Healthy No-Bake Protein Bars (Low-Carb, Vegan, Gluten-free)
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These Homemade Protein Bars are no-bake, easy to make, and so good! Skip the overpriced store-bought bars, and make these instead for a healthy breakfast, snack, or treat on the go or anytime!
I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks for my family, especially easy recipes since I am pretty busy. We love my recipes for healthy chocolate truffles, no-bake cookies, and kale chips, but this recipe for homemade protein bars is one of our all-time favorites.
It's a great grab-and-go snack and is full of yumminess that you and your family will love.
If you've been buying protein bars in the store, here is your chance to make them at home for much less money and likely with much healthier ingredients.
You'll save a ton of money, have total control over the ingredients, and well, they taste great too.
How are These Homemade Protein Bars Healthier?
- Seeds and nuts give a great dose of healthy fats that are good for you and great for leveling out your blood sugar levels.
- The optional organic protein powder provides a nice dose of protein. (Yes, I know this is not necessarily considered a “real food”, but for those of us dealing with food allergies, sometimes this is the best we can do)
- Coconut oil is a great healthy fat as well
- No preservatives
- No questionable “natural flavors”
- No highly processed protein powders (depending on what you choose if adding a protein powder.)
- No extruder-processed puffed grains and such that have been cited for questionable effects on health
- Low carb – there's a low-carb option for those who need it
- Allergy free – make these bars however you need to in order to avoid allergens or sensitivities
These originated as a recipe for Almond Power Bars on Elana's Pantry. I tweaked the recipe a bit, made it more suited to variation, and gave nutrient-boosting and sugar-free alternatives.
Warm Weather Tips
The only problem with these homemade protein bars is that they don't travel well in warm weather. So take a cooler bag along with you if you plan to eat them on the road when it's not cool.
Making these homemade vegan protein bars with cocoa butter instead of coconut oil will make them a lot more stable.
Storage
You can keep these bars at room temperature for about 4-5 days, or store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
I like to make these Homemade Protein Bars in bulk and then place them in the fridge or freezer for a fast healthy snack for the family. They'll keep well in freezer for up to 6 months at least when packed in a freezer-safe container.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Sweeteners: Use vegetable glycerine, xylitol, or erythritol (add in about 1/3 more) as the sweetener for a low-carb version. If you don't need low-carb, use Sucanat or honey or even maple syrup for more natural options. 1/32 teaspoon stevia extract is also a good choice.
- More Protein: Substitute up to the total amount of the flax meal with the same amount of rice protein for an extra punch of protein. Nutribiotic makes a great brand from non-GMO brown rice. You could also use some of this great grass-fed gelatin to firm up the bars and give more protein.
- Be Careful Processing! Please note the recipe says to process the nuts to a coarse meal. If you over-process, you'll end up with nut butter. That will still taste great but will make the bars more dense and not solid unless you freeze them. Still yummy, though!
- Nut Options: For nuts, almonds, and organic macadamias are good options. Mixing several kinds works well too. You can also substitute 1 1/3 cups of coconut butter or seeds for nut-free. If using seeds, organic sunflower and organic pumpkin seeds work well.
- Flax Meal: Here is a good brand of organic flax seeds for making flax meal. You can also use rice bran or organic protein powder instead of flax meal.
- Coconut Butter: You can also substitute coconut butter for the nut or seed butter.
- Coconut Oil: You can substitute an alternative solid fat for the coconut oil. Use organic cocoa butter or butter for a more warm weather-stable bar.
- Stevia: You can use 1/32 teaspoon (1 scoop) of stevia extract (see How to Use Stevia) instead of xylitol.
- Chocolate Chips: If you would prefer to make your own chocolate chips, here are my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips. My Homemade Chocolate / Carob Bar (1 cup of chips per bar recipe) is another option.
- THM: This recipe qualifies as an “S” for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.\
More Processed Food Replacements
Here are some of our favorite recipes to take the place of store-bought products.
- Powdered Sugar Substitute
- Homemade Chocolate Chips
- DIY Liquid Stevia Drops
- Homemade Marshmallows (SF option)
Hope you enjoy the taste and the healthy boost that these Homemade Vegan Protein Bars bring to your wallet!
Grain-Free No-Bake Homemade Protein Bars
Ingredients
Base:
- 2 cups nuts (preferably soaked and dried)
- 1/2 cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a blender or spice grinder)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened and organic if possible)
- 1/2 cup seed or nut butter (made from soaked and dried nuts or seeds is preferable)
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons low carb sweetener (or other granulated or liquid sweetener–see Recipe Notes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 or more tablespoons protein powder, collagen, or colostrum (optional for more protein)
Topping:
- 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips (melted; or try these Homemade Chocolate Chips or this Homemade Chocolate Bar for a DIY option)
Instructions
- Place nuts or seeds, flax meal, coconut, seed or nut butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until the nuts or seeds are ground into a coarse meal.
- Melt coconut oil over low heat. If the temperature of your home is around 76 degrees, you can skip this step and add the oil directly to the food processor as it will be soft enough to process easily.
- Add coconut oil, sweeteners and vanilla to processor bowl and process until well combined to form a thick, yet crunchy paste.
- Press the mixture into an 8×8 square pan (you can be quite flexible here. A 9×9 will work just fine. A larger pan will produce thin bars, while a smaller pan will yield thicker ones)
- Place in refrigerator to chill.
- If you are making your own chocolate/carob chips or chocolate/carob bar, prepare while the protein bars are chilling, but do not harden the chocolate chips or bar.
- Top bars with the chocolate chips or bar. Top either before the bars chill, or melt the chocolate topping and top with it.
- Press the topping onto the chilled bottom layer.
- Place back in refrigerator to chill (if you can wait that long :-)!)
- Cut into squares and serve.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
- Sweeteners: Use vegetable glycerine, xylitol, or erythritol (add in about 1/3 more) as the sweetener for a low-carb version. If you don't need low-carb, use Sucanat or honey or even maple syrup for more natural options. 1/32 teaspoon stevia extract is also a good choice.
- More Protein: Substitute up to the total amount of the flax meal with the same amount of rice protein for an extra punch of protein. Nutribiotic makes a great brand from non-GMO brown rice. You could also use some of this great grass-fed gelatin to firm up the bars and give more protein.
- Be Careful Processing! Please note – the recipe says to process the nuts to a coarse meal. If you over-process, you will have a nut butter, which will still taste great, but will make the bars more dense and not solid unless you freeze them. Still yummy, though!
- Nut Options: For nuts, almonds and organic macadamias are good options. Mixing several kinds works well too. You can also sub 1 1/3 cups coconut butter or seeds for nut free. If using seeds, organic sunflower and organic pumpkin seeds work well.
- Flax Meal: Here is a good brand of organic flax seeds to purchase to make flax meal. You can also use rice bran or organic protein powder instead of flax meal.
- Coconut Butter: You can also substitute coconut butter for the nut or seed butter.
- Coconut Oil: You can substitute an alternative solid fat for the coconut oil. Use organic cocoa butter or butter for a more warm weather-stable bar.
- Stevia: You can use 1/32 teaspoon (1 scoop) of stevia extract (see How to Use Stevia) instead of xylitol.
- Chocolate Chips: If you would prefer to make your own chocolate chips, here are my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips. My Homemade Chocolate / Carob Bar (1 cup of chips per bar recipe) is another option.
- THM: This recipe qualifies as an “S” for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Would you eat these Homemade Vegan Protein Bars for breakfast, snacks, or on the go?
Photo Credits: Naomi Huzovicova
I’m ready to try this recipe, but I need to know if I can sub chia for flax first. What do you think?
I think it would work — haven’t tried it though so maybe try a small batch first. I have reduced the flax and added in some protein powder and it worked fine. Hope it does!
How long can you store them in the fridge for? 1-week?
Good question. I would think they could store for quite awhile–with the only limiting ingredient being the flax seed. Still I have seen products w/ flax seed in them last a long time in the fridge, possibly due to the other ingredients adding to the shelf life. But the other ingredients would each last quite awhile in the fridge.
These look amazing and so easy to make. I also have all the ingredients in my cupboard which makes it even better!!! Thanks so much for sharing:)
You are so welcome! Hope you like them!
Hi Adrienne, I wanted to thank you so very much for the delicious protein bars. They were exactly what I was looking for. I tweaked your recipe just a little bit and thought I would pass it along. I powdered the Xylitol using my coffee grinder. Also I used maple extract from Watkins. It is clean and can be bought at Walmart of all places. Plus I used a little bit more then the recipe called for. If I were to use a protein powder would I need to replace the flax with the powder or just added into the mix? Also, does soaking the seeds increase the nutritional content? Do I need to let them Sprout or how does that work? Thanks again for going to the trouble of creating and then sharing these. You are a doll.
You are so welcome! That sounds really interesting! Love the maple idea. I would replace some of the flax but I still need to work on that. Soaking doesn’t change nutritional info in a calculator but should help you get better nutrition from the bars. You don’t have to let them sprout but it’s healthier that way. However, almonds don’t sprout easily and sprouting causes mold often.
“2 cups nuts preferably soaked” so do you use the nuts while they are still wet? Or after they are dried? Thanks!
You dry them first – thanks!
Tried these with soaked raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for my nut-allergic partner and they are wonderful!! I couldn’t find sugar-free chocolate chips that were also dairy-free (he has a lactose allergy as well) so I used organic semi-sweet, non-dairy chocolate chips for the thin top layer. At 7g of sugar per 1 Tbsp, I estimate that puts each bar at around 2.5g sugar from the chocolate layer which works for my 5g max requirement. Great texture, very easy to make and the 1 tsp of ground cinnamon I added worked well. I will definitely be making these again!
Hi there. Wow your comment got buried under loads I need to go through. I’m SO glad you liked them! Your tweaking sounds amazing. I’m going to have to try the cinnamon! I LOVE pumpkin seeds. I snack on homemade Pumpkin Seed Butter all the time. It’s kind of a problem. I am not sure what that means about me………
Did you try the Homemade Chocolate Chips on my site? I think they are better than anything on the market, personally :).
I have to stay away from flax and rice. Anything else that I can use for a substitute?
You could use more nuts or coconut for the flax. How about pea protein for the rice protein?
Hi! Do these need to be stored chilled? I am going camping and would love to make and take them. (I know Coconut Oil has a low melt point)
Yes, in the summer they will not hold together otherwise.
I’m excited to try these! Regarding protein powder, Moon Juice makes an excellent plant-based adaptogenic powder and the ingredients are just organic mushrooms! It is awesome. ?
Thanks! Sounds very interesting. I did look at it and it’s not just mushrooms but other things as well. Do you know if they test their products for purity and contaminants?
Hi! Can you recommend a good vanilla extract? I’m seeing added sugar in a lot of them. Thanks!
There should be one in the post now – hope that helps!
Yes, thanks so much!
It is so easy to make your own! You’ll need several months for it to sit, but a year (or longer!) is better. Just vanilla beans and organic alcohol ( I have used vodka; no flavor, and rum…gives it a bit of added flavor.) I misplaced a homemade vanilla extract for about 10 years…it was SO yummy! I could have just eaten it plain. No residual alcohol flavor, just vanilla!
Beanilla is a good place to get beans, but you can find them lots of places.
It IS easy. So fun about your lost vanilla! Here’s an alcohol free version FYI which is essentially the same – just dropping it here in case Colleen sees this later :). https://wholenewmom.com/alcohol-free-vanilla-extract/