These paleo protein bars need just 3 ingredients to make and require no baking! They make the perfect snack between meals.
Finding good protein bars is a challenge especially if you are looking for ones that don’t contain refined sugar, artificial additives, dairy, and gluten.
While our homemade protein bars are always a good option, they aren’t always suitable for those who follow a paleo diet.
Are protein bars ok on a paleo diet?
It is completely fine to have protein bars on a paleo diet. While not all protein bars are paleo-friendly, you can certainly find some. You can make paleo protein bars yourself and easily control the ingredients that go into them.
We love making our own because:
- Only 3 ingredients. All you need is coconut flour, protein powder, and milk!
- Made in 5 minutes. Only five minutes of prep work and you have a healthy protein-rich snack to enjoy throughout the entire week.
- Perfect texture. These protein bars are soft and chewy, just as we all like them to be.
What I love about this recipe is just how easy they are to customize! Add mix-ins, dip them in chocolate, or dust them with powdered sugar: the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for three simple ingredients that are commonly found in paleo recipes. Here is what you’ll need:
- Coconut flour. Sifted.
- Protein powder. Flavored protein powder of choice.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk but any milk works.
Optional ingredients:
- Nut butter. Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter.
- Chocolate chips. Dairy-free unsweetened chocolate chips are suitable for those on a paleo diet.
How to make paleo protein bars
Start by mixing the coconut flour with protein powder. Add the nut butter if you are using any.
Next, add the dairy-free milk to the dry mixture. Pour in ¼ cup of milk at a time and mix until a thick batter is formed.
Transfer the mixture to a pan lined with parchment paper and press firmly. If using chocolate chips, add them on top and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.
Once set, cut into slices and enjoy.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Drizzle with melted chocolate. Melt the dairy-free chocolate chips and drizzle over the protein bars to make them look more presentable.
- Keep the protein bars individually wrapped. Once you slice your paleo-friendly protein bars, wrap them individually in parchment paper so that you can grab one and go about your day whenever needed.
- Adjust the amount of milk you use. Depending on the brand of the coconut flour, you may need to add more milk to achieve the needed consistency for the bars.
Flavor variations
The beauty of these bars is just how easy they are to customize. Here are some ideas:
- Sweeten with maple syrup. If you want the protein bars to be sweeter, add some pure maple syrup to the mixture.
- Use sunflower seed butter. In case you don’t have any nut butter at home or simply don’t like them, use sunflower seed butter instead. Make sure it doesn’t contain any additives that make it unsuitable for a paleo diet.
- Add cinnamon. If you are using unflavored protein powder, add some ground cinnamon to the bar mixture to achieve a richer flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep these paleo protein bars refrigerated. Stored in an airtight container, the bars will keep well for up to 7 days.
To freeze: You can also wrap the bars in food wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow the bars to sit at room temperature for around 10 minutes before eating.
More protein bar recipes to try
- Cinnamon protein bars
- Banana protein bars
- Keto protein bars
- Coconut protein bars
- Cookie dough protein bars
Frequently asked questions
Clif makes bars of different types and flavors. Luckily, you can find some that are paleo-friendly. Check the ingredient list to make sure it is suitable first.
While not all RXBares are paleo-approved, many of them are. Chocolate Coconut, Mixed Berry, Apple Cinnamon, and Blueberry are some of the most popular RXBar paleo-friendly flavors.
When made with a no added sugar protein powder, these bars are low carb.
Paleo Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flour sifted
- 2 cups protein powder flavored
- 1/2 cup milk of choice * See notes
- 1/2 cup almond butter optional
- 1 cup Dairy free chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking tray with baking paper, grease it and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour and protein powder and mix well. If using the optional nut butter, add that in now.
- Using a 1/4 cup at a time, add your milk of choice until a very thick batter is formed.
- Transfer the batter to the lined pan and press firmly in place. Top with optional chocolate chips and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Slice into bars and keep refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This is definitely a recipe for Gigi! Maybe you could make something like this for her to taste test 😉
🙂 haha good idea!
Hi Arman! These bars look delicious! I can’t wait to try them! I know that you tried them with paleo/casein/vegan protein powder; would they work with whey too, or would the texture be off?
Hi Alessandria! I honestly find whey to be so hard to work with- Because of it’s pure form, it makes it difficult to stick well 🙂
How many bars is this to make approximately?
Hi Amalia- I made around 9 bars, but you can adjust them to any size you wish 🙂
What about whole wheat flour instead of coconut?
Hi Valerie! I’d recommend oat flour over whole wheat! 🙂
I tried these and love ’em. I ended up needing a cup of almond milk to get them to stick, probably could have gotten away with a bit less. Definitely need water to wash these down, but I love the taste/texture. I used regular creamy pb (jif) in my first batch. Thinking of using PB2 (powdered PB) for the next batch. Thoughts? Anyone try this?
Hi Jenn! Thanks for the feedback- That does often happen with these sort of bars using coconut flour 🙂
I haven’t tried it with peanut flour in these recipes specifically, but I can see it working- I think peanut flour has texture between oat flour and coconut flour, so is very firm! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! What flavor protein powder did you use?
Hi Suzanne! You are so welcome! I prefer using vanilla as it’s a blank slate for everything 🙂
Need to find Casein that doesn’t have Sucralose in it. That non-sweetener is Spenda that is not good for us.
Hi Joanne! I know some brands use stevia in their casein (I think this brand has a natural version).
I just made these. It took a lot of almond milk to get the batter somewhat moist and the the 1/2 in fridge didn’t really firm them up for cutting
Hi Angela- This varies because of the protein powder you use and the brand of coconut flour. Because of the nature of coconut flour, you would need significant amount of almond milk to get a batter. You could try adding the optional nut butter, but I’ve never had issues using just 3 ingredients.
I made these with complete nutrition’s elite gold annex chocolate peanut butter protein powder…which I don’t think is paleo cause it has soy and whey protein in them, but they turned out really good. I added almond butter and only 3 scoops of the protein powder and added a little organic coconut flakes on top instead of chocolate chips. They taste pretty good following a workout. Thanks for recipe!!
No worries at all, Susie- so glad you enjoyed it- I’ll need to try out the Gold Annex brand 🙂
Hi. What is the nutritional info for these bars? Protein, Carbs, Sugars etc.
Hi Michelle! If you go on myfitnesspal.com it will provide the information for you 🙂 Enjoy!
Which kind of flavor did you use for the protein powder? Did you use chocolate, or could you use vanilla as well?
Hi Sarah! I used vanilla, but definitely use chocolate if you prefer 🙂
i need it to have at least 15g/serving for me to consider it a protein bar. your recipe is too easy not to try, i will definitely give it a go!
Please do, Grace!
I am on the Dr Poon diet, my daily sugar intake is 5g or less, this paleo bar makes this diet much more enjoyable and a fun alternative to simply snacking on chicken, thank you for sharing your creation
You are so welcome, Sherry!