Australian fitness coach Luke Hines shares recipe for healthy chocolate peanut butter bars

The ultimate weekday snack: Fitness star, 37, shares his recipe for oozing chocolate peanut butter brownie bars that are actually GOOD for you

  • Personal trainer Luke Hines, 37, has shared his recipe for choc peanut butter bars
  • Low-carb and gluten-free, they’re made with almond meal and coconut oil
  • The Byron Bay nutritionist makes the bars when he needs a sugary guilt-free hit

A personal trainer who once worked with Angelina Jolie has shared the simple recipe for his healthy low-carb chocolate peanut butter bars.

In an Instagram post to his 95,500 followers, Luke Hines, 37, revealed he makes the snack from supermarket ingredients including coconut oil, peanut butter, almond meal, cacao butter and salt. 

The Byron Bay nutritionist, who provided training and dietary advice on the set of Angelina’s blockbuster Unbroken while she was filming in Australia in 2013, says the bars have a ‘thick chocolate brownie base with a layer of oozy peanut caramel’.

Photos of the tart, which have amassed 1,271 likes since they were uploaded in November, have drawn delighted responses from health-conscious dessert lovers.

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Luke Hines chocolate peanut butter bars that are healthy without compromising on flavour

‘Now these are the sweet treats we should be making,’ one woman replied.

‘Can you just make it in bulk package it and send some over to me,’ another added, while a third wrote: ‘These are outstanding.’

To make the bars, Luke starts by preheating his oven to 180°C and lining a 24cm square cake tin with baking paper.

Next he adds coconut oil, sweetener and cacao powder to a saucepan over a medium heat and whisks for four to five minutes until the sugar has dissolved. 

Luke then stirs in almond meal, vanilla, egg and salt to form a batter before removing the pan from the heat and pouring the mixture into the prepared cake tin, spreading it evenly.

Luke (pictured) provided training and dietary advice on the set of Angelina's wartime blockbuster Unbroken while she was filming in Australia in 2013

Luke (pictured) provided training and dietary advice on the set of Angelina’s wartime blockbuster Unbroken while she was filming in Australia in 2013

He bakes the base for 10 to 15 minutes then leaves it in the fridge to chill while turning his attention to the caramel layer. 

Luke adds coconut oil, monk fruit, peanut butter and vanilla pods to a saucepan over medium–high heat and melts them all together, stirring constantly until smooth.

He pours the caramel over the cooled brownie layer and transfers the mixture to the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

For the crunchy peanut layer, he adds coconut oil, cacao butter, cacao powder and sweetener to a saucepan over a medium heat and stirs until smooth. 

He mixes in peanut butter, then pours the sauce over the cooled caramel layer and returns to the fridge for another 30 minutes until set.

Luke serves the bars straight from the fridge, slicing them into chunks with a warm knife for a clean cut and enjoys, guilt-free.

Luke’s recipe for low-carb choc peanut butter bars 

INGREDIENTS:

For the brownie base

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) coconut oil

150 g (1 cup)

Monk fruit sweetener or coconut sugar

120 g (1 cup) cacao powder

55 g (1⁄2 cup) almond meal

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

2 large regular or vegan eggs, beaten

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

For the peanut caramel

250 g smooth peanut butter

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) Lakanto monk fruit syrup or pure maple syrup

125 ml (1⁄2 cup) coconut oil

1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

For the crunchy peanut butter

250 g crunchy peanut butter

250 ml (1 cup) cacao butter

120 g (1 cup) cacao powder

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons Lakanto maple flavoured syrup

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 24 cm square cake tin with baking paper.

2. Add coconut oil, sweetener and cacao powder to a saucepan over medium heat and whisk for 4–5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. 

2. Stir in almond meal, vanilla, egg and salt to form a batter, then remove from the heat, pour into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the fridge or freezer to cool completely.

3. To make the caramel layer, add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium–high heat and melt, stirring constantly, until nice and runny. 

4. Pour the caramel over the cooled brownie layer and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes to set firm.

5. For the crunchy peanut layer, add the coconut oil, cacao butter, cacao powder and sweetener to a saucepan over medium heat and stir until nice and smooth. 

6. Stir in the peanut butter and mix well to combine. Pour over the cooled caramel layer and return to the freezer for another 30 minutes, or until set.

7. To serve, remove from the fridge and cut into bars with a warm knife.

Source: Luke Hines via Instagram