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Cookies and cream protein bars are a homemade version of the Quest Cookies and Cream protein bars. Soft, chewy, and made with healthy ingredients, these cookies and cream protein bars take 10 minutes to make! Vegan and Gluten Free.
I am a certified snacker. If I’m not snacking on peanut butter cookies or oatmeal cookie bars, I’m definitely noshing on these cookies and cream protein bars.
After being a die hard quest protein bar fan, I just couldn’t justify spending tons of money each week on store bought protein bars. My all time favorite protein bar flavor is Cookies and Cream, so I decided to make my own!
Not only was it much cheaper and more delicious, I knew EXACTLY what was going in them.
The texture was spot on- Thick, soft and chewy protein bars that are stable at room temperature. The taste was fantastic- Sweet, satisfying and loaded with chunks of chocolate cookie pieces.
These protein bars are completely vegan and gluten free, with tips to make them keto and paleo!
How to make cookies and cream protein bars
The Ingredients
- Oat Flour– It’s just ground up oatmeal. You can make your own or store bought. Be sure you use gluten free oats, to keep it gluten free.
- Coconut Flour- Works well with the oat flour, to keep the bars extra chewy. If you don’t want to use coconut flour, add more oat flour.
- Protein Powder– You can use vanilla flavored or unflavored. Be sure you like the taste of it, as it will be quite evident.
- Granulated sweetener of choice– Optional, but recommended if your protein powder is unflavored or unsweetened.
- Almond butter– Smooth and drippy almond butter, with no added sugar or salt. You can use any nut or seed butter butter, provided it has a smooth texture.
- Maple syrup– Gives the protein bars sweetness, and holds them together. You can use agave nectar or brown rice syrup if you prefer.
- Chocolate Cookies– Crumble up some chocolate cookies for the delicious cookie flavor. Feel free to use store bought cookies if that is what you have on hand.
- Milk of choice– To help form the dough into bars! Use any milk that you prefer!
The Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add in your almond butter and syrup, and mix until a crumbly texture remains. Slowly add the milk, until a thick batter remains. Gently fold through your crumbled chocolate cookies. Transfer the protein bar batter into a lined 8 x 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, around 2 hours. Once firm, cut into bars.
Can I make this keto and paleo?
To make these keto friendly, replace the oat flour with 1 cup of coconut flour (total- do not add the extra coconut flour). Instead of using maple syrup, use keto maple syrup. The rest of the ingredients are already keto, so you’ll be good to go!
Storing and Freezing Tips
- To store: Cookies and cream protein bars can be stored at room temperature, in a sealed container. They will keep well for at least 1 week. Store them in the refrigerator to keep them for longer.
- To freeze: These protein bars can be stored in the freezer in a ziplock bag or freezer friendly container. They will freeze well for at least 6 months.
More homemade protein bar recipes
No Bake 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
- 2-3 chocolate cookies crumbles
- 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 of choice ** 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.
Nutrition
So I am not sure what I did wrong, I made the bars but they turned out to be a cookie dough consistency rather than a bar… What makes yours look/taste like an actual bar???
Hi Kathie! It might be dependent on the brand of coconut flour and/or protein powder you used- I’d continue adding coconut flour to make them formable into bars.
Love the look of these, gonna try them later! Have you worked out how much calories/protein/carbs/fat are in each bar at all? And how many bars does the recipe make? Would be useful to know 🙂
Hi Danielle! They made around 8-9 bars 🙂
For sure- If you go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com you can calculate it 🙂 Enjoy!
I was wondering what the nutritional information is on these bars?
Hi Carly! If you add the ingredients to a calorie calculator, it will provide it for you 🙂 Enjoy!
How many servings/bars is this supposed to make? What size pan-8×8 or larger? I’m trying to input all this for nutrition value to actually compare to the Quest bars, which I eat regularly.
Hi Melissa! the beauty of these bars is that you can size them any way you like- You can make them flat in a large pan and cut them up to fit your macros! 🙂
I just took them out of the fridge and they are a little tacky (putting one in the freezer to see how that works). I used ¾ cup almond butter, 2T maple syrup, and had to use almost ¼ cup skim milk to get the thick batter. It was super hard to get it to come together. I put it into Myfitness Pal for 12 bars (8×8 pan): 225 calories, 10.4 g fat, 2.8 g fibre, 21 g carbs, and 12 G protein. Overall more calories but less protein than a Quest bar. Tasty though!
I can’t have any sugar in my diet. Can I leave out the maple syrup? Wondering if they would be too dry, could I just add more milk?
Hi Ali! You sure can- Definitely add more milk, you may need to add some extra granulated sweetener.
These look delicious. Would anyone know the macros of these? Mainly protein, carbs and fat. ( and anything else ).
Cheers everyone
Hey Charlie! If you plug the ingredients into a calorie calculator it can provide the breakdown for you! Enjoy 🙂
Wait, do you have the recipe for the homemade paleo nutella cookies? Because these sound like the bomb, and I would love to try them!
I sure do! It’s on my blog under ‘cookies’ 🙂