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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Could I use quick oats? Thanks
Yes that will work great!
I added toasted chopped walnuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. I rolled these into protein balls. Everyone who tried
them, loves them.
These were decent, but I really didn’t like the banana taste. (I like bananas on their own, but I don’t like banana bread, so just a preference thing.) Another comment said they subbed applesauce for the banana, but any other suggestions welcome.
Delicious and easy. I used less honey because my banana was very ripe; otherwise, I followed the directions as written. I had intended to use these as a pre-post workout option. However, these are so yummy that I may have to make more to use as a weeknight dessert option!
Hi Lauren! I was wondering if I could use PB2 for this recipe, and if so, if you had any recommended ratios/measurements? Super excited to try it out:)
You can use PB2—just mix it with water first to make it into peanut butter texture (usually 2 Tbsp powder + 1 Tbsp water = 1 Tbsp PB). Then swap it 1:1 for the regular PB in the recipe. Might need a tiny splash more liquid if it feels dry. Let me know how it goes!
-Stacy
Could I sub powdered milk for the protein powder (much less expensive)
Yes, you can make that swap! It might slightly change the flavor, but it should work!
Thank you, Rachel.
Thanks Stacy, I really appreciate your response!!
I am really excited to try these; however, I am wondering about the pan size. You mentioned using an 8×8 pan but the video is not an 8×8 pan, maybe an 8×11 or 9×13. Could you clarify if the recipe above should be an 8×8? Did you double the recipe for the video and use a larger pan?
Thanks.
Hey!! You want to use an 8×8 unless you double the recipe (in which case, you’ll use a 9×13!)
-Stacy
These were just pure crumble, what an awful waste of expensive ingredients. I will blend with dates and make protein balls rather than throw out but wouldn’t make again.
I didn’t have a banana and so I used applesauce instead. My kids really liked them.