These Homemade Protein Bars are easy to make and a healthy and delicious way to get your daily dose of protein. These copycat perfect bars are easy to make in one bowl and the perfect healthy and delicious snack to get your daily dose of protein. Freezer-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, vegan and no refined sugar!
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Homemade Protein Bars
Looking for an easy protein bar for on the go? With this simple recipe for Homemade Protein Bars, you can easily make your own protein bars at home in no time at all!
If you’re a fan of Perfect Bars, making them yourself lets you control what ingredients you put and helps to save money! Plus, they’ll taste better than any store bought protein bar you’d find at the supermarket!
And if you’re looking for more healthy snack recipes, we also love these Pumpkin Protein Bars, Apple Pie Protein Bars, Peanut Butter Protein Bars and Protein Balls.
Why you’ll love this healthy snack recipe
- Our no-bake protein bars are made with natural ingredients that work great for meal prep!
- Make a double batch on Sunday to keep on hand throughout the week in the freezer or fridge to keep them cool and fresh.
- These healthy protein bars take less than 10 minutes to come together in just one bowl and will keep you energized all week long.
- You’ll love grabbing one of these healthy bars before going on a walk or after a workout.
Are Protein Bars Healthy?
Many store bought protein bars contain a long list of questionable ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. Our recipe for homemade energy bars are not only made with wholesome and healthy ingredients, they’re delicious as well! They’re high in fiber and packed with nutrients. Plus, this protein bar recipe has no gluten, dairy or refined sugar, and they’re also paleo-friendly, vegan and can easily be made low carb and keto. Everyone will love these healthy protein bars!
Ingredients you need to make your diy protein bars
Dry ingredients
- Super fine blanched almond flour + Coconut flour: our favorite paleo and low carb flours we like to use for the right structure in place of white wheat flour.
- Protein Powder: We like NuZest Just Clean or Sprout Living Pea Protein but you can use your favorite. We have not tested this with a Whey protein powder since we wanted to keep this recipe vegan but feel free to do so if it fits with your dietary preference. If you prefer homemade protein bars without protein powder, simply add more coconut flour or use collagen if you prefer.
- Fine Sea Salt: balances out the sweetness and adds amazing flavor.
Wet ingredients
- Unsalted Creamy Cashew Butter: You can also use almond butter or peanut butter (if not paleo) for different flavors! Be sure to use drippy or fresh nut butter and not near the bottom of the jar.
- Coconut Nectar Syrup: Feel free to use honey or maple syrup instead. For low carb keto protein bars, use Organic Yacon Syrup, Lakanto Sugar-Free Maple Syrup or another liquid sweetener.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: Or your favorite dairy-free milk of choice.
- Vanilla Extract: balances out the sweetness and makes these paleo protein bars delicious
- Dairy-Free Mini Chocolate Chips: adds extra sweetness and makes them pretty. Be sure to use a paleo or sugar-free brand as needed. We like Pascha, Hu Kitchen Gems or Lily’s Sweets. You can also use melted chocolate and drizzle them over the bars if you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Protein Bars
With just a few simple steps, it’s easy to make your own protein bars at home! Be sure to follow the step-by-step instructions and watch the video below:
- Line Loaf Pan: Line a 9×5 rectangle or loaf pan (if you don’t have that size, use an 8×8 square baking pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder and sea salt. Add the nut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well to combine.
- Add Milk & Form Dough: Add the milk and knead the mixture with clean hands or stir to incorporate until a cookie dough texture forms. Incorporate more almond flour or milk, as needed. You want the dough to be moldable but also slightly firm without cracking. Once you’re satisfied with your dough, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Assemble Dough in Pan: Press the mixture EXTREMELY FIRMLY into the prepared pan. Use your hands or a flat spatula to make it tight and compact, otherwise your bars will fall apart. If using an 8×8 pan, do NOT press all the way to one end. Top with more chocolate chips evenly.
- Set in the Freezer: Freeze your dough for about 30 minutes to set.
- Cut & Serve or Store: Remove your dough from the freezer and cut it into even bars. Sprinkle them with salt and enjoy or store in the fridge for later.
Variations and Substitutions
Nut Butter – feel free to use any other drippy (and not near the bottom of the jar) nut butter or seed butter you like. We’ve made these homemade bars a ton of times with almond butter and pecan butter. If you’re not paleo, you can also use peanut butter to make delicious peanut butter protein bars.
Chocolate chips – we like to use dairy-free / vegan chocolate chips but feel free to use semi-sweet, dark chocolate or even white chocolate chips. You can also omit the chocolate chips all together if you prefer.
Nuts: add some chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds for some extra protein.
Protein powder – use your favorite brand of plan-based vanilla protein powder or whey protein powder. An important tip, use a protein powder that you normally like to drink or bake with. Collagen powder can also be used here as well.
Sweetener – we used coconut nectar but feel free to use maple syrup, honey (if not vegan), Yacon Syrup or Lakanto Sugr Free Maple syrup to keep these homemade protein bars low sugar
Cacao powder – swap out half of the protein powder for some cacao powder or use all chocolate protein powder to make Chocolate Protein Bars.
Flour – we have not tested these 8 ingredient protein bars with any other flours. One of my readers says she had success using 1 1/4 cups of oat flour (you can make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats or quick oats in a high speed blender) but we have not tested it ourselves.
Tips for the Best Protein Bars
- Use Drippy Cashew Butter: Be sure to stir your cashew butter before you scoop it out of the jar. Don’t use the butter that’s near the bottom of the jar or it will be too dry. It should be runny.
- Press Dough Firmly into Pan: It’s important that your dough is packed very tightly into the pan, otherwise your bars may fall apart.
- Adjust Consistency as Needed: You want your dough to have a similar consistency to cookie dough. Add flour to make it firmer and milk to make it thinner.
- Use Mini Chocolate Chips: You’ll have an easier time pressing your dough into the pan if you use mini chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Store Protein Bars
These protein bars are meant to be stored in the fridge as they will get soft at room temperature. Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy them cold. They’ll stay fresh for about a week.
Can you Freeze Homemade Protein Bars
It’s easy to freeze homemade Perfect Bars to make them last longer. You’ll need to wrap each bar in Saran Wrap and store them in a ziploc container. Frozen protein bars will stay good for up to 6 months! Just thaw them in the fridge or on the counter for a couple hours before eating.
More high protein snack recipes:
These Homemade Protein Bars are easy to make and a healthy and delicious way to get your daily dose of protein. These copycat perfect bars are easy to make in one bowl and the perfect healthy and delicious snack to get your daily dose of protein. Freezer-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, vegan and no refined sugar!
- 3/4 cup superfine blanched almond flour , plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup protein powder , we like NuZest Just Clean or Sprout Living Pea Protein but you can use your favorite. We have not tested this with a Whey protein powder since we wanted to keep this recipe vegan but feel free to do so if it fits with your dietary preference.If you prefer homemade protein bars without protein powder, simply add more coconut flour or use collagen if you prefer.
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup drippy unsalted cashew butter OR sub any other nut butter or seed butter you like (be sure not to use near the bottom of the jar)
- 1/2 cup coconut nectar syrup OR sub maple syrup, honey, Yacon Syrup or Lakanto Sugar-Free Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice, plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips
Line a 9x5 rectangle or loaf pan (if you don’t have that size, use an 8x8 square baking pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder and sea salt. Add the drippy nut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well to combine
Add milk and knead with clean hands or stir to incorporate until a cookie dough texture forms. Add more almond flour or milk, as needed. You want the dough to be moldable but also slightly firm without cracking. Fold in chocolate chips.
Press mixture EXTREMELY FIRMLY into prepared pan. Use your hands or a flat spatula to make it tight and compact, otherwise your bars will fall apart. If using an 8x8, do NOT press all the way to one end. Top with more chocolate chips evenly.
Freeze for about 30 minutes to set.
Remove from freezer and cut into even bars. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
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