Peanut Butter Homemade Protein Bars

• 1/2 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly substitute (110g)
• 1/4 cup protein powder (I use Vanilla Nutribiotic) (20g)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda (trust me)
• 1/4 cup Sucanat or brown sugar (40g)
• 2 tbsp applesauce (30g)
• tiny pinch salt if desired (I use 1/16 tsp, and my pb also has salt)

If your peanut butter is from the fridge, gently warm it until it is a stir-able consistency. In a mixing bowl, stir the peanut butter and applesauce until they form a smooth paste. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the dry ingredients over the pb mixture, and stir until evenly incorporated. It will be a little crumbly, so transfer the crumbly dough to a gallon-sized plastic bag. From inside the bag, form one big ball. Still in the bag, roll out with a rolling pin. Cut bars (or portion bars into individual bags and shape them) and put in the freezer to firm. (Alternatively, you can bake these or make protein peanut butter cookies if you’d prefer.) I store mine in the freezer, but you can fridge them if you want softer bars. Makes 4-6 homemade protein bars, depending on how thinly you roll/shape the bars.