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Make your own protein bars!
If you’re looking for a vegan protein bar recipe, you’re in luck because these are no-bake, packed with nutrients, and fast (this recipe takes 25 mins compared to hours of other recipes)
Protein bars make an excellent post workout snack or a mid-afternoon energy boost and the fact that these are vegan means there’s no need to include egg whites or cook anything. Quick to make with just a handful of ingredients, they are gluten-free, dairy free and loaded with 13 grams of plant-based protein per bar.
Vegan Protein Bars Ingredients
- Rolled oats: Use rolled oats for the best texture. Quick oats will also work well, but avoid steel cut oats since they need cooking.
- Peanut butter: I prefer to use natural peanut butter as it doesn’t contain any added salt, sugar or oils but any nut butter will work or you can even make your own peanut butter.
- Dates: Dates provide natural sweetness and help the mixture bind. I haven’t tested alternative sweeteners for making vegan protein bars.
- Milk: To keep these bars vegan, I use almond milk but any milk works.
- Vanilla extract: For a little extra sweetness but you can leave it out.
- Protein powder: Use any protein powder you like and double the amount if you prefer more protein.
- Ground Flaxseed: These help the bars bind the way egg whites would.
- Salt: A little salt helps to balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Dark chocolate chips: Because everything is better with a little chocolate. Feel free to leave them out.
Optional Mix-Ins
- Shredded coconut. Mix in about 1 cup of shredded coconut for a more tropical flavor.
- Chopped nuts. Add up to ¼ cup of any chopped nuts: walnuts, cashews almonds, or pecans work well.
- Spices: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg or pumpkin spice to change up the flavor.
How to Make Vegan Protein Bars
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and flatten out the top with your hands or the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer until it sets before cutting it into bars.
Vegan Protein Bar Recipe Tips
- Wet your hands with water or oil when handling the batter. This helps because of the stickiness of the dates.
- Use a food processor, not blender. You need a wider surface for blending the ingredients and forming the batter quickly. Using a blender might lead to over processing and resulting in a gummy texture.
- Use your hands for mixing the chocolate chips into the batter. Once you pulse everything in the food processor, it helps to use your hands for folding in the chocolate chips. It also allows you to mix in anything the food processor missed.
- Set the batter in an 8×8 baking pan with straight edges. This size and the straight edges will help you form the homemade recipe for these vegan protein bars to look like the packaged ones.
- Soften dates with warm water if necessary. If you have very fresh dates that feel soft, you won’t need to do this. However, if the dates are older or feel more tough, softening them will help them more easily blend and bind to the other ingredients.
Recipe Help & FAQs
These bars will last for up to 7 days. Store the bars in the fridge in an airtight container. Don’t store them at room temperature because the natural peanut butter will soften too much.
Absolutely! These freeze really well. After cutting the bars, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe container or bag. You then simply need to thaw them in the fridge overnight.
I like to have a protein bar either 30 minutes before a workout or directly after it to replenish my energy or even for breakfast. They are also a more nutritious option than reaching for a chocolate bar when you are experiencing a mid day slump in energy.
More Vegan Treats
- No Bake Energy Bites
- Chocolate Coconut Balls
- No Bake Pumpkin Balls
- Oatmeal Banana Cups
- Almond Joy Bites
- Cookie Dough Bars
- Caramel Apple Granola Bars
- DIY Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Matcha Chia Pudding
If you try this Vegan Protein Bars recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Vegan Protein Bars
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 large pitted dates
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup vegan protein powder
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhanging paper on the sides. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the peanut butter, dates, almond milk and vanilla extract. Blend until the mixture is smooth and consistent, about 1 minute.
- Stop the food processor to scrape down the sides, then add the oats, protein powder, ground flaxseed and salt. Pulse a few times until the ingredients are well combined. The mixture should have a cookie dough-like texture. If it’s too dry, add a splash of milk. If it’s too wet, add more protein powder and pulse again.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or your hands.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan and flatten out the top with your hands or the back of a spoon. It helps to spray your hands with oil when pressing down. Place in the freezer until it sets, about 15 minutes.
- Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift from the baking pan, and slice into 8 bars. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Can you bake these? I haven’t made them, I just like the crispy texture better.
No need to bake these bars, I think you might like my Caramel Apple Granola Bars instead! Here’s the link: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/apple-granola-bars/
Easy to make and take with you when traveling. Loved how well they held together.
Love that! They’re perfect for eating on-the-go, so happy you like them!!
Hi what could I use instead of oats and dates? We have allergies. Thanks
I would use crushed almonds (or any type of nut), shredded coconut, and raisins! The coconut and raisins should help them stay together better but they still might fall apart without the oats.
Where are the measurements? They’re not listed
Hi there, if you click “jump to recipe” it will bring you to the full recipe with ingredient list and method.
This recipe is so good! I made it twice as is, and the third time I substituted peanut butter for cashew butter, added half a cup of shredded coconut And substituted the chocolate chips for chopped dried cherries. I finished it off by sprinkling some chocolate chips on top. So delicious and versatile!
Sounds so good!
Delicious! I had everything on hand which made this recipe easy and affordable. I added nuts (one of her suggestions) and love the subtle crunch. Still trying to figure out the moisture ratio (I think I added too much almond milk) but they’re delicious nonetheless.
Happy you enjoyed these! Next time if it seems like there is too much moisture, you could try adding more oats or flax!