Salty Peanut Protein Bar

Headnote

This bar is built for clean intensity: roasted peanut depth, a firm milk-protein body, and a measured salinity that sharpens rather than dominates. The texture should be dense yet yielding, with a crisp interior and a finish that remains polished, not cloying. It is a composed confection, made to read as a bar first and a protein formula second.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Protein bar

Cuisine or origin: Contemporary Scandinavian-inspired confectionery

Course type: Snack

Yield: 1 bar

Serving size: 55 g

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Equipment

Digital scale

Small mixing bowl

Heatproof bowl

Silicone spatula

55 g bar mold or small rectangular mold

Small saucepan

Refrigerator

Ingredients

Base

Milk protein: 16 g

Collagen hydrolysate: 5 g

Polydextrose: 8 g

Glycerol: 4 g

Whole milk powder: 4 g

Salt: 0.4 g

Flavoring: 0.6 g

Peanut and crisp

Peanut, finely chopped and lightly toasted: 8 g

Soy crisp: 3 g

Fat and coating

Cocoa butter: 3 g

Palm kernel oil: 3 g

Sweetener: 0.5 g

Method

1. Line a 55 g bar mold with a narrow strip of parchment if needed for clean release. Combine the milk protein, collagen hydrolysate, polydextrose, whole milk powder, salt, and flavoring in a small bowl. Stir thoroughly for 30 seconds until the powders are evenly distributed and no pale streaks remain.

2. In a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the cocoa butter and palm kernel oil together for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until fully fluid and clear. Remove from the heat, then stir in the glycerol and sweetener until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

3. Add the dry mixture to the melted fats in two additions, stirring firmly after each addition. Work until a dense paste forms, then fold in the chopped peanut and soy crisp. The mass should be cohesive, slightly tacky, and hold together when pressed.

4. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared mold in an even layer. Compress it with the spatula until the surface is level and the edges are tight. Chill for 30 minutes, or until the bar is fully set and releases cleanly without deformation.

Plating and serving

Unmold the bar and present it whole on a narrow plate or wrap. The surface should remain neat and compact, with the peanut pieces visible through the matrix. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature for the cleanest bite and the most defined texture.

Professional notes

The bar depends on firm compression; insufficient pressure will produce a crumbly cut.

Keep the melted fats just fluid, not hot, before combining them with the dry ingredients.

A brief chill is enough; prolonged refrigeration can dull the texture and mute the peanut aroma.