These homemade protein bars are no-bake, endlessly customizable energy bars. Just like Luna and Power bars, and made with your favorite protein powder.
This protein bar recipe is not like those other fussy, confusing recipes out there! It's easy to follow, and easy to customize. You can even easily make it without peanut butter!
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Table of contents
Why we love this protein bar recipe
When my kids were younger, they played a lot of sports. That means that we were often on the run, so they ate a lot of protein bars.
And of course, each kid had his or her own favorite variety of bar. But all those packaged protein bars have one thing in common: they're crazy expensive.
This recipe for homemade protein bars started out as just a healthy snack that I was just making for my family, and that was that. After much hesitation, I had finally purchased some Vega Essentials protein powder.
I mean, they even sell protein powder at CVS now! I could use a coupon! I was just playing around with it. That's the kind of experimenting I rarely get to do anymore, where I just throw a bit of this and a bit of that into a recipe.
My kids couldn't get enough of these bars. They had even gotten good enough that my husband mentioned them out of the blue one day. I mean, they have the soft texture of a brownie, and they're not too sweet.
“You know, those protein bars were really good.” That's high praise for him. My kids had started asking, “Are those bars hard to make?” That's code for “please make them again.”
I also get “are these bars good for you?” That's also code for “can I eat them all day every day and be healthy?”
They always felt good about these bars because they have the soft texture of a brownie, taste rich and always satisfying. I always felt good about them because they don't have any added sugar, have lots of whole grains, and 13 grams of protein in one small bar.
Plus, I can customize the flavors to suit each individual child's tastes. Now, I mostly make them for my son since he discovered going to the gym and loves the way that makes him look and feel.
Recipe ingredients
There are two main versions of these bars: with dates, and with peanut butter. Most of the ingredients in these bars are the same in both variations, but some are only in one, some only in the other.
In both variations
- Oats: We grind old fashioned oats into oat flour at the start of the process in a large food processor. They add lots of whole grain nutrients and form the backbone of the bars. If you'd rather, you can start with oat flour in the same amount, by weight. For 250 grams of oat flour, if you're measuring by volume, you'd need 2 cups + 1 heaping tablespoon of oat flour.
- Protein powder: This adds a ton of protein to these bars, and adds some flavor if you use a flavored protein powder. If you use a chocolate protein powder, it adds more richness to the bars. If you use whey protein isolate, it has no flavor and adds the most protein by volume.
- Salt: Brightens the flavor of the bars and balances the gentle sweetness.
- Milk: Adds richness and moisture to the bars and helps hold the ingredients together. Add milk slowly because if you add too much, the bars won't set up properly.
- Maple syrup: Adds depth of flavor, sweetness, and helps hold the bars together. You can use another liquid sweetener like honey, but you'll probably need a bit less of it and it will change the flavor.
- Chocolate: Adds flavor, richness, and is largely responsible for helping the bars hold their shape once they set. By using unsweetened chocolate in the bars, they don't add any sugar. First, we melt it, and then it becomes solid again as it cools. If you add the optional chocolate coating to the bars, it adds more flavor and helps hold them together, too. Be sure to use chocolate for coating that has some sugar, or the coating will taste flat and unpleasant.
In only the dates version
- Dates: They hold this version together really well with their stickiness. I prefer Medjool dates because they're stickier and have more of a rich caramel flavor. Deglet Noor dates are smaller, a bit drier, and less sweet.
- Vanilla: Adds more depth of flavor to this version, which has less strong flavors than the nut butter variety.
In only the peanut butter version
- Peanut butter: Always use a “no-stir” type of peanut butter, which is more solid at room temperature than the super drippy natural kind that usually only has the single ingredient (peanuts). You want something that has had some sort of solidifying oil blended into it that will help hold the bars together and keep them from being oily. There are peanut butters like this (I like Skippy brand best), and Barney Butter makes a great no stir gluten free almond butter. I bet Wow Butter would work for a nut-free version.
- Cocoa powder: Adds richness and deep chocolate flavor to the peanut butter bars, and helps mix with the nut butter to provide stability. I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder, since it is richer and deeper, but natural cocoa powder works well, too.
How to make homemade protein bars
Process oats, protein powder & add wet ingredients
- Place oats in the bowl of a food processor, and grind them into a powder. If you'd prefer, you can begin with oat flour instead and you won't have to process it.
- Add protein powder, and maple syrup, melted unsweetened chocolate, and milk.
- Add either pitted medjool dates for one variety, or or cocoa powder & nut butter for another.
Process the mixture, & press into a pan
- Process the wet ingredients with the dry just until the mixture holds together.
- Add more milk a little at a time if needed.
- Press everything into a pan, and chill.
Slice the bars, drizzle with chocolate, & serve!
- Once the bars are chilled, slice them into bars with a sharp knife.
- Drizzle with some melted chocolate for extra flavor.
Two recipes, endless options
Have you ever noticed that most of the recipes out there for homemade protein bars are so specific? I am a fan of baking recipes being specific, since baking is chemistry. But these are no-bake.
Those other recipes either rely on one specific type of protein powder, call for a million different funky ingredients I've never heard of, or they are one flavor and one flavor only. So frustrating!
Medjool date version (protein bars without peanut butter)
So I've included two basic recipe formulas for homemade protein bars below. One is made with super soft, packed-with-fiber, deliciously sticky Medjool dates to hold the bars together and sweeten them, of course.
I buy those dates by the pound at Trader Joe's, and I can even find them sold already pitted. Since they're so high in natural sugar, they actually stay for quite a while in the refrigerator. If they seem dried out, just soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes, squeeze out the water, and use the as usual.
You can include unsweetened melted chocolate in the mixture, or not. It really helps the bars hold their shape and gives them a richer flavor.
If you prefer a more neutral-tasting bar, use a vanilla or unflavored protein powder, and leave out the melted chocolate. If you leave out the melted unsweetened chocolate, you will have to add more milk, and the bars will not hold together as firmly when shaped, but the recipe still works.
Nut butter version
But I realize that you may not know where to buy Medjool dates. Or you may think they're too sweet. So I've also formulated another recipe with nut butter and no dates.
I like this version best made with cocoa powder and melted chocolate. I do still include plenty of options for making it more neutral-tasting (including making it with cashew butter).
I've tried these bars with every single variation I recommend. They each work just as well as the other.
Our favorite protein bar variation
My favorite way to make these bars is the “date version.” I always include the melted unsweetened chocolate—and with just a drizzle of melted chocolate on top, at most. You can also add mini chocolate chips to the mixture after you have finished processing it and before you press it into the pan.
Without the full chocolate coating, the bars are much easier to handle and transport. Including the melted chocolate in the bar itself makes the bar richer in taste and more firm for easy handling.
You can use any flavor protein powder you like in the date version and leave out the melted chocolate, and you'll change the flavor profile to suit your tastes. If you have another favorite protein powder, use that!
Recipe tips & tricks
Don't just leave out an ingredient
There are lots of ways to customize these protein bars to your family's tastes and nutritional needs. There's no chemical reaction happening, since these bars are no-bake, so the mixture must have a certain texture right out of the food processor.
We want the bars to hold together well, so you'll need ingredients that provide structure, and ingredients that bind the bars together. Plus, you need a protein powder, since these are protein bars after all!
Don't rush the firming time
These bars will take at least an hour in the refrigerator to become firm enough to slice, and to hold together properly. So don't wait until the moment you need them to make these protein bars! Make a double batch, and stock up, so you and your family are never without this healthy, grab-and-go snack.
Don't add more liquid than the recipe calls for
If you add more maple syrup, or increase the melted chocolate, the protein bar mixture will be overly soft and won't set up.
Popular ingredient substitution suggestions
Dairy free
As written and as long as you use dairy free milk and chocolate, this recipe makes dairy free protein bars.
If you prefer a dairy-containing protein powder, try whey protein. At first I was certain that you did need to include the oats…
Oat-free
I have finally successfully replaced the oats in this recipe, and every other oat-filled recipe on this blog (and in my cookbooks!). You can read all about a potential substitute for oats in baking, and finally make this grain-free!
The TL;DR version for this recipe is that you use wide, flat coconut chips. Since this recipe is no bake, the coconut chips take up a similar amount of space as the oats.
If you're looking for a bite-sized version, try my no-bake protein balls. They don't have protein powder at all, and there's no food processor involved.
You do have to roll all those little bites, but there's a grain free variety in that recipe that you might really love.
Sugar free
The nut butter homemade protein bar variation can be made without added sugars if you replace the maple syrup with Lankato brand maple syrup substitute. You may need a bit less, though, since it's quite sweet. Be sure your nut butter is made without added sugars, too.
Flavor variations
A more neutral-tasting bar
Try using cashew butter as the nut butter for a more neutral flavor that really lets the chocolate flavor shine.
A fruity version
Try replacing the cocoa powder with a freeze-dried fruit powder. You can either buy it as a powder, or buy freeze dried fruit by the bag and grind it into a powder.
If you have a dehydrator, you can make any fruit into a powder. You can also dehydrate fruit on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven for hours. I do not have that sort of patience.
A no-added flavor protein powder version
Instead of protein powder, try using collagen powder for a huge nutritional boost with no added flavor at all. You can use whey protein isolate, like in our gluten free bread flour.
I also really like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. That's an affiliate link, feel free to shop around for the best price.
I've also started experimenting with Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides (affiliate link), and it's less expensive. I've used that brand in my protein granola, and I might just like it better. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Storage instructions
Refrigerating
I like to keep these bars, usually wrapped individually, in the refrigerator. They're easy to eat chilled without having to let them warm to room temperature.
Freezing
You can freeze these bars for longer storage, but don't try to eat them right out of the freezer! They're too hard to bite after they're fully frozen. Just let them sit for a bit first.
Frequently asked questions
The most time-consuming part of making your own protein bars is washing the food processor! Otherwise, making this recipe is as easy as assembling the simple ingredients, measuring them out, and processing them, which takes about 10 minutes.
Yes! Nature Valley brand makes protein bars that they say are safely gluten free. Be mindful that any of their products with oats may not be made using purity protocol gluten free oats, so whether or not to eat them is a personal decision.
CLIF Kid Z Bars don't appear to contain gluten free ingredients, but their oats are not purity protocol gluten free oats, so I avoid them for my family.
Many Power Bars appear not to contain gluten-containing ingredients, but they seem to be made on shared manufacturing equipment with gluten-containing ingredients.
Yes! If you make the “medjool date” variety homemade protein bar in the recipe below, you won't need any peanut butter at all. If you want to make the nut butter version, use another nut butter like cashew or almond butter, and avoid peanut butter completely.
Did you add any additional liquid? Maybe you added more milk than was strictly necessary. If they aren't setting up, try processing some more oats into a powder, and mixing that with the too-soft protein bar mixture to firm it up.
Interested in getting extra protein?
It seems like anything with the word “protein” in the name is going to cost you top dollar at the store. That's why I love this recipe for homemade protein bars so much: you can make it the way you like it best, and save money in the process!
If you're looking for more ways to get some extra protein in your diet, try these other high protein recipes:
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Homemade Protein Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor fitted with steel blade
Ingredients
For the date version
- 2.5 cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)
- 1 scoop (36 g) protein powder (gluten free if necessary) I like Vega essentials chocolate flavor protein powder, but you can use whey protein, or your favorite protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
- 10 (150 g, as pitted) pitted soft Medjool dates
- ¼ cup (84 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) milk (any kind) plus more as necessary
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped and melted
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped and melted (optional, for coating)
For the nut butter version
- 2.5 cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free, if necessary)
- 1 ½ scoops (54 g) protein powder (gluten free, if necessary) I like Vega essentials chocolate flavor protein powder, but you can use whey protein, or your favorite protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed (can replace with more protein powder)
- ¾ cup (192 g) smooth, no stir nut butter I have used peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter—all work well
- ¼ cup (84 g) pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) milk (any kind) plus more as necessary
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped and melted (can replace with 2 tablespoons more nut butter + 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup)
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped and melted (optional, for coating)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan or standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil, and set it aside.
To make the date version
- Place the oats in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until ground into a flour. Add the protein powder, dates, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, 1/4 cup milk and (optional) melted unsweetened chocolate.
- Process until the mixture is well-combined and is tacky (but not sticky) to the touch. Add more milk by the teaspoonful and process, only as necessary for the mixture to reach the proper consistency.
- If you opt not to use the melted unsweetened chocolate, you will have to add more milk, and the bars will not hold together as firmly when shaped.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer, smoothing the top as much as possible.
- Cover with parchment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until firm (about 1 hour in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer). Remove the bars from the pan and slice into 10 equal-sized rectangular bars.
- Dip in the optional melted bittersweet chocolate to coat and allow to sit at room temperature until set.
- Wrap the bars individually in waxed paper, and store in the refrigerator.
To make the nut butter version
- Place the oats in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until ground into a flour. Add the protein powder, cocoa powder (or more protein powder), nut butter, maple syrup, salt, 1/4 cup milk and melted unsweetened chocolate (or more nut butter and maple syrup).
- Process until the mixture is well-combined and is tacky (but not sticky) to the touch. Add more milk by the teaspoonful and process, only as necessary for the mixture to reach the proper consistency.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer, smoothing the top as much as possible.
- Cover with parchment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until firm (about 1 hour in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer). Remove the bars from the pan and slice into 10 equal-sized rectangular bars.
- Dip in the optional melted bittersweet chocolate to coat or simply drizzle some melted chocolate over the top, and allow to sit at room temperature until set.
- Wrap the bars individually in waxed paper, and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Wendy says
I want to thank you for such an excellent recipe. My husband was dubious, but after trying it, he couldn’t believe how good it was! As you mentioned, cleaning the food processor took the most time, so the second time I made them, once the first batch was in the freezer, I kept everything out and made the second batch, took the first batch out of the freezer and easily lifted it out of the pan, then reused the pan for the second batch. It worked great and I only had to clean up once for 2 batches. :D
Nicole Hunn says
I do that a lot, Wendy, since I so hate to clean the food processor, too! I’m really glad you made use of that little loophole, and that you enjoyed the protein bars. :)
Shivakumar S says
We tried the Protein Bars for the first time last night and the food was great and very tasty
Nicole Hunn says
I’m really glad!
Cayla says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I’ve made it twice and it’ll definitely be my go-to recipe for a wonderful snack!
I just have one question, how can I stop my dough/mixture from getting so sticky? Both times that I have made this recipe the mixture is quite sticky and not the tacky consistency it needs to be. I’m not adding more like than it says and or any other liquid and following the recipe to a T (except I have to use regular dates because we don’t get Medjool dates in ZA.
Could anyone let me know how I can fix this?
Nicole Hunn says
It sounds like most likely your dates are wetter than the ones that we have here in the U.S., Cayla. Since this recipe isn’t baked, you can add more ground oats, for example, slowly to get the proper texture. Or you can let your dates sit out, maybe even in the sun, and dry a bit.
C says
LIke your site – but the amount of ads and pop-ups makes it impossible to read a full sentence….
Nicole Hunn says
Claudia, I make no apology for making a living from all my hard work, not to mention the very high costs of running a website. If you’d like a completely ad-free experience, one of those popups (which you’ll only see once, by the way) is for GFOAS Members, a paid membership site. The content is free to you here on the blog, but I don’t work for free.
Ariel says
I took pictures but can’t upload them. I used 2 scoops of vanilla protein instead of 1, water instead of milk, 1/2c maple syrup instead of 1/4c, 11 dates instead of 10, & only 3oz of 88% chocolate. Turned out perfect. Curious to hear more substitutions because I see a lot of questions from people asking if they can do something and the response is “no, sorry”.
Nicole Hunn says
When I’m asked about substitutions, I give my opinion, Ariel. You are always welcome to do what you like, but when I suggest something, it’s because I know or am fairly certain it will work. I cannot in good conscience recommend something that falls outside those boundaries. In addition, it’s extremely common for people to make edits and substitutions, and claim that the recipe “doesn’t work.” A recipe is a formula, and my recipes work when made as written. The rest is up for experimentation, but I can’t possibly try every experiment myself. Most other bloggers will just say in response, “Try it and let us know!” I prefer to provide my informed opinion, as I believe that is what is valuable.
Chelsea says
I tried these today. They taste like no bake cookies. I followed the recipe to the tea. They came out crumbly and kind of dry. I’m thinking I didn’t add enough milk or maybe didn’t process enough??
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I can’t know where you deviated from the recipe as written, Chelsea, but my guess is that you overmeasured dry ingredients like oats and/or protein powder, or undermeasured wet ingredients. If you made the date version, perhaps your dates weren’t fresh. The recipe is correct as written, and doesn’t need more milk.
John says
Hi there, I’m wondering if you think it’s possible to significantly increase the amount of protein in these bars. The recipe as written only amounts to a few grams of protein per bar. The pre-made bars I’ve been buying contain 20g of protein. I’m hoping to replace them with a homemade version. Do you think it will throw off the recipe to quadruple the protein content? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, it definitely would throw off the recipe, John! I’m afraid you can’t do that with this recipe. It won’t hold together, or taste very good at all. I’d also like to add, John, that there is more protein powder in the nut butter version than in the dates version, but both have significant amounts of additional protein from the oats (11 grams protein per 100 grams of oats). The nut butter version also has 25 grams of protein per 100 grams of peanut butter.
Kim Key says
How many calories and how much protein per bar?
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t have that information, Kim, but you can feel free to plug your ingredients into an online nutrition calculator!
Thomas says
These bars are perfect. The recipe is so simple compared to others out there, but flexible enough to allow for different flavor options. I love the nut butter version (with the cocoa powder & melted chocolate). Dates aren’t a staple in our pantry, but I might have to get some just for these bars… and maybe some of that Paleo fudge too. :) Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you’re enjoying the bars, and the flexibility of the recipe, Thomas!
Ruth says
Looks good but wonder what the nutritional breakdown is? Calories?
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t generally provide nutrition information, Ruth. Feel free to plug the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator for the same approximate type of information I’d be able to provide you.
Carol Groat says
My goodness these are delicious, Made the date free recipe! I make a lot of your recipes but rarely comment! The texture is perfect. I’m excited for the whole family to try them out!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m glad you were moved to comment, Carol! So glad you are enjoying this simple, versatile recipe. I hope your whole family loves them, but not too much that you don’t get any. :)
Debbie T. says
LAST question: can I use 3 oz. of melted 70% dark chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate in the bars?
Nicole Hunn says
Sure, Debbie, you can use dark chocolate in place of unsweetened chocolate. The result will just be sweeter. The reverse is rarely true (that you can use unsweetened in place of dark), but you can almost always use 70% dark in place of unsweetened. Enjoy the bars!
Debbie T. says
Hi Nicole,
I only have a 4-cup food processor. If I use oat flour instead of oatmeal I would simply weigh out 250g of flour, correct? Can’t wait to try this!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Debbie, yes you can use oat flour in place of whole oats, by weight, just as you say. :)
Ioannis says
Hello , do you have the nutritional value table for this one ?
Nicole Hunn says
I don’t, no, Ioannis. Feel free to plug the ingredients into an online nutritional calculator, though. Just be sure to include only those ingredients that you choose to use.
Amanda says
Do you think I could swap honey for the maple syrup? I don’t like the flavor of it. I know… I’m weird. Haha
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Amanda, honey is thicker than maple syrup, so you’ll need more of it to moisten everything. I know that honey and maple syrup are often thought of as interchangeable, but they’re really not exactly the same in viscosity. Hope that helps!
Felicia says
Can I use organic oat flour instead of grounding the rolled oats? If I use the oat flour do I need to bake it.
Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Felicia, sure, you can definitely use oat flour instead. And no, you don’t need to bake the bars at all, either way. If you’d like to deepen the flavor of the oat flour, you can try ‘toasting’ it in a 250°F oven in a thin layer on a baking sheet for a few minutes, or until just becoming fragrant. I hope that helps!
Felicia says
I love this recipe. I made the nut butter version (almond butter) and used organic oat flour. Also because I am trying to cut out sugar so I used dates and food processed it with water to form a paste. Taste so good.
Nicole Hunn says
The best part about this recipe is how much you really can make it your own, Felicia!