Homemade Protein Bars
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These homemade protein bars are made with wholesome ingredients and naturally sweetened- they need just 4 ingredients! I love how each bar has over 21 grams of protein each!
I grew up eating Pure protein bars and Quest protein bars, but not anymore. Sick and tired of forking out tons of money for a store-bought protein bar, I opted to make my own and feel SO much better about it… and my wallet is thanking me too!
This protein bar recipe combines two of my favorite no bake snacks: protein balls and oatmeal energy balls. I love packing them in my bag for a quick and healthy snack between meals.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made with just 4 simple ingredients, they take minutes to prepare. We try to make a batch at least once a week, so we always have some on hand. However, they taste so good, they rarely last that long.
- They use wholesome ingredients, like coconut flour, and are sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup.
- Each bar packs in over 21 grams of protein.
- They are great to enjoy between meals as they always keep hunger at bay!
Ingredients needed
- Protein Powder. Any protein powder works, including whey protein powder, casein protein powder, and pea protein powder. For flavored protein bars, why not try a flavored protein powder? Chocolate, peanut butter, and cinnamon roll are all fabulous flavors.
- Coconut Flour. This helps hold the protein bars together while ensuring they have a soft and doughy texture.
- Peanut Butter. Smooth and drippy peanut butter with no added sugar. You can also use almond butter.
- Maple Syrup. Sweeten the bars without adding refined sugar. I’ve also made these with honey and agave nectar which works well.
- Chocolate Chips. To cover the protein bars with! To keep these as plain peanut butter protein bars, you can omit the chocolate.
How to make homemade 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- Mix the ingredients. Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until combined. Fold through the chocolate chips.
Step 2- Let the bars set. Transfer the mix into a lined pan and press down until smooth on top. Refrigerate for an hour.
Step 3- Slice. Using a slightly wet knife, slice into protein bars, then serve.
Recipe swaps and substitutions
This protein bar recipe is very forgiving and it’s easy to make them compliant to a plethora of diets out there with a few simple swaps.
- Cut the sugar. Replace the maple syrup with a sugar free maple syrup.
- Replace the coconut flour. Either oat flour or almond flour can be used instead. You may need to add a little extra flour to compensate for the extra moisture.
- Make them peanut-free. Almond butter or cashew butter are both great nut butters to use. You could make chocolate protein bars by using healthy Nutella.
- Make them nut-free. Tahini or sunflower seed butter have an almost identical texture to nut butter.
- Vegan and/or gluten free. Make vegan protein bars instead.
Storage instructions
To store: Homemade protein bars are best stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep well for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place the bars in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade protein bars are great for weight management or a weight loss diet as they use wholesome and healthy ingredients and have around 150 calories.
Solely eating multiple protein bars can have negative side effects, especially if you have an intolerance to protein powder ingredients.
However, enjoying 1-2 protein bars per day as a snack can keep you satisfied and fuller for longer.
Most protein shake recipes have few carbs or fat in it, which won’t keep you as satisfied as a protein bar. Shakes are great after a workout, especially if you intend to eat a solid meal soon after.
More protein bar recipes to try
- Snickers protein bar
- Cookie dough protein bars
- Chocolate protein bars
- Coconut protein bars
- Love high protein snacks? Try peanut butter protein balls, protein cookie dough, and protein granola bars
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Homemade Protein Bars (4 Ingredients!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 3/4 cups protein powder * See notes
- 3/4 cup peanut butter Can sub for any nut or seed butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups chocolate chips Optional
Instructions
- Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. The batter will be crumbly, so add water slowly until it becomes workable.
- Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional chocolate and enjoy!
Hi, have the ingredients been updated? I have been making these a while and sure there was more peanut butter previously.
Hi Claire- yes, we updated it to give it a little more protein and less peanut butter. Did you want the original recipe? I can email it to you if you like 🙂 Just shoot me an email arman@thebigmansworld.com
Hi Arman. All of your recipes are wonderful. I wondering about this recipe versus your low carb protein bar recipe. According to the nutrition labels, this recipe has less carbs and fat than the low carb recipe. Is this accurate?
Thanks.
Hi Lesley! The low carb protein bar recipe has been recently updated, but the nutritional calculator had an error which was showing the old macros. I’ve contacted support and they said it should be rectified in the next 24-48 hours 🙂
Hi Arman! I made these and they are delicious!
Thanks so much, Nic. I’m so glad you enjoyed the protein bars 🙂
I’m allergic to coconut, what’s an alternative to keep them close in nutritional value?
Hi Cynthia! Oat flour or almond flour work in this recipe to replace the coconut flour. You may need a little more to keep things thick.
Recipe is awesome cheers.
Great recipe though thanks again
You are so welcome, Ken- thanks for taking the time to leave a lovely review!
what do you mean by 1/2 cup or 1 cup ? how many grams is 1 cup coconut flour ? 1 cup of peanut butter?
Hi Rohan- I’ll update the recipe card to include metric measurements. 🙂
Can I freeze these? And do you know how long they would last in the fridge?
Hi John- absolutely! I include that information in the storage instruction section, but fridge for 2 weeks or freezer for 6 months. I recommend thawinf the bars at room temp for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Two questions:
What paleo protein powder do you recommend?
Would adding nuts affect the structure?
These look fabulous and I’m ready to try once I get the protein powder 🙂
Hi Tracy! I’ve had success with Julian Bakery paleo protein powder. It mixes well and tastes really good!! Adding nuts will, but it’s an easy fix- just add a little more syrup/liquid until you can shape them into bars 🙂
How many ounces is one bar/serving?
I haven’t calculated the weight of them- I usually just slice them into 12 bars.
Did you mean to say melt chocolate instead of peanut butter? I had to watch the video in order to sort out the confusion 😅 other than that I’m anxious to try this recipe!
Hi Tessa, softening the peanut butter (warming slightly) will help you work with it in the recipe. Just makes things a little easier to mix. Hope this helps!
When you say 2 scoops of protein powder is that using the scoop spoon that comes in the packet? If not how much protein powder in grams is used?
Hi Elaine- we’ve broken it down to include cups and gram measurements. For the protein powder, it’s 190 grams.
I used einkorn flour and also added an egg white to the warm mixture. For protein I used what I had on hand which was a protein collagen blend. Also used chunky peanut butter. They turned out great ! Best protein bar recipe I have found. Able to substitute just keep the dry/moist measurements accurate .
Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Judi. You’re the second person whose mentioned using einkorn flour and I’m intrigued to try it out myself. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I didn’t want to use that much protein powder because it’s so expensive, so I used Kodaik chocolate mix instead and they turned out great! Much cheaper and still packs 15g protein per bar
Love to hear that, Sarah. Thanks for sharing the tweaks you made, this is super helpful for others who may have some of that mix on hand 🙂
Would it be ok to add some mix-ins to these bars? For example, rolled oaks, dried fruits or crispy rice cereal, etc. Or would you advise against it?
Hi Myra! Yes, that is fine. But- I would suggest having some milk or even more syrup on hand to balance things out- you’ll need some form of liquid to compensate 🙂
so if I switched oat lower with coconut flour and used honey what would the cal break down be I am trying to use ingredients I already have
Hi Mandie- the calories would be very, very similar. Honey/maple syrup/agave is an equal swap in my recipes, and the difference between 1/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour is very minor.
Hi,
I love this recipe!
Thanks so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi, I love the recipe and versatility! Wondering about the calories though. Seems low with the amount of peanut butter used. Am I wrong?
Hi Rak- our in-house registered dietitian has gone in and triple checked the macronutrients, and when made without the chocolate coating, what is listed is accurate.
Thanks for the recipe
You are welcome, Hanna!
An easy recipe that tastes good and works well for meal prep.
Thanks so much, Matt- I love to hear that!
I attempted to use PB Fit and couldn’t get them to hold together so its basically protein goop. I’m going to try and add less water next time and see if that fixes the fact that it wont hold. Great flavor though, just wish it was a bar and had suggestions for PBFit/other peanut butter powders that are higher protein.
Hi Dylan, using a peanut butter powder omits some of the fats that are used in binding, which is probably why you had a little trouble here. You could try rehydrating the PB Fit with a little neutral oil (avocado oil for example) and then using it as intended. Hope this helps! Let us know how you go.