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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!
Love high protein snacks? Try peanut butter protein balls, protein cookie dough, and protein granola bars.
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
- Protein crunch bars
Homemade Protein Bars (4 Ingredients!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 cups protein powder * See notes
- 2 cups 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.
- 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!
Can I use hemp protein powder?
I don’t see why not!
These are great!! I added chia seeds for extra fiber and used PBFit (and maybe a little pasteurized egg whites?) instead of peanut butter and to add a little more protein. They were SOOO good!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Love Love Love this incredible outstanding protein bar and tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Bar but healthier
Made these with hemp protein which gave them a greenish tint. Coating was a challenge, added some coconut oil to the chocolate to thin and help coat. Delicious! Looking forward to making more of your recipes.
Delish, but had trouble with the coating in chocolate. Tips for that part?
Use two forks 🙂
I have no protein powder. What could I sub? These look great, but I’ll have to order online. What kind of protein powder do you recommend?
These are so very good, almost like eating a Reese bar, without the chocolate. I am not a big fan of chocolate. I used agave nectar ecause Walmart doesn’t sell keto maple syrup and I haven’t gotten mine from Amazon. I also used a vanilla protein powder and I may reduce the sweetner because the protien powder has erythritol in it. I am a truck driver and I love these because I can make them in my truck.
Making these for the second time! They’re a huge hit at my gym. I used maple syrup the first time, this time I’m using honey from a bee farm owned by my sisters friend. I feel like this time, the batter was nice and smooth, not crumbly. Perfect 🤗
Just wish I could make them look as pretty as they do in the pics!
Just what I was looking for! I halved the recipe because I didn’t have enough peanut butter and I decided to make it have a chocolate layer instead of a chocolate dip. These are so delicious. I’ve been having one bar for breakfast every morning and I don’t feel hungry for hours. Will make again.
can the protein powder be substituted? I don’t like the taste of the protein powders available around me.
Hi! Sure- Leave out the protein powder, and increase the coconut flour until the dough is thick 🙂
Thanks for this recipe, these were great! I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, so I put in some cacao nibs for some extra crunch/nutrition. I’ve been snacking on these all week haha. Hits the spot for my peanut butter addiction 🙂
I apologize if this is a dumb question but I don’t understand how these are sugar free when the syrup you use contains 53g of sugar per serving. Would you mind explaining this to me please? Thanks!
I used sugar free syrup.
Hi! This recipe sounds so delicious!! I was wondering if there was a way to increase the protein in the bars? Like if I wanted each to have 16-20 g of protein in them, do you have any suggestions?
Double the protein powder 🙂
Can I leave the protein powder out? Will it still taste good?
I don’t see why not, but I’d reduce the amount of liquid added and possibly adding some extra sweetness.
Hi Arman, It appears that I have a sensitivity to coconut. Could you recommend an alternative? I’m ok with soy. I can’t eat milk protein, gluten, or corn either. Thanks!
You could try oat flour, but add extra to compensate
I love these homemade protein bars so much. So so easy and so so good!