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These cookies and cream protein bars are soft, chewy, and made with healthy ingredients. Ready in 10 minutes, I love how they pack over 14 grams of protein!
Need more protein bar recipes? Try my s’mores protein bars, Snickers protein bars, and coconut protein bars next.
It’s no secret that I LOVE cookies and cream. Until recently, I was having a full-fledged love-affair with Quest cookies and cream protein bars, but in an effort to make more high-protein treats at home, I decided to try making them from scratch.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- The shortlist of ingredients. No corn syrup, hidden sugars, or “natural flavor.” What you see is what you get.
- Perfect texture. Thick, soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate cookies in every bite.
- 14 grams of protein per bar. Making them the perfect snack in between meals or as a post-workout treat!
- Diet-friendly. Without even trying, these bars are made without wheat, gluten, egg, or dairy. You can even make them without tree nuts or sugar.
Ingredients needed
- Oat flour. If I have rolled oats at home I’ll usually make my own oat flour, but you can buy them from the store instead. Use gluten-free oat flour if needed.
- Coconut flour. Works with the oat flour to keep the bars extra chewy. If you prefer, you can use extra oat flour.
- Protein powder. I used a vanilla-flavored protein blend, but unflavored can also work. If you have cookies and cream protein powder, that’s even better!
- Sweetener. Optional, but recommended if your protein powder is unflavored or unsweetened.
- Almond butter. Smooth and drippy with no added sugar or salt. Any nut or seed butter will work as long as it has a smooth texture.
- Maple syrup. Gives the protein bars sweetness and holds them together. Any liquid sweetener will work.
- Chocolate cookies. For the cookie in cookies and cream, of course! I used my flourless chocolate cookies, but you can make any chocolate cookie or buy some from the store. They will need to be broken into small chunks.
- Milk. To shape the bar batter. I used unsweetened almond milk.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make cookies and cream protein bars
Step 1- Prep. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, and sweetener.
Step 3- Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the almond butter and syrup until a crumbly batter remains.
Step 4- Finish the batter. Using a spoon, add milk one tablespoon at a time until a thick batter forms. Fold in the crumbled cookies.
Step 5- Refrigerate. Transfer the batter to the pan and press into place. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pick the right protein powder. Make sure it has a flavor you love since it’ll play the starring role in this recipe.
- Add more chocolate flavor. Fold in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder or a few handfuls of unsweetened chocolate chunks.
- Or dip the bars in chocolate. Melt dark or white chocolate in a bowl and dunk the bars or drizzle the chocolate on top, then refrigerate until firm.
- My #1 tip when slicing no-bake bars is to use a warm, sharp knife. I like to run hot water over the knife, carefully dry it, then slice. You might have to repeat this in between each slice, but it’ll help guarantee smooth, even cuts.
Storage instructions
To store: Protein bars are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep well for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Place the bars in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More high-protein recipes
- Peanut butter protein balls
- Banana protein bars
- Cinnamon protein bars
- Protein cookies
- Or any of these protein powder recipes
Cookies and Cream Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- ½ cup coconut flour can sub for almond or more oat flour
- ½ cup protein powder
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice * See notes
- 2 chocolate cookies crumbled
- ½ cup almond butter can sub for any nut or seed butter
- ½ cup maple syrup can sub for agave nectar or brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup milk ** See notes
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, granulated sweetener and set aside.
- Add the almond butter and syrup, and mix well, until a crumbly batter remains.
- Using a spoon, add the milk of choice one spoonful at a time until a thick, firm batter is formed. Gently fold through the crumbled cookies.
- Transfer to lined baking dish and press firmly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
** Depending on the flour/protein powder combination, you may need more or less. I used up to 3/4 cup milk. TO STORE: Protein bars are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep well for up to 2 weeks. TO FREEZE: Place the bars in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I thought I dont like cookies and cream flavour but I really do. Will try this one!
These were so good! Thank you. I only had cookies and cream whey protein powder so that’s what I used. Because I read your comment about whey protein possibly making them too sticky, I only used half of the maple syrup and kept the 2T of monkfruit sweetener. I only needed 1/2c of unsweetened almond milk. They did not come out sticky (to me) and the bars formed well. I’m pleasantly impressed by how good these taste. My husband said these are “better than store bought,” and I agree.
Our two boys like these so it’s a win! I used a cookies and cream flavored nutrition/protein powder and left out the additional sugar. Nice to have a healthy option to grab for a quick snack! I made them into more like bite-size squares to savor them 🙂
My son Kullen is eight— and autistic. He is an extremely picky eater as his daily food intake consists of three distinct and specific food choices. He recently went through a traumatic knee injury and though he is already very thin and underweight for his age and height, this traumatic experience caused him so much stress that he lost over five pounds in a few months.
His pediatrician first suggested vitamins— though we have tried regular, chewy, gummies, and powders you add to beverages (he also only drinks water, room temperature and from a specific water bottle)—and he just could not handle any of the flavors or consistencies. So his pediatrician recommended we buy a whey protein powder and use it as an ingredient in a shake or smoothie (Kullen is allergic to cow’s milk) and will not eat ice-cream or anything that is on the above average cold side. Knowing Kullen likes Oreos, I went online and searched for anything cookie’s and cream with protein recipe— and this one was one of the first I came across and so I gave it a chance and hoped for the best!
Finally!!!! Something Kullen actually enjoyed and now has asked me to make more!!! I am so very thankful for your recipe and I only wish you knew how much I appreciate you taking the time to share it with all of us.
I have one question, as far as the oat flour in this recipe — would any type of flour work—including basic white baking flour? Oat flour is hard to come by where I live and the two brands I have found are extremely expensive and therefore can only be purchased occasionally— also the amount you get is only enough for one recipe.
I look forward to your response!! Thank you 🙂
Heyyy!!! I made these for my family and they are absolutely amazing, everyone loved it!!!!! I just have 1 question, is there anyway to make it a tiny bit less gooey, even after over night refrigeration. I couldnt get a firm bar not as much as i wanted it to be, any suggestions on what to do, I followed your recepie to a T.
Hi there- Add more flour 🙂
Sorry! Just saw someone else posted the same comment. You can delete my post!
These look delicious. Do you think it’s possible to add extra flour in place of the protein powder. I’d like to make these but don’t have any protein powder. Thx!
Of course 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for posting! Quick question…if I omit protein powder, will I need to sub in more flour to keep the right consistency? Thanks!
Yes! that is correct.
How many did these make? 🙂
I get 10-12 bars!
Hello! I hope I’ll still get a response even though this was posted a year and a half ago! 🙂 I do not follow a strict Paleo or Vegan diet but these look so incredible and I want a recipe to make my own protein bars. One question, will Whey protein work in this recipe?
Thank you!!!!
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately, whey protein won’t work- It’s just too sticky to hold up well
Would Vanilla Rice protein work? Or vanilla Soy protein? Also, about how many bars does this make?
It should with the rice! I made around 8 bars 🙂
Hello! I wanna try your recipe, but do you mind telling me how much portion is 2 T? Or 1 T? Please. Thank you!
Hi Abby! T stands for tablespoon, so 15 mls 🙂