Healthy Strawberries and Cream Bars (Keto, Vegan, Paleo)
A quick and easy recipe for homemade strawberries and cream protein bars! Packed with protein and made with wholesome ingredients, these low carb healthy snack bars take less than 15 minutes to whip up! Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free.
Strawberries Shortcake Protein Bars
As someone who regularly partakes in weight training and high-intensity exercise, being on top of my protein intake is mandatory. While I do ensure I get adequate amounts through protein shakes and with my meals, I also try to make sure my snacks are high-protein too.
Making my own protein bars has been an easy way to achieve this. On regular rotation are my homemade no bake protein bars, keto protein bars, and white chocolate raspberry protein cookies.
When a recent package of freeze-dried strawberries found their way into my kitchen, I knew that I had to make a protein bar with them.
Unlike traditional protein bars, my homemade strawberry ones contain no fillers, artificial sweeteners or added preservatives. It’s a handful of wholesome ingredients. The best part is these no bake bars don’t even need the protein powder in them (but is optional!).
Strawberries and Cream Bars Ingredients
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a low carb and high fiber flour. When combined with the other ingredients, yields a soft and dough texture, perfect for a no bake protein bar recipe.
Almond Butter
The almond butter helps add some healthy fats, along with a richer texture. You can substitute it for smooth cashew butter or peanut butter (will not be strictly paleo).
To make this recipe 100% nut-free, you can substitute the almond butter for sunflower seed butter, wow butter or tahini.
Keto Maple Syrup
A sticky sweetener is needed to hold the bars together, along with add some sweetness. This sugar free maple syrup is keto approved and low carb.
If you don’t follow a ketogenic diet, you can replace this with pure maple syrup or agave nectar.
Protein Powder
Protein powder is not necessary, but you can use it for an additional protein boost. Add between 1 -2 scoops, and add extra milk of choice to compensate for it. My preferred protein powder brands are listed here.
Milk of choice
Milk (almond, cashew, coconut, etc) is needed to help form the bars together. The amount needed will depend on whether you used protein powder or not, and the brand of coconut flour you use.
Start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself needing way more than that.
Granulated Sweetener of Choice
Depending on how sweet you prefer your no bake bars to be, you may or may not choose to add some extra sweetness. I like to add a few tablespoons of monk fruit sweetener, as my protein powder is unsweetened and I find the maple syrup to not be overly sweet.
Freeze Dried Strawberries
Adding freeze-dried strawberries adds some strawberry flavor, and doesn’t need any fresh strawberries in them.
A small amount is only required, as they break up easily. It will have a very negligible carb increase.
White Chocolate
Chop up a block of keto and sugar free white chocolate to give the bars some ‘cream’ flavor. If you don’t follow a keto or paleo diet, you can use dairy free white chocolate chips.
How to make no bake strawberries and cream bars
Step 1: Line a loaf pan or square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 3: Add your smooth almond butter and keto maple syrup and mix well, until a crumbly texture remains. Using a tablespoon add milk of choice until a thick batter remains.
Step 4: Transfer your strawberries and cream bar batter to the lined pan. Top with freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate pieces and press firmly into place.
Step 5: Cut into 12 bars and enjoy!
How to store homemade protein bars
Strawberries and cream protein bars (or protein balls!) will keep at room temperature, however, they are best stored in the fridge. They will keep firm and still be soft and chewy. Protein bars will keep well for up to 4 weeks.
Homemade strawberries and cream bars are freezer friendly and will keep well in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More homemade protein bar recipes
Healthy Strawberries and Cream Bars (Keto, Vegan, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 cups almond butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 2/3 cup keto maple syrup
- 1-2 scoops protein powder of choice Optional
- 1 tbsp milk of choice * See notes
- 1-2 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice ** See notes
- 2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries
- 2 tbsp white chocolate pieces
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add your nut/seed butter of choice and maple syrup and mix until a crumbly texture remains. Using a tablespoon, add milk of choice, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick dough remains.
- Transfer the batter to the lined pan. Top with freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate pieces and press into the bars. Refrigerate until firm.
- Once firm, cut into 12 bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Oooooh, YUM!
That’s right!
UGH! I had the same exact problem, except my mom would force me to drink a glass of grape juice every morning with my cereal. And if we ran out of my grape juice and I ha to drink my sister’s orange juice OH LAWDEE. I’ve never really been a juice fan, but grape was the only one I could choke down without my face entirely shrinking up. My tactic was to always run to the bathroom to brush my teeth after my cereal so that my excuse would be that “juice tastes gross with toothpaste mouth”.
It never worked.
Hahaha dang!
You know – it is a good thing we share a love of chocolate – because you are gonna wanna throw something at me when I tell you, I LOVE milk – but that stoopid milk doesn’t love me! It get’s me all uncomfortable and well, life’s too short for that, so I stick to lactose free milk or almond or cashew milk – but it has to be like skim milk – watery – weird right?! Actually, now I am thinking a glass would go well with one of these bars! And woa – double (almond)milk glasses raised in toasting the fact that these lovelies are vegan, dairy free, and gluten free! Awesome recipe Arman! Hp[e you have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks Shashi! 🙂 OH no! Maybe I need to give milk another choice- I’ve LOVED eating FAGE total (?) here? The full fat yogurt!
I love the touch of strawberry pink in these lovely bars! I never grew up liking milk or drinking milk though thankfully my parents never forced me. I guess there weren’t many fresh milk around while I was growing up in an island. But guess what my mom wanted me to take instead? Fresh tomato juice – so I feel ya, Arman! Until today I won’t drink tomato juice and am not much fan of milk either! 🙂
OH no Tomato juice!!!!!!!! I remember getting a glass on an aeroplane once and I asked them why they were giving me soup in a cup!
I hated milk as a kid too! My parents always made me drink it & I’d gag and get all pukey. Even the thought of milk today brings back horrible memories.
YES! Same! Now when I think of milk, I’ll think of you and I’ll gag 🙂
Poor little Arman gagging down his cow’s milk! Is it bad that the image cracks me up?
These bars though… YAAAAS. I love anything strawberries and cream. They kind of remind me of those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars? Mmm.
LOL. It doesn’t surprise me, you remind me of Lisa Rinna’s lips.
I have never been a fan of milk and really didn’t drink much growing up. Now we are spoiled with so many great alternatives. Looks like a fab recipe!
Thanks so much Lauren!
I never really liked milk, it was more just the liquid I added to my cereal 🙂
Haha, if it’s delicious cereal, it’s all good 🙂
I was never a milk person either, still don’t really consume much. I buy almond milk for baking, and the bowl of cereal I eat once every blue moon, but that’s it. These are enough to have me buying every carton in the store though. Yum.
Yes! Do it!
I used to sit at the table for an hour every night, arms folded stubbornly across my chest, refusing of course to eat the main protein/meat dish. Ha! Eventually, my parents would cave and let me slide on the meat so long as I drank my milk, which was warm by this point. Awful so I can relate.
oh God you poor chicken.
PS- I saw someone near a pool before 😉
Who could that possibly be!!
I used to LOVE milk when I was a kid, although I think it mostly had to do with the fact that I used it to dunk and/or wash down my cookies with 😛 The list of foods I wouldn’t eat, though, was seriously a mile long…
YES. If cookies were involved- totally acceptable!
These look amazing!! YUM! Kinda like strawberry Quest bars… but Vegan (perf for me being dairy free)! …and I’ve drank almond milk from the cartoon as well!! It’s just so good!!
YES! thanks Cailee!
I totally fed the house plants milk too when I didn’t want to drink it! The problem was, the plant didn’t like it and I forgot about it so it started molding and began to stink. That was a really bad decision. I usually get vanilla almond milk to put on my cereal but the plain is great as in cream sauces, mac and cheese or with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I also cannot argue with that long shelf life!
Oh really? Nice!