Last night I was watching The Voice and trying to talk myself out of going into the freezer and snagging one of these delicious bars.  Which, in all honesty wouldn't be so bad except I made a deal with myself that I am not eating snacks after dinner this week (whyyyy???) so I am trying to keep my pact with myself.  But when a snack is slightly sweet, filling, and on the "healthyish" side a girl could be convinced to break the no snack rule very easily!  Cue my gluten free pistachio cranberry protein bars that just so happen to be the perfect snack to keep on hand for any time of day, especially for that pre-bedtime, I want to eat something hour.

I am all about making my own protein bars and granola bars at home!  They are easy to whip up, you can pack them full of nutrient rich ingredients, they are more cost effective, and you can make them to cater to your favorite flavors.  In the past I have made homemade cereal bars, nutty granola bars, and in my cookbook First Bites I have energy balls and a fantastic almond bar recipe...so yeah you could say I might have a problem.  And I would say to you, you should get on board with this whole homemade bar situation too so we can have a problem together!

Pistachio and cranberry are one of my favorite flavor combinations and they pair perfectly in this loaded protein bar that I amped up with all the good stuff!  I love making a batch of these bars up and keeping them in the freezer because they make an easy on the go breakfast, post-workout snack, or like I said earlier they are pretty dang good when you are wanting a little something between dinner and bedtime!  These bars are satisfying, full of ingredients good for your body, like omega 3's, good fats, and protein to keep you full and energized!  They just so happen to be a little festive for the holiday season too!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Shelled Pistachios
• 1/2 Cup Cranberries
• 3 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
• 3 Tbsp. Hemp Seeds
• 1/2 Cup Almond Butter
• 1 Heaping Scoop Flavorless Protein Powder
• 2 Scoops Collagen Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or more if needed for consistency)

For the chocolate drizzle-

• 3 Tbsp. Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Tsp. Coconut Oil

Directions:

• Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until ingredients come together.
• Test the consistency by trying to squeezing together some of the dough, if it sticks you are good, if it falls apart add more almond butter or coconut oil in teaspoon increments until you have the right texture.
• Once the dough sticks together, transfer the dough to a bread loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper and press tightly and into an even layer.
• Melt the chocolate and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 25 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted.
• Drizzle the bars with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with a few chopped pistachios and cranberries.
• Freeze for 30 minutes and then slice and store in the freezer or refrigerator.

I highly recommend in between all of the holiday indulgence that we all will be partaking in, that you make yourself a little healthy treat that can satisfy your sweet cravings and give you energy to get through even the sleepiest of days!