Soft, chewy, and incredibly delicious, these healthy cinnamon protein bars are easy to make and don’t require baking.
We love making our own protein bars around here.
Our original homemade protein bar recipe is a staple, but we also like to try out other flavors. These include banana, cookie dough, and these cinnamon protein bars.
Why this recipe works
- Made in 10 minutes. Spend a few minutes to make protein bars for the entire week and you won’t have to buy protein bars with unhealthy additives and lots of added sugar.
- A no-bake recipe. This recipe doesn’t require baking. Chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and they are ready to be enjoyed.
- Vegan and gluten-free. Made without dairy or eggs, these are suitable for a vegan and gluten free diet.
If you love cinnamon-flavored treats, then these cinnamon protein bars are certainly something up your alley. Give these bars a try and they will become one of your favorite protein-rich snacks ever.
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for simple pantry staple ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- Oat flour. Skip the expensive store-bought varieties and make your own.
- Coconut flour. Substitute it for almond flour if you like.
- Protein powder. I like using a vanilla-flavored protein powder but unflavored also works.
- Cinnamon. To flavor the cinnamon bars.
- Sweeteners. You will need some granulated sweetener as well as some brown rice syrup.
- Almond butter. Any other nut butter will work too.
- Vanilla extract. To make the flavor of cinnamon bars richer.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk but any milk works.
For the topping:
- Cinnamon
- Granulated sweetener of choice. White sugar, brown sugar, or even a sugar substitute.
How to make cinnamon protein bars
Only a few minutes of mixing and these cinnamon protein bars are ready to be enjoyed. Here’s how you make them.
Step 1 – Combine the dry ingredients
Add flour, protein powder, granulated sweetener, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
Step 2 – Melt the nut butter and combine all ingredients
Add the nut butter and liquid sweetener to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until fully melted. Add the vanilla extract and pour the melted nut mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well. At this point, the mixture should be crumbly. Add the milk one spoonful at a time and mix until a firm mixture is formed.
Step 3 – Press the mixture into the pan and chill
Press the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Rub on the cinnamon topping and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until fully set. Once set, cut into slices and enjoy.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need to add more milk to achieve the right consistency for the bars.
- Coat the knife with cooking spray to be able to slice the bars without sticking. Wipe the knife clean after each slice.
- If you want to increase the amount of protein per bar, drizzle them with a protein drizzle. For the protein drizzle, simply mix equal parts of protein powder and milk.
Storage instructions
To store: Store these cinnamon protein bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. You may want to wrap the bars with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
To freeze: You can also freeze cinnamon protein bars for 2 to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them, remove the bars from the freezer and allow them to thaw and soften.
More protein bar recipes to try
- Keto protein bars
- Coconut protein bars
- Snickers protein bars
- Chocolate protein bars
- Paleo protein bars
Frequently asked questions
There are 188 calories and 10 grams of protein in each of these homemade cinnamon bars.
As these protein bars use oat flour and several sweeteners, they are not suitable for a low carb diet.
Cinnamon Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- ½ cup coconut flour can sub for more oat flour or almond flour
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon sugar any granulated sweetener works
- ½ cup almond butter can sub for any nut butter
- ½ cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk I used unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, sugar, and cinnamon and mix well.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the almond butter and brown rice syrup and heat until melted. Add the vanilla extract and pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix well- It should be crumbly.
- Using a spoon, add milk one spoonful at a time until a thick, firm batter is formed. Add more if neeed.
- Transfer the protein bar mixture to the lined baking dish and press firmly. Rub the cinnamon bun topping on it and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi Arman. I made these today and they’re absolutely excellent. I’ll be eating them to lose weight and while maintaining. They’re just that good. Thank you.
How long do these last refrigerated/non refrigerated?
Hey Ryan! I keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days (they only last that long, I eat them regularly), in room temperature, I consume within a day 🙂
Can’t wait to try these! I absolutely love your blog!!
Thanks so much, Hilary- Glad to have you here! 🙂
These are spectacular! Just what I’ve been trying to pull together but haven’t gotten the ratios of ingredients just right. Chewy, nicely sweet, full of protein. Boo Yah you hit a homefun Arman!
😀 Micki! This comment absolutely made my day- Have a fantastic Monday! 🙂
Mine came out kind of sticky. Not stick to my fingers sticky but if I cut one out and held it upright it would slowly fall over and it did stick to the paper towel I was holding it with. And mine didn’t look anything like the picture lol
Hi Julie! I’m so sorry yours came out like that- Did you by any chance use whey? That often is the culprit for the sticky factor!
What is “Cinnamon Bun Topping”?
Hi there! It’s listed in the ingredients, the cinnamon mixed with the granulated sweetener 🙂 enjoy!
I can’t wait to make this recipe! Is there a way to get calorie, fat, protein and carb counts per serving?
Hi Amy! Definitely- if you add the ingredients into a calorie calculator, it will provide it for you 🙂 Enjoy!
These did not work well for me. I used 1cup almond flour (because I have a LOT of it), 1 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup coconut flour. Otherwise did everything as directed. They simply did not hold together. Had to eat them with a spoon. 🙁 Protein powder gave them icky flavor too.
Hi Nanci- As per the instructions, it indicates to use 2 cups oat flour (or 1 cup of coconut flour) and the extra 1/2 cup coconut flour. You added almond flour instead of the oat flour which would have changed the texture dramatically- This is why it didn’t form 🙂 If you can, continue adding some coconut flour then add more liquid. As for the protein taste, that is dependant on what protein powder you use. The 3 I trialled all tasted great.
so is it one and a half cups of coconut flour total? thank you.
Hi Meg! that is correct- Because coconut flour is like a sponge, replacing 2 cups of oat flour for 1 cup of coconut flour is needed. The second line of coconut flour needs to be added too 🙂 Cheers!
Food comes first, because without food, I’d have no friends. Come feed me? But not with norbu — it kind of sounds like seaweed to me. Cinnamon me up instead.
Lol! Me and Alexis went through it like water!