Here’s the recipe for how to make the best protein bars at home, with five different flavor options and no baking required!
Easy homemade protein bars
If you are still buying protein bars at the grocery store, this quick and simple vegan protein bar recipe might just change your life.
They can be oil free, gluten free, nut free, and dairy free, with just four ingredients.
And the best part is that, unlike many other protein bar recipes, this one has no chalky texture or artificial aftertaste.
I make a batch of these bars for myself at least once a month and love how easy the recipe is to customize.
You will honestly never need to buy another packaged protein bar ever again!
Also try this Protein Cookie Dough
Reasons to make your own protein bars
The best reason to make your own bars at home is that you get full control of what protein bar ingredients to include.
Many so called healthy protein bars on the market, even from health food stores, are filled with processed ingredients. These ingredients include corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, sucralose, sugar alcohols, GMO soy isolate, and so much added sugar and oil it is hard to believe they could possibly pass for a health food.
My personal preference is to avoid the sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners found in many packaged options, so I like to use pure maple syrup to sweeten the recipe.
Even if you go with real sugar instead of erythritol, stevia, or monk fruit, each bar contains under three grams of sugar and packs in twelve grams of protein or more!
Plus, the flavor possibilities are endless. And you can choose to make them soy free, keto friendly, paleo, low carb, nondairy, or sugar free to fit your own personal dietary requirements.
Another benefit of making your own DIY protein squares or bars is they are both much cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Think of all the wrappers you will save.
And the final benefit is that you get an entire pan of homemade protein bars for not much more money than you would pay for just one single bar at Whole Foods.
Trending this week: Protein Brownies
Protein bar flavors
Chocolate Protein Bars: Replace two tablespoons of the protein powder with cocoa powder. Stir a handful of mini chocolate chips into the dough. You can also use a chocolate flavored nut butter or chocolate protein powder if desired.
Peanut Butter Protein Bars Recipe: Use peanut butter in the base recipe below. Feel free to dip them in melted chocolate like I did. Now you have a protein bar that tastes like a Reese’s peanut butter cup!
Banana Bread Bars: Omit the maple syrup and use a fourth cup of overripe mashed banana instead. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon and frost the finished snacks with melted coconut butter if you wish.
Cookie Dough Protein Bar Recipe: Stir mini chocolate chips into the batter. Add a fourth teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and an optional eighth teaspoon of baking soda (this gives it a cookie dough flavor). I especially like to use cashew butter or macadamia nut butter for this version.
Chocolate Nutella Bars: Replace the peanut butter with Homemade Nutella or a store bought chocolate hazelnut butter. Sprinkle finely chopped hazelnuts on top.
Protein Bars without Protein Powder: Use the base recipe below, with one cup oat flour in place of the three fourths cup of protein powder. Increase the sweetener to a third cup. Even a small oatmeal protein bar (one sixteenth of the total recipe) made with peanut butter and no protein powder will still have seven grams of protein.
Do you have a favorite protein bar flavor?
Let me know what flavors to try next!
My list of ideas is getting long and includes cinnamon roll, cake batter, lemon cookie, fudge brownie, salted caramel, white chocolate peppermint, pumpkin pie, cookies and cream, coffee, vanilla, maple, s’mores, and blueberry.
Step by step recipe video
Above – watch the video how to make protein bars
What type of protein powder?
At the grocery store, you can find bars made from all sorts of different protein powders, such as brown rice protein, pea protein, whey protein, pumpkin seed, egg whites, hemp protein, collagen, casein, and soy protein.
Popular brands include Perfect Bars, Clif Bars, Luna Bars, RXBAR, Quest Bars, Kind, Think, Pure, One, Gatorade protein bars… the list goes on and on.
In this recipe, I found unsweetened protein powder to work best, because the bars are already sweet enough without any extra sugar or artificial sweeteners from the powder.
However, if you have a specific brand of flavored protein powder that you love, feel free to experiment, and let me know how it goes if you do.
Depending on the kind of protein powder you choose, each of the bars in this healthy protein bar recipe will have at least ten to twelve grams of protein
Or cut them into larger bars (sixty gram bars) for a higher protein option with over twenty grams of protein each.
Leftover peanut butter? Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
The best recipe for protein bars
People eat protein bars for a variety of different reasons. These can include muscle gain, weight loss, post workout portable snack or meal replacement, to curb hunger or help feel full longer, as an easy way to add protein to one’s diet, or simply because they like the taste.
When I became a vegetarian in high school, I initially relied on energy bars as a convenient way to replace protein from meat.
I’ve started to make my own because I prefer bars made with sugar over erythritol or monk fruit and have recently noticed fewer of those options available. Some other bars contain an overly chewy texture or taste too sweet.
In my years consuming energy bars, I have tried a lot of different brands and recipes online. This is hands down the best recipe you will find, in both taste and texture.
Try one of the flavors above, or throw a handful of shredded coconut, chia seeds, or chopped dark chocolate into the dough to make your own custom flavor!
Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 3/4 cup protein powder (90g)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey (or try these Keto Protein Bars)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 oz melted chocolate chips (optional)
- See earlier in this post for five protein bar flavor ideas
Instructions
- Tip: Make sure you like the taste of the protein powder you use. I've only tried the recipe with unsweetened protein powder. Feel free to play around with flavors. And if you are a visual person, be sure to check out the recipe video above.To make your own protein bars, stir all ingredients except optional chips to form a dough. Either shape into bars with your hands or smooth into a lined 8×8 pan, refrigerate until chilled, then cut into bars. For the optional chocolate coating, spread the melted chocolate over the pan before chilling. (I usually stir 2 tsp oil into the melted chocolate for a smoother sauce, but it's not required.) Or you can dip the bars into the chocolate sauce individually and then chill to set. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More High Protein Recipes
Hi Katie!
Can you tell me why you prefer teal sugar over erithytol or monk fruit? I’ve been wanting to do research on this and I’d love your input!
Thanks in advance!
It’s mostly just a personal taste preference for Katie. She doesn’t mind the extra calories so would rather have sugar if she’s making something just for herself 🙂
Jason (media relations)
What is the exact protein powder you recommend using for this recipe?
Katie’s personal favorite if making the bars for herself is unsweetened hemp protein powder (https://amzn.to/2XKD4sH). But hemp is one of those “you love it or you hate it” flavors, so keep that in mind if you don’t like hemp-based products in general.
Os it possible to use Almond flour or Coco flour instead of oat flour if not using protein? What should be the quantity then? Also 1 cup?
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing the protein powder info and for the recipe!
I made this with my Lady Boss Lean protein powder and it turned out amazing! Thank you for the recipe.
I love this recipe. Thank you.
I say thanks for all these delicious recipes 😍
Thank you for the recipie! At least now I can make my own wo having a chocolate covering on every bar! What is a good nut butter that has a mild taste?
Mary
Almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter if you can find it, or even coconut butter (it’s not very coconutty, Katie says it tastes more like shortbread).
Just made these, they look great! Can’t wait to try them once they are set. Does the nutrition info include the chocolate coating?
The peanut butter bars are so creamy and deliciousI’d say nothing else tasted anything like that in my life so delicious try them ♥️
These are a great idea. I made these simple with peanut butter, pumpkin spice mix, stevia and minimal cocoa butter (to ensure they set), then made small balls and rolled them in hemp for extra protein. Delish!!
That sounds so good!
This is the second time I’m making it because I ate the last piece. I Followed the recipe using almond butter and it turned out great. I sprayed pan with cooking spray the first time and am using the parchment paper this time around. The first time, I couldn’t cut “pretty” pieces so hopefully I’ll be able to make cleaner cuts the second time around. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing you used almond butter. I was wondering if the recipe would work with the same amount of almond butter.
Do you have to refrigerate these?
Are these freezible?? And if not, how long do they store for? Thank yoh!
I cut mine in bars then wrapped each of them in Saran Wrap. I put them in a ziplock bag and then in the freezer and they taste fine.
I’ve made this recipe many times. I like the pan with wax paper so its easy to remove and cut into pieces. I add MCT oil to the melted chocolate. Adding a little oil to the chocolate makes the bars more appealing as it creates a “glossy” appearance.
OMG, I just made these to take on my long bike rides (I’m a cyclist) and wow. Just WOW. Feel like this is the protein bar I’ve been searching for but never found! I use Garden of Life Sport protein and mixed chocolate and vanilla flavors. Did the melted chocolate on top and then threw on some coconut flakes, sea salt, and almonds for some texture. These will be a staple in my meal prep for SURE.
Hi there
Thanks for the recipe.
Can I use Splenda instead of Honey?
Thanks
Hi there! I am wanting to make a variety of flavors for these protein bars but am a little confused by the base ingredient list! Am I to take out certain ingredients for each different recipe? For example, if I’m wanting to make the cookie dough, do I remove the maple syrup and the peanut butter?
Would love to see an answer to this question!
How do I substitute Stevia in this recipe? Is it 1-1 with maple syrup?
How long do you refrigerate these for before eating?
I would like to know this as well so I can plan when I’ll have time to make them.
Hi can I know the total calories per bar? Love the recipe and it looks super fast and simple.
Hi! There are nutrition facts for each of Katie’s recipes under the ingredients/instructions for that recipe 🙂
I’m so confused it says low calorie but when I made them it says about 247 calories per par …? This includes the chocolate though ?
I just want everyone to know. These are awesome. They come together quick. They’re versatile. They are tasty. They’re part of my regular meal prep. And on the occasion I don’t make these, I’m sad about it. Lol. They even satisfy my sweet tooth. Ive used almond butter. I’ve added pretzels. Different protien powders, although my favorite is cinnamon cookie batter from 1stphorm. You need these.
I cant seem to get the peanut butter mixture to firm up. Did I do something wrong? Is there anything I could add to help it stay firm?
They taste amazing! Mine just ended up being quite messy