for the first time since I found this recipe and was so disappointed. These are SO much better than store bought!! I’ll probably never buy them again and just keep making this recipe forever. Thanks Erin!
Erin says
Hi Anna, so happy you love them so much!! 🙂
Jess says
Hello, will this work with chocolate protein powder?
Erin says
Hi Jess, yes that would be great and make it extra chocolate-y!! Let me know how they come out!
Erika says
I prefer Erin’s recipe over the original Perfect Bars.
Erin says
Hi Erika, ah thank you so much! So happy you loved them! 🙂
Ginny says
What’s the nutritional breakdown on these?
Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Ginny, yep, it is listed at the bottom of the recipe. Just scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see the Nutrition Facts listed.
Lauren says
this is now officially in my “permanent” recipe binder, thanks to the deliciousness of the bars, and the fact that my kids BEG for them. I double the recipe, use a silicone mini-muffin pan, and press the mixture into each muffin spot, then take a glass, melt 1 t. coconut oil and about 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and heat until melted, then pour a thin layer over the top of each “bite”, then pop in the freezer – eat them cold, straight out of the freezer! tastes just like a Reeces cup! My kids think they’re getting candy.
Erin says
Hi Lauren, I am so glad you all loved them so much and great ideas!! 🙂
Nicole says
Hi I was wondering if I can substitute the oat flour for coconut flour or almond flour?
Erin says
Hi Nicole, yes that should be fine. Just double check the flour ratio depending which you do use since not all are 1:1. Let me know how the bars come out!!
Michele M Klaver says
Can you substitute monkfish for honey to keep the carbs down and will it make a difference?
Erin says
Hi Michele, I haven’t tried that substitution before but feel free to give it a try and let me know how it comes out!
Julia says
Just made these for the first time and LOVE them. So easy and taste better than the store bought ones!
Erin says
Hi Julia, so happy you loved the bars so much!! 🙂
Danielle says
Don’t mind me…just over here making these for the millionth time! 🙂 The thin mint version is SOOOO good. They taste just like girl guide cookies and for the GF people out there (myself included) this is a real win!
Erin says
Hi Danielle, I am so happy you love them so much!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maddie says
I don’t know why I took me so long to make these but here I am …obsessed. I made the strawberries n cream ones and they were so simple, so easy, so perfect! I loved them and so did my boyfriend. The perfect snack to bring to work or eat before or after working out. Already bought the ingredients for another batch. Thanks for another perfect (pun intentional) recipe!
Erin says
HI Maddie, I am so glad you loved them!! 🙂
Nikki says
obsessed with this delicious & versatile recipe! i like to play around with my own plant-based variations using erin’s recipe, she makes it so easy to have fun with the mix-ins.
Erin says
Hi Nikki, so happy you loved them!!
Erin B says
I couldn’t believe how easy these were to make! Now I am going to have to go through and make all of the versions one by one! Thanks for an easy (and cheaper) alternative to a perfect bar!
Erin says
Hi Erin, so glad you loved them and yes, try them all!! 🙂
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 the bars are part of your weekly routine!