Homemade Protein Bars For Vegetarians And Meat-Eaters Alike

By Rama Cousik

Published October 29, 2019 at 4:15 PM EDT

Being a vegetarian, people often ask me, "Where do you get your proteins from?"

I am nutty about nuts and will eat them in any form - roasted, salted, unsalted or sweetened. For me, the most convenient way to eat nuts is when they are in the form of a protein bar. You can munch on one while you are driving, walking, running, watching TV, or listening to music.

This homemade protein bar recipe is a hot favorite with my family and friends. It is called mithai or burfi in India. Thanks to my oldest sister for teaching me how to make perfect mithais!

Make Your Own Protein Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup each raw almonds, cashew and walnuts

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup poppy seeds

3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

pinch baking soda

pinch cardamom powder

Method:

Roast the nuts lightly. Add sesame and poppy seeds and roast for a few more seconds. Grind into a coarse powder.

Put the mixture in a pan, add sugar and milk and stir on medium heat for 10 minutes. Keep stirring and add baking soda and cardamom. Cook for 10 more minutes, constantly stirring. The mixture will start to leave the sides of the pan.

Gather it together and transfer it immediately to a greased plate. Using a wet spatula, spread the mixture evenly on the plate.

After it cools a little, cut into desired shapes. Let it cool and dry completely. Your protein bars are ready! Transfer them to an airtight jar. Stays for more than a month!

NOTE: I vary the combination frequently. I sometimes use peanuts instead of cashew and substitute 1 cup of honey for sugar. Try adding cut oats. You could also make protein bars using any one type of nut instead of a combination.