Sea Salt and Chocolate Homemade Rx Bars
These homemade Rx bars have 9 grams of protein and all natural ingredients
If you love the high protein Rx Bars, but hate the price, we’re making our own!
Our family goes through phases when I purchase protein bars for the kids or I to take on the go or for a healthy snack. But then I grow tired of paying the outrageous prices, and the kids decide to eat the entire box within a few days of buying them, so I go back to the less expensive snack, granola bars. Having two teenagers at home can get expensive as it is, so no matter how much I want them to eat more protein during the school day or at practice, I also realize they get plenty of protein from other sources.
When Rx bars came on the scene though, I got really excited. I thought they tasted great, and the kids liked them too! The ingredients were simple, natural, and something I felt good about giving my kids. Unfortunately, these were even more expensive than the protein bars I had sporadically been purchasing. Not just a little more, but often DOUBLE the price!
I did notice however, that they used powdered egg whites for the protein, which I’ve actually had in my food storage forever! I had never considered using the powdered egg whites in baking until these Rx bars came on the scene. Suddenly, I knew exactly how I’d use that package of egg whites I’ve been holding on to!
What is Egg White Powder
Egg white powder has been available for retail purchasing for decades. It’s simply real egg whites, dried in an air chamber and ground into a powder. They have been pasteurized so it’s safe for cooking and no-bake things like meringue powder. It can be stored safely at room temperature and reconstituted for meals like scrambled eggs.
What is egg white powder used for?
Increasing in popularity in the fitness crowd, egg white powder is being used for so many recipes today! Make sure to check the label to see that what you are purchasing is just pasteurized eggs thought, because there are brands creating egg white protein powder, which includes other ingredients as well. But, if you can just find egg white powder, you can use it for:
- French Toast
- chocolate cake
- No bake peanut butter balls
- Pancakes
- Add to smoothies
- Adding to oatmeal
I included a link to some egg white powder at the bottom, but there are many companies selling the same thing. Just check that the ingredient simply shows: 100% egg whites, and any package will do.
Onto our recipe using egg white powder…. Literally using the package itself, we created our own Rx Bars. The chocolate ones! (There are many flavors, but starting with chocolate felt like it would be most successful for our first try). I think these bars turned out are perfect! And more importantly, my kids did too! The powdered egg whites gives us the boost in protein. The nuts give us a great supply of fats and fiber. The chocolate gives it that perfect flavor.
So, if you are like me and want a natural version of a protein bar for your kids, give these ones a try! You won’t be disappointed!
If you want more ideas for protein sources for kids,check out these articles!
- Sources of protein
- High protein breakfast
- Protein shake recipe
- Homemade protein bars
- Cottage Cheese protein pancakes
These are the egg whites I had from Amazon
Homemade Rx Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, raw
- 1 cup cashews, raw
- 1 1/4 cup egg white powder
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 pound dates, Medjool
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Line an 11×7-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add nuts to a food processor. Blend until they resemble a crumb consistency.
- Add egg white and cocoa powder and process for 30 seconds, scraping sides if needed.
- Quarter dates and add to mixture. Process 1-2 minutes or until you have reached a sticky consistency.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Pull out of baking dish by lifting parchment. Cut into 20 bars. Add to an airtight container, placing parchment between layers to avoid sticking together.
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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Hello! Can you substitute egg whites for the powder? If so how many?
I don’t think that would work Eliza. You can find egg white powder usually in the baking aisle.
Is there anything you can use in place of the dates?
I haven’t tried any substitutions for these bars yet. If you do, let us know how it goes!
This is a lifesaver! I am so glad to be able to make these at home! #blogcrush
Thanks Tracy!
Could I add protein powder to this recipe?
You could try! Let me know how it turns out!
Hello. I must tell that this food is really awesome. I love it and my family give much good compliment about the recipe. Thank you.
What type of blender/ food processor do you use? Ours isn’t big enough or strong enough.
We love our Cuisinart food processor – definitely large enough and makes this recipe very easily. Good luck!
Can’t wait to try these! It’s very similar to the energy bites I make and I’m always looking for ways to add more nutritional value. I have never or thought to use egg white powder before. Hopefully can find some locally to give this a try ?
Can you freeze these?
Yes, Katrina! They will need to thaw fully before serving.
Hello!
I was wondering how long these last in the fridge?
Just made these for the first time. They are amazing. I sprinkled some coconut flakes on top of them and added 2 chipits per bar. These are great! Will redo them often for sure.
So glad to hear this, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, these came out great! I subbed the egg white powder with PB Fit peanut butter powder. It came out great! Also drizzled about 2 tsp Maple syrup on top 🙂 thank you for this recipe!
Awesome, thanks for sharing Jennifer!
Hi! Is there any other substitute for egg protein powder besides Peanut butter powder? Can I just use liquid egg whites instead? PS your bars look so yummy!
Hi Pat! Thanks for your question. I think you would probably have success with a prepared protein powder (like whey protein, pea protein, soy protein, or a blend.) I would avoid liquid egg whites because it would change the consistency of the bars, and also since the bars are not baked, the raw eggs create a food safety issue. I hope this helps!
When I have a chance to shop for the ingredients I’ll try the recipe as written.
In the meantime its a great starting point for experiments… all of which come out good.
Just nuts and less dates, whey instead of eggs, plus coconut oil to make of for the lack of dates and I got something that tasted like halvah, only better.
Also did nuts, whey, and raisins, plus some granola, and that was great.
Have you tried to make the peanut butter ones yet? If so do you have the recipe?
Hi Chad! We haven’t tried the peanut butter ones yet. But it sounds like a great experiment! You could use this recipe as a base and swap in peanuts for the almonds and cashews… then take out the cocoa powder. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Amazing, turned out better than I expected!
Greetings, I was wondering if I can use vegan protein powder instead of the egg white powder? I will give it a try and will let everyone know 🙂
Hi Fernanda, good question! We haven’t tried it but we look forward to your report.
I just made these and absolutely love them! They taste almost exactly like the real thing (perhaps consistency is slightly different, but still delicious)!
The only thing I realized in walking through the recipe is that water was needed (I assume with the egg white protein powder stage?) to get it to the right texture.
Really good recipe, have already recommended it to friends!
Awesome, thanks so much for your feedback Mirais!
I’m not a chef, do the egg whites serve a purpose other than increasing protein? What about dates? One person mentioned using dates in non-bake oatmeal bar recipe, so I’m wondering if the dates have a special role.
I plan on manipulating this recipe to make some no bake protein enriched, oatmeal bars with whey protein. Hoping to make some good bars with little as possible ingredients.
Hi there! The egg whites mainly increase protein. The dates, however, add sweetness and they bind the bars together. I wouldn’t try substituting those. But I think the whey protein would be fine in place of the egg whites.
Do you need to cook it? Everything seems raw.
Hi Amy! Nope, no need to cook this. Just refrigerate until firm and cut into squares.
Does this recipe call for 1 pound of pitted or unpitted dates?
Hi Alexander, we used a pound of pitted dates for this recipe.
Great recipe. I replaced the egg white with collagen protein powder (1-1 in terms of protein), and ended up having to add a bit of water for the mix to come together. It tastes amazing!!! I’ll be making again with Nutso and freeze dried strawberries
I just tried this recipe for the first time today and it turned out awesome
I just tried this recipe for the first time today and it turned out awesome! I don’t have a food processor so I just pulsed the ingredients separately and then mixed everything together using my KitchenAid mixer. I did add a few tablespoons boiling hot water to the dates and when I was mixing everything together to help things blend a little better. I am thrilled at how they turned out! I love RX bars and thought these turned out just as good!
I tried this. Measured all ingredients exactly. Followed the instructions to the “T”. My bars are crumbly and won’t stay together. Any idea what could have gone wrong? I am not going to waste what I made. I intend on using the crumbled bars as a yogurt topper =D I love Rx bars so much. I wish this went better for me…
Hi Erin, I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you! We haven’t had that issue. I hope it was still yummy on yogurt!
I wonder if I can use ground flax seeds or Chia seeds instead of egg white powder. Your thought?
We haven’t tried that variation so I’m not sure if it would work, but go ahead and give it a try!
These are fantastic! I have to add a little water to get the right consistency, but that’s the only alteration I make.
I missed the ‘raw’ part of the nuts and used roasted/salted. Don’t recommend… It was too dry and the mixture didn’t get pastey. I need up adding a few tbls of water and it did the trick. Sprinkles coconut on top before pressing into the pan instead of salt (since nuts were salted) so excited to not have to purchase bars for a bit!
Can u sub egg replacer (powder) for the egg whites?
Hi Michelle, we haven’t tried this but it might work fine– give it a try!
Mine were on the dry side – any idea why or what I can do better? Wondering if they are t blending well enough in the Ninja?
Hi Eryka! Sometimes if your dates are especially dry, it can make the resulting bars a bit dry too. You can try hydrating your dates for 15 minutes in warm water before blending everything up. (Drain the water from the dates before adding them to the recipe.) I hope this helps!
Hi! I Followed the recipe exactly however I wasn’t able to get a sticky consistency even after adding an extra pound of Dates. Maybe it’s the type of food processor I have? Is there anything I can use now to give it that consistency without adding more dates?
Hi Lindsay, thanks for reaching out. Sometimes if the dates are a little dry, they can be less sticky in consistency. You could try soaking them in water for a few minutes before blending them up to give back that sticky moisture. I hope you were able to get these bars to stick together!
Do you think I could use seedless date paste instead of dates?
Possibly- the texture might be a little different. You may need to store them in the freezer. Let us know how it works out!
I read that the original Rx bars are baked. Do you think is a good idea to bake them?
It’s possible they use raw egg or some other ingredient that requires baking- all these ingredients are cooked and so baking isn’t necessary. You can try baking them if you’d like- we haven’t done that before, so let us know how they turn out!
Do you have to store these in the fridge or room temp?
It’s not necessary to store them in the fridge- but they will be firmer and possibly easier to eat if they are chilled. 🙂
These did not work at all. Very dry and powdery. Really not happy as this was not a cheap recipe to make.
I’m sorry to hear that! Adding a bit of water as you pulse can help pull it together if you didn’t have enough moisture.
I’m surprised that more people didn’t experience this – these were REALLY dry. I had to add in about 1/2 cup of water but they’re still quick dry and not the consistency I was expecting. I followed the recipe exactly. You should put in the description to make sure that the dates are more sticky and if they’re not then to soak for a bit in hot water. I really wish I knew that before.
On making these as per the recipe, the mixture was dry and crumbly. I added a bit of water into the mix and processed, hoping that they’d set in the fridge. No such luck. What I got was sludgey, sticky mess that doesn’t peel from the paper. And doesn’t come off your hands either. Knife and fork required. Also, I’d recommend putting the nuts in later. What I loved about RX bars was the crunch inside the chewiness. Here, the nuts are barely bigger than grains, hence giving a grainy texture amongst the sludge.
Is egg white powder – meringue powder?
I can’t find “egg white powder”.
I have vanilla & chocolate flavored whey powder- you think I can substitute that?
Meringue powder and egg white powder are different. I’m not sure what the protein content is like in the meringue powder. Because this recipe has cocoa powder and dates it is already, adding a chocolate or vanilla protein powder might make the recipe too sweet. It could also be delicious though – so if you try it, let me know how it turns out!
This recipe didn’t work at all. Very dry and powdery, needed to add water and ended up still not able to get the right consistency.