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These pumpkin protein bars are thick, chewy, and full of delicious pumpkin flavor. With 10 grams of protein per bar, they make meeting my protein goals feel like a treat!
Craving high protein snacks? Try my protein balls, protein chips, and protein granola bars.
Inspired by my homemade protein bars, I wanted to share a festive one that takes advantage of everyone’s favorite fall flavor- pumpkin!
These wholesome pumpkin protein bars are cheaper than store-bought and taste really delicious, which is more than I can say for many other protein bars.
Why I love this recipe
- Full of pumpkin pie flavor. Why wait till the holidays when you can have a pumpkin-spiced protein bar as your post-workout snack?
- Easy to make. Just mix all the ingredients, shape the bars, and let them firm up in the fridge. It doesn’t get simpler than that.
- Customizable. Like carrot cake protein bars, there are plenty of ways to customize these bars. I’ll be sure to give you plenty of suggestions later on.
- Naturally vegan. Unlike most protein bars on the market, these are completely dairy-free. They also happen to be free of oil and refined sugar.
Ingredients needed
- Oat flour– Homemade oat flour or packaged oat flour. Be sure to use certified gluten free oat flour, if needed.
- Coconut flour– gives sturdiness to the protein bars and a cakey texture.
- Protein powder. I used vanilla protein powder for a subtle vanilla flavor, but unflavored protein powder will also work.
- Sugar. I used a little white sugar, but you can use a sugar-free sweetener to keep these bars low-carb.
- Pumpkin pie spice– A must for any pumpkin dessert or snack recipe!
- Pumpkin puree– Homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin. If you use the latter, be sure to use the unsweetened kind, not the pie filling.
- Peanut butter– Smooth and drippy peanut butter. You can also use almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.
- Maple syrup– Gives a little sweetness and helps keep the bars soft and chewy. Agave nectar or honey will also work. However, honey is not strictly vegan.
- Vanilla extract– You can never go wrong with some vanilla flavor.
- Milk of choice– To help form protein bars! I used unsweetened almond milk. You may need more milk than listed, dependent on what kind of protein powder you use.
How to make pumpkin protein bars
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 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Mix ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, heat the peanut butter with the maple syrup until combined.
Step 3- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the dry mixture and add the vanilla extract, pumpkin, and milk. Stir to combine. If the batter is too thick, add extra milk. The texture should be slightly thicker than cookie dough but able to hold its shape when pressed.
Step 4- Refrigerate and slice. Transfer the batter to the lined pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Once firm, cut into bars.
Recipe tips and variations
- Use a food processor. When I’m short on time, I like to add all of the ingredients to a food processor instead of mixing them by hand.
- Taste as you go. As I’m mixing, I like to taste the bar batter and adjust the sweetness as needed.
- Add chocolate. Use chocolate-flavored protein powder and fold in dark chocolate chips, or melt them to drizzle on top.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Like white chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped a little extra flavor.
- Use a warm, sharp knife. For even cuts, run a sharp knife under hot water, lightly dry it, slice, and repeat.
Which protein powder is best for this recipe?
Not all protein powder is created equal. Many protein powders have added sugars and fillers, and some are so filtered, they will leave your protein bars wet and slimy. After testing this recipe out multiple times, there are two kinds of protein powder that work very well- Brown rice protein powder and casein protein powder.
- Brown rice protein powder– A vegan and gluten free protein powder, they are thick and work well in recipes calling for protein powder. It’s to be noted that this kind of protein powder has a very earthy consistency and a subtle sweetness.
- Casein protein powder– My favorite kind of protein powder for baking and recipes. While it is not vegan, it is gluten free and low carb. When using casein protein powder, you’ll find that adding extra milk to the recipe is important, as this kind of protein is extremely thick.
Storage instructions
To store: Protein bars are best stored in the refrigerator so they remain firm and chewy. They will keep fresh for up to 1 month.
To freeze: Individually wrap protein bars in parchment paper, and place them in small ziplock bags for a quick grab and go snack. Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More protein bar recipes to try
- Cookie dough protein bars– Perhaps my family’s favorite no bake cookie dough recipe of mine!
- Protein crunch bars– They taste just like the classic candy bar, but WAY healthier.
- Snickers protein bar– I honestly prefer these to regular Snickers.
- Cinnamon protein bars– Soft, chewy, and they taste just like a cinnamon bun.
Pumpkin Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice I used a monk fruit sweetener
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and a dash of ginger
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peanut butter can sub for any nut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup use maple syrup for paleo option
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice * See notes
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, protein powder, sweetener, pumpkin pie spice, and mix well. In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, heat your peanut butter with your maple syrup until combined.
- Pour your wet mixture, vanilla extract, pumpkin, and milk to the dry mixture, and mix well. If the batter is too thick, add extra milk.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to firm up. Once firm, cut into bars.
Can’t Wait to try this
I think I might be committing an act of thread necromancy, but holy heck, these are good! I’m a professional ballet dancer and my company only takes 30 mins for lunch, so filling, healthy options that I can eat quickly are everything. These are perfect—delicious, easy to make, easy to eat, and they keep me full Great recipe!
Great to hear!
Arman, you know, I really, really love the way you make this recipe and how the photographs are taken. Attracted by the look of this recipe. So gorgeous! Could feel immediately that this is tasty, just by looking. Pumpkin is my favorite and so is this recipe. Thanks for sharing and have a nice weekend.
I made these and they are DIVINE!!!! I don’t want to share them with anyone! THANK YOU for your brilliant recipe!!!!! It is a keeper!
Thanks so much, Holly! 🙂
i’m glad to see another recipe of no bake cake. sometimes we have had enough of fried and baked foods, and we just need some thing fresher for change. these pumpkin spice latte bars will be a good dessert for my kiddos. thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome! 🙂 It’s fuelling the pumpkin obsession!
Can this latte bar last for few days in my bagpack? I am trying to make food for 7 days, and i want to have some good snacks, ready to eat, and this one sounds fantastic, but i am just not sure how long can it last, trought Grand Canyon advanture 🙂
Hi Jakov! For sure- If you freeze them first and keep them cool, they are still firm and chewy! 🙂
Enjoy your Grand Canyon adventures- I’m jealous!
Pumpkin spice latte is certainly at the top of my list of favourite pumpkin foods! From the looks of it, these bars might well take the top spot – I’ll have to make them and see!
Thanks, Katie! Hope you enjoy it!
Oh I LOVE pumpkin in all forms! Savory, sweet, baked whole, in a pie, and best of all in the form of kabocha! <3 Can't wait to dig into it again!
🙂 Thanks, Cassie! Enjoy!
Wow I never knew that Australia uses it as a savoury food. You just gave me a lesson in culture; I do like pumpkin soup, and I”ve wanted to try it on pizza. However, I like anything pumpkin + sugar too.
The best of both worlds! Yum!
Ok, Friend 5 is on to something! The coffee shop at work had PSLs yesterday and literally everyone in front of me ordered one. I held out, though! I’m still waiting for that cool, crisp fall morning breeze to inspire me to jump on the pumpkin wagon.
Geeze, how dare mother nature keep you waiting 😉
I am a bigger fan of all the pumpkin flavored bars and desserts than the actual latte. And can’t wait to try Friend 5’s combo, that sound delicious!
Right?! I’m going to recreate it, pumpkin + feta + avocado…Seriously!
I don’t mind pumpkin in sweet recipes but I think pumpkin really does shine in a savoury recipe. I cut up and roast a massive amount of pumpkin each week and adore it! Roasted and drizzled with tahini is simply heaven!
That sounds delicious! They certainly have their place in both sweet and savory recipes, yum!
Pumpkin spice latte bars!??? Pumpkin, feta, and smashed avocado toast?!!? You’re really killing me.
DUDE THE TOAST. Omg. SO GOOD.
Arman, dude – how fantastic are these PSL bars! And no bake too! Arman you’ve raised the bar with these (no pun intended)
While I love pumpkin in sweet concoctions, I’m partial to the Southern Hemisphere’s savory take on it too – I was drooling at friend #5’s suggestion – kinda like pumpkin and avocado on naan pizza like Amanda suggested a while ago…
Hahahaha raised the bar- Cheers, Shashi!
Yay! The return of all things PSL! I have a great pumpkin spice recipe to share soon… I have been eating them every day.
These bars look fantastic. Maybe I need some for my flight back to KL 🙂
Oh fantastic- I can’t wait to check it out!
Hold up! I didn’t know you were on MySpace…how are we not friends over there?? Oh wait, it’s probably because I forgot my password…back in 1997. 🙂 These bars look amazing, my friend. Save me one? And also save me a #PSL?
Hhahaha oh man, imagine if those profiles resurfaced!
This is genius as usual! I’m all about that PSL. I love them so much that last year I nearly cut my finger off opening up a can of pumpkin (I’m not sure how lol) and STILL managed to make a PSL and drank it on the way to the ER to get stitches, can you say, dedication?
OMG!!!! Geebuz, that is impressive!
I’m obviously still too Australian as the idea of pumpkin spice lattes skeeve me out. They even have them here in France. Not that I would ever go to Starbucks in Paris, but still….
Haha, I love the Starbucks in Paris, purely to say Americano avec deux sucre.