The BEST Protein Bars are healthy, no-bake, and contain nothing artificial! These are chewy, delicious, easy to customize, and are the perfect healthy snack.
Looking for more healthy snacks? Try my Energy Balls, Applesauce, Carrot Muffins, or learn how to make The Perfect Charcuterie Board.
Why I love this recipe:
No Bake – No heating up the house, and only takes 10 minutes to throw the ingredients together and put in the fridge.
Healthy – Nothing artificial here. These bars are filled with normal pantry ingredients and sweetened with honey.
Taste Delicious – I've had one to many unappetizing protein bars in my life, so I'm all about making them from scratch, with ingredients I recognize, and they taste wonderful!
Ingredients in Protein Bars:
- Rolled Oats – quick oats would also work.
- Protein Powder – Add your favorite whey or plant based protein powder including Chocolate, vanilla, or plain flavored.
- Peanut Butter – or substitute any nut butter or sunflower butter.
- Honey – Naturally sweetened and no added sugar. You could substitute agave.
- Ground Flax Seed
- Banana – mashed, for sweetness flavor and binding.
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Mix-Ins – I like to customize my bars with chopped dates, dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, or raisins), mini chocolate chips, or unsweetened coconut flakes.
How to make Protein Bars:
Combine Ingredients: Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Press firmly into an 8×8 inch pan.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
Cut into bars and store in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions:
Layer bars in a freezer safe bag or container, with a piece of parchment paper between layers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter before eating.
Recipe Variations:
- Mix-Ins: Customize these bars with your favorite mix-ins! Some ideas: chopped dates, dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, or raisins), mini chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, crispy rice cereal, chopped nuts, or anything you like!
- Nut Butter: Swap out the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower butter.
- Protein Powder: Use your favorite kind. Chocolate, vanilla, or plain would all work great for this recipe!
- Vegan Protein Bars Recipe: Use your favorite vegan protein powder.
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Recipe
Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (135 g)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter , or favorite nut butter or sunflower butter (180 g)
- 1 banana , mashed (120 g)
- 1/3 cup honey , agave or real maple syrup (110 g)
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup ground flax seed (55 g)
- 1 cup protein powder* (120 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
- 3/4 cup Mix in options: chopped dates, dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, or raisins), mini chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, nuts (about 90 g)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients until well combined. Mixture should be fairly soft and not dry or crumbly. Add a splash of water or milk, or an extra drizzle of honey, if needed.
- Press very firmly into an 8×8 inch pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
- Store bars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
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These are amazing! I followed the recipe to a T, used Naked Whey chocolate protein powder, added unsweetened chocolate chips, chia seeds, and whole roasted unsalted peanuts. The flavor is unreal! Sweet, but not too sweet, and all the sweetness is from bananas and quality maple syrup. My bars didn’t set, but it could have just been more banana or the incorporating on my part. Didn’t stop my husband and me from eating the whole tray with a spoon! Going to put it over yogurt, and might take a page from other posters and roll them into balls. So, so delicious!
I luv this recipe. I luv that I know the ingredients of my protein bars. I don’t recognize some of the ingredients in bought ones.
I added dried cranberries & 1/3 c mini choc chips in mine and an 3 tbsp extra oatmeal because I found my first batch a little too moist.
I will experiment on each different batch I make.
Great recipe!! I followed the recipe exactly. I would like them to be a little more dry. I will add more oatmeal next time or chocolate chips something to take up more moisture. But really good regardless!! All natural ingredients.
These are really good! First time, I made them as is, except I added 1/4 cup Tahini in place of 1/4 cup of the peanut butter. Also did mostly honey, and the rest maple syrup (I ran out of honey!) Add-ins were chopped pecans, dates, and mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life).The 2nd time I subbed 1/2 cup applesauce for banana and pulsed oats a bit (added an extra 2 Tablespoons). Add-ins were pepitas, unsweetened cranberries, dates, unsweetened coconut, and cinnamon. Applesauce made them a little greasy but I didn’t have a banana. Still really good! This is so versatile. Thanks for this great recipe!
I made these and they are phenomenal! I am not one for protein bars but I will definitely make these again!! I took the advice of others and put my oats through the food processor. I mixed everything together with my hands like I do meatloaf. Found it easier to mix that way!
I also used Mike’s Hot Honey instead of regular honey.
Mix ins pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
OUTSTANDING
Great recipe! Will definitely make again!
These look great! Could you use quick oats instead of the rolled oats in this recipe?
Instead of flax seed can i use coconut flakes or chopped almonds? Thanks!
Yes, thats fine. Just add enough to get texture that your able to press into a pan.
I’m never buying protein bars again! These were super duper easy to make, and so tasty. They’re the perfect amount of sweet and chewy- not hard, powdery or WAY too sweet like store bought. I used coconut flakes as my mix-in, I’m in love.
I tried this recipe and it’s really good. Much better than the bars you buy in the store, and easy to make. I didn’t have a banana, so I substituted about 1/4 cup of homemade fig jam and it worked just fine.
Next time I make this, I plan to mix the ingredients as I go. I waited till everything was in the bowl to stir, and it was difficult to get all the dry stuff at the bottom of the bowl. Also, I used orange juice instead of water or milk to help everything stick together.
Really like this recipe! Thank you Lauren! :o)