Healthy 3 Ingredient No Bake Paleo Protein Bars
You only need three ingredients and less than five minutes to whip up these healthy no bake protein bars! No nuts, dried fruits or sticky sweeteners are needed- They are also suitable for those following a vegan, paleo, gluten free and sugar free lifestyle!
Hi Arman!
I follow a primarily paleo style of eating and refrain (as much as possible) from eating grains. I also try and limit my sugars (both natural and unrefined) but have found it difficult when it comes to snacking. I try and have snacks which provide a good dose of protein but I’ve found many store-bought paleo friendly snack bars to be either full of sugar (dried fruits, maple syrup) and/or primarily healthy fats (nuts, coconut oil). Don’t get me wrong, I find both are perfectly healthy but sometimes, I just want a snack which is high in protein and doesn’t require the need for fruit/nuts.
Reader Kat emailed me this back in 2015.
When I first read it, I was firstly quite surprised. I’d never come across a protein bar on the market which was actually paleo friendly. I’d seen those which were vegan, gluten free, low carb and well….similar to candy bars- but never a paleo one.
I then remembered I was in America.
EVERYTHING is available in America.
ZING.
After scouting some health food shops and the various online outlets, I soon found that there WERE paleo ‘protein’ bars out there. However, unlike most protein bars I’d personally enjoyed or had come across, these were generally lower in protein (between 6-8 grams VS 20 grams+ for standard bars). Not only that, they were generally quite high in natural sugars and healthy fats.
I could see where Kat was coming from.
While these bars on the market were indeed Paleo friendly (and granted, MUCH cleaner in terms of ingredients that many bars on the market), I wouldn’t personally brand them as a protein bar. I’d also wouldn’t choose them if ‘protein’ was the nutrient I’d be looking at fulfilling. Last year, I shared this recipe for 3 ingredient no bake protein bars. Unfortunately, they weren’t suitable for those following a paleo lifestyle as they contained gluten free oats. I needed a substitute for the oats but something which would still have a delicious chewy texture. I turned to my one and only love child-
Coconut flour.
My obsession with coconut flour is so strong, I swear I’m more tropical than Australian these days. Okay, maybe not but seriously. If there is one ingredient any loyal reader of TBMW should have on hand, it’s coconut flour. It is without a doubt my most used ingredient and the key reason today’s recipe was able to be created. Because of coconut flour, we have no need to use dried fruits, sticky sweeteners or nuts to bind- These 3 ingredient no bake protein bars need to be made.
STAT.
These healthy 3 ingredient no bake protein bars are so ridiculously simple to make and taste delicious. They need just three ingredients, five minutes and one bowl and voila- You just wait for them to firm up in the fridge before digging in. Because of their lack of sticky sweeteners and/or nuts, you’ll need to keep these refrigerated. I tried this out with this paleo protein powder, this casein protein powder and this vegan protein powder– They are turned out really well and tasted delicious. egardless of whichever dietary lifestyle you follow, PLEASE make sure you like the taste of your protein powder. If you don’t, I guarantee you will NOT like these bars. Because of the nature of these ingredients, they are totally suitable for all my vegan, paleo, gluten free and sugar free friends!
HACK! While you don’t need any nut butters or sticky sweeteners, I do recommend you add the optional nut butter of choice- It takes the texture to another level.
Make these healthy 3 ingredient no bake protein bars and let’s see those biceps curling.
Okay, that’s just my wishful thinking.
Healthy 3 Ingredient No Bake Paleo Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flour sifted
- 4 scoops flavored protein powder see suggestions above- around 32-35 grams each
- 1/2 cup + dairy free milk of choice*
- 1/2 cup smooth nut butter of choice optional
- Dairy free chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Line a 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, at dairy free milk of choice until a very thick batter is formed. Transfer batter to lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Top with optional chocolate chips refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Slice into bars and keep refrigerated.
Notes
Bars are freezer friendly but not recommended to be kept at room temperature.
No Bake Giant Paleo Cookie for One
3 Ingredient Flourless Blender Brownies
What do you consider a solid dose of protein in a snack bar/protein bar?
Favorite store bought snack/protein bar?
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!