I made this Friday night and cut them up Saturday AM. They were a big hit with everyone except my husband, who is NOT Davetnova. My husband is a Peanut Butter Refusnik when it comes to any use of peanut butter aside from putting in on crackers or celery sticks. Oh well.


Homemade No Bake Peanut-Cranberry Protein bars

Ingredients:

1 Cup Golden Syrup (Corn Syrup.. although you may use Honey)
2 Cups Smooth Peanut Butter
2 1/2 cups of Nonfat Dry Milk Powder or any Vanilla Protein Powder you have lying around cluttering up your cupboard.
1/2 Cup Skim Milk or any Milk
2 Cups Rolled Oats (dry, not cooked)
2 Cups Dried Orange flavored Cranberries (Craisins is one brand made by Oceanspray in the USA)
1 1/2 cup of roasted Peanuts for topping


In a Microwave-safe Mixing bowl, mix the 1 cup of Golden Syrup with the 2 cups of smooth peanut butter. Microwave on High for one minute. Remove from Microwave and blend the two together. Put back in the Microwave and heat again for one minute. Remove. Add the Powdered Dry Milk a half cup at a time, blending well. Drizzle a little of the half cup of milk as you do this to make it easier. If the mix gets too dry or hard to blend, return it to the microwave for a reheating. Continue in this manner until all the dried milk and the 1/2 cup of liquid milk are well-incorporated into the mixture.

Next, Stir in the rolled oats a little at a time. When fully incorporated, do the same with the dried Cranberries. You may need to reheat the mixture to keep it mixable. If it gets too dry, add extra tablespoons of milk, one at a time to keep the mixing smooth. Don't add too much milk or it will not set up properly.

When the Mixture has the ingredients distributed evenly, line a 9 X 13 pan with wax paper. Dump the mixture in the pan and press it down until the mixture is up against the sized and press down to a uniform thickness. Next, take the halved, roasted peanuts and press them into the top of the mixture so the peanuts are firmly embedded. You can use another jar of peanut butter to roll over the top like a rolling pin to even out the spreading of the mixture and to embedded the roasted peanuts in the top. Refrigerate overnight, cut into squares.

Should make about 20 squares. Store in fridge. If putting in a lunch, wrap in wax paper or foil. They don't need to be refrigerated once they have set up properly. You can pack them in lunches without worry.

You may substitute raisins, chopped apricots, dried cherries or any other dried fruit for the Cranberries, but the cranberries make the best combination in my judgment. If you want them to be more like a candy bar, you can increase the amount of Corn syrup, but I like them the way they are.