Cookie Dough Protein Bars
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My cookie dough protein bars are my go-to snack when I want something satisfying, wholesome, and actually tasting delicious. Each bar packs in 20 grams of protein and has no refined sugar.
When I used to live on store-bought protein bars, I’d always reach for the cookie dough flavor. It was (usually) the least artificial-tasting and kept me satisfied between meals. Today, I’m going to share my homemade recipe that looks and tastes like real cookie dough, minus all the junk you get in packaged bars.
This recipe combines two of my most popular recipes: my homemade protein bars and my protein cookie dough. They turn out thick, chewy, and just the right amount of soft. I swap the brown sugar and butter in traditional cookie dough for almond butter and vanilla protein powder. You get the sweetness and the richness without the added saturated fat or sugar.
Table of Contents
Arman’s Recipe Highlights
20 grams of protein per bar. Using both almond butter and protein powder packs plenty of protein to keep hunger at bay.
They taste like real cookie dough. I reckon if you make these and give them to someone without telling them there’s protein powder in them, they’d think they were real deal cookie dough bars. My partner prefers these to regular cookie dough, which says something.
My top tips. I’ll walk you through making these, including step-by-step instructions and a video, so your bars turn out perfect every time.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Almond butter. Smooth almond butter with no added sugar or salt. This gives the protein bars some thickness, while also adding an extra 7 grams of protein per bar. If you want them to be nut-free, I like using tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Protein powder. opt for a vanilla-flavored protein powder with no added sugar or carbs. My go-to brand and blend is Optimum Nutrition Casein.
- Oat flour. Skip the expensive store-bought kind and make my homemade oat flour. Alternatively, I tested this recipe with almond flour, and the bars turned out great. You can also use Medjool dates, but the bars will be softer and more pliable.
- Water. To thin out the batter. You may not even need this, especially if your protein powder isn’t thick. Start with one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick and workable.
- Chocolate chips. No cookie dough tastes as good as chocolate chip cookie dough. To keep the bars low-sugar, use sugar-free chocolate chips.
How to make
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the batter. In a food processor, combine the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Pulse until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 3- Refrigerate. Transfer the batter to the baking dish and press it into the pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
Step 4- Slice. Remove the bars from the fridge and slice them into 12 bars.
Expert tips
- No food processor? No problem! Use a blender or a large mixing bowl instead. Again, please scrape down the sides as needed.
- My #1 tip for slicing protein bars is to use a warm, sharp knife. To get clean cuts, run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it, then slice. Repeat between each slice to get the perfect-shaped bars.
- Adjust the sweetness. These bars rely on sweetened protein powder and chocolate chips for sweetness. If it isn’t sweet enough, taste the batter as you’re mixing, and add a little maple syrup or honey as needed.
How to store leftovers
To store: These bars will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to meal prep them or keep for longer, refrigerate them for up to one month.
To freeze: Place leftover bars in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 6 months.
More protein bar recipes
Cookie Dough Protein Bars (3 Ingredients!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter * See notes
- 1 1/4 cups vanilla protein powder
- 3/4 cup oat flour or Medjool dates ** See notes
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water *** See notes
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, regularly scraping down the sides. Fold through the chocolate chips.
- Transfer into a lined baking dish and press down into the pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
- Remove the cookie dough protein bars from the refrigerator and slice into 12 bars.
i cant fi d almond buer or any nut butters. A y suggestions?
Hi Marilyn- tahini or sunflower seed butter works 🙂
Wow! I made these for my teenage son who is ALWAYS hungry but also wants to get in tons of protein. I fully expected them to be a healthy snack for him only, but I tasted the dough after mixing and it is YUMMY! I used quick oats and ground them down with the food processor, then added vanilla protein powder, no sugar added peanut butter and just 3/4 cup water. They mixed up so easy and I cannot believe how good it actually tastes. Thanks for sharing a healthy snack that mom can enjoy too!
You are so welcome, Amber!
Does almond flour work in these?
Hi Sam- yes it does! It’s an equal swap to the oat flour 🙂 Let me know how it goes for you!
I’m dairy free right now, so used a vegan chocolate peanut butter protein powder instead (I didn’t have vanilla). I also subbed peanut butter for the almond butter. I used Lily’s semi sweet chocolate chips and it was great! My protein powder tastes sub par in smoothies/with yogurt, so the chocolate chips definitely make a difference. Thanks for the recipe! I haven’t calculated it, but I assume that this is a cheaper alternative to all of the protein bars I used to buy.
Thanks for sharing your alternatives 🙂
Love your recipes! Can this be made with almond flour and or coconut flour? I can’t eat oats or dates as I’m a diabetic.
Thank you
Hi Sonia, almond flour should be fine with this recipe. Just keep an eye on the moisture levels. Add the water slowly until the batter sticks together and can be pressed firmly into a pan. Let us know how you go!
Which protein powder you use? Can you write from which shop?
Here I can use only ost flour? Maybe rice flour also?
Very Yummy! Very hard to not eat more than 1! I used oat flour (tried making my own, and store bought) and store bought fresh Almond butter, and GNC Whey Vanilla Protein Powder. I have tried this recipe several times and each time my mixture is very sticky as it sticks to anything I set it on, even after I refrigerate it. Maybe I am not mixing it enough? or too much water? Or maybe it is the protein powder as I purchased a different brand. Do you have any ideas?
Hi Arman. I love all of your recipes. Question regarding any of your recipes that call for protein powder. Can I use Collagen protein powder (unflavored) in place of what seem to be the ‘traditional’ powders? Thanks.
I don’t see why not- especially if it dissolves like protein powder does 🙂
I read many of your recipes to be like “cookie dough”. I really nees to try at least one!
Uu never made cookie dough. Would like to try.
Could you use almond flour or coconut flour instead of oat flour?
You could try!
How much on chocolate chip cookies?
Are you taking into account the chocolate chips into the nutritional facts?
I’m not 🙂
My favorite protein bars that do legit taste like cookie dough!
These were so good- such good protein bars!
Can’t wait to try these amazing recipes
Good
can i not put de protein powder? i know it will drop the protein amount in the bars
I don’t think it will work very well without it.
Great
More water needs added
If more sweetness is desired I recommend agave
Try soaking the dates in boiling water first! Pit the dates, put them in a bowl, and pour just enough boiling water over to cover them. Leave them for 10 minutes or so, and then drain + add to your food processor!
Can these be made with almond flour instead of oat flour?
Yes it can!
I am having a hard time pureeing the dates in my food processor. It is new and a Cuisinart. I am not sure what I am doing wrong? Thank you!
Love these! Do you think it would work with 1 cup pb2 and 1 cup dates? Do you have any powdered peanut butter/low cal
recipes?
HIII I LOVED THIS ONES ARE DELICIOUS!!! DO YOU HAVE A NUTRITIONAL CHART ??
For sure! If you go to myfitnesspal and add in the ingredients, it will break it down for you
I had a Lara bar for the first time ever last week while I was in Toronto (they were handing out samples in the street lol) and it was love at first bite. Def making these.
Oh wow- Lucky! Hope you try this out!
3 ingredients is like a dream! Especially because lives nowadays seem so busy, it’s easy to just buy everything pre-made, but your recipes make baking or creating food so much more doable.
Right? Thanks so much, Emily!
LOVE Larabars, especially Cashew Cookie and Chocolate Peanut Butter! SO YUMMY. Anyways, these look absolutely splendid! I love how much they resemble cookie dough!
🙂 They really do!
These bars look superb! Dates are such a great way to sweeten baked goods and get some fibre in at the same time! You can also puree them with some water in a blender for a delicious caramel sauce! Mmmm…?
Absolutely! Thanks, Katrina!
I love making bars from dates, they’re so yummy!
🙂 Yummy!
I love a good Larabar or Kind Bar…especially when traveling. I refuse to eat in airports because the food is so darned overpriced! But then I get sad when I look at my protein bar and then I look (and smell) the delicious fast food. But it’s the right choice, I tell ya! Maybe I wouldn’t be so sad if I had some of these delicious homemade bars instead. They sound delicious!
Thanks man! I need to tell you about the time I spent $12 on a SIDE SALAD at LAX.