These protein peanut butter bars are no bake bars made with peanut butter and almond flour. Refined-sugar-free and oil free, the bars are topped with a healthy chocolate frosting. These protein bars are easy to make in 5 minutes with 5 ingredients.
These protein peanut butter bars are a great replacement for your store-bought protein bars. These homemade protein bars have no refined sugar, no preservatives and no additives. And they are rich in protein, fiber, macro nutrients that you need to power you through the day. Each bar has 11 grams of protein and is the perfect morning or afternoon energy bar.
If you like peanut butter with your protein, try my high protein edible chocolate chip cookie dough, my cookie dough bites, and my high protein peanut butter oatmeal smoothie.
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Why You'll Love These
These healthy protein bars are:
1. The bars taste like peanut butter cups, and are no bake, made in 5 minutes with minimal chilling time needed.
2. Naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free with refined-sugar-free sweetened with pure maple syrup, and no oil.
3. Budget-friendly. These bars cost about a third of the cost of commercial protein bars, such as Kind bars or Perfect bars or Quest bars, and your homemade protein bars have no additives, and you control the sugar and salt content.
4. Each bar has 11 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, this bar contributes significantly to your protein daily needs. [source]
Ingredients
Nut Butter: I use cashew butter because of the neutral flavor but any nut butter works. Make sure your version is naturally with just nuts or just seeds.
Coconut & Almond flour: These flours bind this no bake bar together and provide a cake-like quality to the texture. These flours are packed with protein and fiber. Visit my how to measure a cup of flour post for tips on working with alternate flours.
Maple syrup: Use this refined sugar free syrup, or any liquid sweetener.
Cinnamon. Adds spice and balances blood sugar.
Dark chocolate top: A thick creamy fudgy top created by mixing coconut milk and melted chocolate chips.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
1. Flour variations. You can use all almond flour, or swap one of them with oat flour. Just don't do all coconut flour.
2. Instead of maple syrup, you can use ⅔ cup date paste. Here is my date paste recipe.
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3. Peanut butter can be replaced with any nut butter, tahini or even sunflower seed butter to keep it nut free.
4. Add protein powders. Replace some or half of the flours with peanut butter powder or a vanilla protein powder.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Preparations: Measure out ingredients. Line a pan with parchment paper to help you remove the bars from the pan. If your peanut butter is hardened, microwave 15 seconds to make it creamy.
Step 1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor. It is possible to mix this by hand in a bowl but will take some strength.
Step 2. Mix or process to get a mixture that is wet but crumbly like cookie dough. It should be pressable so it holds its form when you squeeze it. Add some water or milk if needed to achieve that texture.
Step 3. Press the crust mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. And make chocolate top mixture to pour on top.
Step 4. Sprinkle with salt flakes if you want. Then freeze until set, about 5 or more minutes in the freezer, and slice. Enjoy!
Variations
- Add mix-ins: Fold mini chocolate chips or crushed nuts into the base before pressing into the pan.
- Make peanut-free bars: Replace the nut butter with a seed butter such as sunflower seed butter
- Make keto protein bars: Use a sugar-free sweetener.
- Make sugar-free protein bars: Use a sugar-free sweetener.
- Make paleo bars: use almond butter.
Recipe Tips
1. Do not pack the flours. Instead loosen the flours in their bags, and spoon into measuring cups, then scrap off top with a knife for the most accurate measurements.
2. The crust mixture should produce a crumbly but damp texture that sticks together when squeezed. If your mixture falls apart when squeezed, add a few tablespoons of liquid to achieve that.
2. Do not refrigerate the can of full fat coconut milk before using it to make the ganache. And be sure to shake it up well before opening the can for this recipe.
3. The amount of chilling depends on what you want to do with them. If you want a perfect slice, you might want to chill up to 30 minutes in the freezer and cut with a plastic knife.
Storage
Store these protein peanut butter bars in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to a week. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Wrap each individually in either case.
FAQS
Peanut butter is full of good fat, as well as a strong source of protein. One tablespoon of peanut butter provides 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber.
These protein bars are full of macronutrients, including calcium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, and fiber. The protein in particular is important for muscle repair and growth, organ support and bone density.
More Healthy Bars
If you tried these protein peanut butter bars or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Protein Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
bar crust
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour or more almond flour
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate top
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk (from a can, not refrigerated, shaken)
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Instructions
Prep
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
Make bar crust
- In a food processer, mix all ingredients. The batter should be crumbly like cookie dough but still holds it form when you squeeze it.You might have to add some milk or water. Sometimes I have added as much as 2 tablespoon to achieve this texture.⅓ cup peanut butter, 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup coconut flour, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Press into the lined pan. Fold the two sides of over-hanging parchment down and press to flatten the crust with a spatula or your hand.
- Set in freezer while you make the ganache top.
Make ganache top
- Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Microwave the chips for 1 minute. Stir them until most chips are melted.Meanwhile, open the can of coconut milk. If the milk has separated, set the open can into a pot of hot to boiling water and stir the contents of the can until the coconut milk is smooth. Or use your favorite milk.1 cup chocolate chips
- Microwave the milk for 30 seconds and then pour it into the melted chips and stir until velvety smooth.½ cup full fat coconut milk
- Pour the chocolate over the crust, and smooth with a spoon.
- Freeze uncovered for 5 minutes or longer. You can slice them pretty quickly but if you want perfectly square slices, freeze more than 5 minutes.
- Store in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Dina says
Delicious! A serving size (oz) would be very helpful!
Dee Dine says
Thank you! A single bar is probably about 2 ounces or 60 grams.
Chelsea says
Have you actually tried this with pea protein powder? Which brand do you recommend?
Dee Dine says
Yes, I used Bob Red Mill's brand pea protein powder and I added a few tbsp of milk to loosen the batter. It worked out well with this brand. Not sure about other brands although I have heard that Orgain and Garden of Life are great quality.
AlbertinaTeen says
Another GREAT easy healthy recipe! You should write a book! Alberta
Dee Dine says
Thank you! I actually have written a cookbook, TWO as a matter of fact! Find them here and here.
San34Y says
Can I use another nut butter in this recipe? I don't have sunbutter, but I do have cashew butter. Great recipe, love that frosting.
Dee Dine says
Yes! Use any nut butter, although they would have to be natural, as in those that are just nuts and oil.