1. Prepare Your Pan: Line an 8×8 inch baking dish or a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. This will make it much easier to lift the bars out later. A light spray of cooking oil can help the parchment paper stick to the pan.

2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the creamy peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir these ingredients together until they are well combined and smooth. The mixture should be thick and slightly sticky.

3. Mix in Protein Powder and Milk: Gradually add the vanilla protein powder to the wet mixture, stirring constantly. The mixture will start to thicken considerably. Once the protein powder is mostly incorporated, slowly pour in the unsweetened almond milk, mixing until a thick, uniform dough forms. It should be firm enough to handle but still pliable.

4. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the protein bar dough. Avoid overmixing once the chocolate chips are added to prevent them from melting too much into the dough.

5. Press into Pan: Transfer the entire mixture into your prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon, a spatula, or even your hands (lightly dampened to prevent sticking), press the mixture down firmly and evenly into the pan. Make sure it’s compacted well from edge to edge to ensure solid bars.

6. Add Optional Topping and Chill: If desired, sprinkle a few extra mini chocolate chips over the top of the pressed mixture and lightly press them in. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until the bars are firm enough to cut.

7. Slice and Serve: Once thoroughly chilled and firm, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan. Place it on a cutting board and slice into 10-12 even bars or squares. Enjoy immediately!