Free Recipe by Sophie Morris: Black Bean Protein Bars
I’m so excited to finally share Sophie’s Swaps: Homemade Wins with you.
My first book, Sophie's Swaps, focused on helping people navigate the supermarket, showing how small, informed swaps can reduce ultra-processed foods and make a meaningful difference to our health. This book is the next step in the journey, helping you lay the foundations at home to make cooking from scratch more accessible and realistic in everyday life.
From my 3-step process for reading food labels properly, to my top supermarket product recommendations, and my approach to “convenience cooking”, this book is designed to make healthy eating feel simple and achievable.
I aim to answer the questions we all face: how to cook when you’re tired, how to feed a family without spending a fortune, and how to eat well when life is busy. With simple and delicious everyday recipes and clever time-saving ideas, this book is full of Homemade wins!
BLACK BEAN PROTEIN BARS RECIPE
Most store-bought protein bars are essentially ultra-processed chocolate bars that are high in protein. These bars, on the other hand, are extremely nutritious and high in fibre as well as protein, thanks to the black beans. The texture, the chocolatey flavour – everything about these bars is absolutely delicious! There’s no baking and they’re just so ridiculously easy to make. They are a great make-ahead snack to keep in the fridge or freezer.
MAKES 8 LARGE BARS
PREP 10 MINUTES
FREEZE 10 MINUTES
For the base
400g (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 ½ heaped tbsp honey
2 ½ heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
2 ½ heaped tbsp peanut butter
90g (1 cup) porridge oats, or more as needed
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
100g (3 ½ oz) dark (semisweet) chocolate (70% or 85% cocoa solids)
1/ 2 tsp coconut oil
Steps
1. Line a baking tray (baking sheet) with baking parchment.
2. Put all the ingredients for the base in a food processor and blend until a chocolatey dough forms. If the batter seems too wet, add a few more oats.
3. Turn the dough out onto the prepared tray and press to shape the dough into a long, thick rectangle, about 20 x 10cm (8 x 4in).
4. To make the topping, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water, or in short bursts in the microwave.
5. Spread the melted chocolate over the top of the bar and place into the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
