Healthy no bake vegan protein bars
Alright, Let’s Talk About These Healthy No Bake Vegan Protein Bars
If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen at 8PM staring into the abyss that is an almost-empty snack drawer (hello, story of my life), you’ll get why I love these healthy no bake vegan protein bars. For me, it started after a summer hiking trip gone sideways — I’d packed one sad, chalky store-bought bar and swore I’d never be betrayed like that again. So, I came home and started tinkering with my own version. Sure, the first batch nearly cemented itself into the pan for eternity, but now? Now they actually disappear before I can even wrap them up.
Quick warning: I get a smidge chatty when I talk about recipes, so if you’re here for the quick version, well, just scroll down to the steps! Or grab a cuppa, and let’s do this the proper way.
Why You’ll Love This
I make these whenever I’m tired of wrangling with the oven (which is most weeks… let’s be honest), but still need a snack that isn’t just another date ball. My family goes a bit bonkers for these, especially when I’ve added peanut butter (though my eldest claims almond is “fancier” — 12 going on 30, that one). And if you’re in the mood for a treat but can’t face a kitchen marathon, these are a real lifesaver. They’ve also rescued me from cranky post-workout hunger more times than I’d like to admit.
Plus, no bake means no “oh no, I forgot it in the oven” disasters. (Not that I’ve ever done that. Or have I?)
Ingredient Round-Up (Substitution Scribbles Included)
- 1 cup rolled oats (the old-fashioned kind — instant oats get mushy, but if that’s all you’ve got, just go for it)
- 1/2 cup vanilla vegan Protein powder (I use Orgain or Vega, but my mate Jane swears by Sunwarrior — use what’s in your pantry, honestly)
- 1/3 cup nut butter: I’m a peanut butter person, but almond or cashew work great. Sunflower seed butter’s my go-to for nut-free versions.
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (Or agave, or heck, brown rice syrup when I’ve run out — just taste and adjust as you go.)
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts or seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chopped pistachios all make an appearance at my place)
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds (add a lovely crunch, but just skip ‘em if that’s not your vibe)
- Pinch of sea salt
- Optional: A handful of dried cranberries, coconut flakes, or vegan chocolate chips (I sometimes go rogue and add all three…)
Let’s Make ‘Em (Step-by-Step Directions)
- Grab a decent sized mixing bowl. (One with plenty of room, unless you like oats flying everywhere. You do you, though!) Chuck in the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, and salt. Give it a little stir.
- In a small saucepan (or honestly, just microwave if you’re in a hurry), gently warm up the nut butter and maple syrup until it’s runny and smooth. Don’t let it boil or weird things happen — learned that the hard way.
- Pour the gooey sweet mixture over your dry stuff. Stir. Then stir some more. This is usually where I sneak a taste. It’ll look weirdly sticky; don’t panic.
- Add in your nuts, seeds, and whatever add-ins you fancy. If the mix seems super dry, I actually add a splash of plant milk (almond, oat — my fridge is chaos) to help it stick, but only a spoonful at a time.
- Line a square baking dish (8×8 works for chunky bars or use a loaf tin for thicker ones) with parchment. Scoop in the mixture, and press it down really firmly, right into the corners. At this point, I sometimes use another sheet of parchment to smooth the top. But fingers work.
- Refrigerate for about 1 hour — or until firm. If you’re as impatient as me, 30 minutes in the freezer usually does it.
- Lift out, slice into bars, and try not to eat them all at once. (But if you do, you know, it happens.)
Stuff I’ve Learned (The Hard Way, Mostly)
- If your bars are crumbly, you probably just need a bit more nut butter. Or, on second thought, maybe I was being stingy with the sweetener once!
- Chilling in the fridge longer definitely helps — I think these taste way better the next day, weirdly enough.
- If they stick to your hands, dampen them (your hands, not the bars) before pressing into the tin.
Some Variations I’ve Tried (And a Dud)
- Swapped the oats for puffed rice cereal: super light, but they fell apart when I got too enthusiastic slicing them. Oops.
- Swirl in a spoonful of instant coffee for a mocha bar. Fancy, huh?
- Mix in chopped dried apricots or dates for something chewier.
- One time, I tried spirulina powder for the ‘health’ (and to look cool green), but honestly…it just tasted odd. Won’t do that again.
Equipment (But Don’t Stress)
- Mixing bowl — I use an ancient ceramic one from my nan, any big bowl’s good.
- Saucepan or microwave-safe jug. Only needed if you want to warm your nut butter fancy-style.
- A square pan or loaf tin. If you don’t have one, I’ve shaped these on a lined plate and sliced into rustic wedges. Worked a treat, actually.
- Parchment paper — stops stickage, but if you run out, just grease the pan up well. Not the end of the world.
How to Store (Or…How Not to, In My House)
I keep these in an airtight container in the fridge — that’s if they survive snack raids. They’ll be good for up to a week, but honestly they’ve never lasted more than a day in my house! You can freeze them, too, but I always forget about whatever I shove in my freezer, so… up to you.
Serving Vibes (What We Do at Home)
I love these chopped into little squares and tossed into a lunchbox alongside apple slices. My partner claims they’re best dunked into coffee, which I considered a scandal until I tried it. For a posh post-dinner sweet, sometimes I drizzle extra melted chocolate over the top (let it set for a few mins in the fridge — lush!).
Pro Tips (Or, Lessons Learned the Slightly Hard Way)
- Don’t skip lining the pan. I did once, and spent ages scraping bits out — not worth it!
- Press the mix down hard. I once just sort of patted it in… ended up making a pile of granola (not a total fail, but not what I was going for!)
- If you rush things and try to slice them before they’re properly set, they will crumble. Learned that the sticky-fingered way.
FAQ (Real Things I’ve Been Asked — Stop Laughing!)
Q: Can I use chocolate protein powder?
A: Absolutely! The bars end up more dessert-like (which is fine by me). You might want to skip the dried fruits, though — trust me, I tried raisins and chocolate once and it was…odd.
Q: Are these gluten-free?
A: Yep, if your oats are the certified gluten-free type. Otherwise, they aren’t, whoops!
Q: Can I skip the protein powder entirely?
A: You sure can. Just replace it with extra oats or ground nuts. The bars will be a bit softer, but sometimes that’s what you want, right?
Q: Can kids help?
A: Oh yes! This is, like, the perfect rainy-day kid recipe. But be warned, they’ll probably eat half the mix before it hits the pan. (Happens every time.)
A Quick Sidebar (Because Why Not?)
One thing I’ve come to realize while looking for new recipe ideas is that there are a bunch of brilliant resources out there – I love minimalistbaker.com for her allergy-friendly bakes, and sometimes I check out Feasting on Fruit for more sweet vegan stuff. Oh, and for protein powder deep dives, this article is worth a read — it’s a bit on the nerdy side, but interesting if you’re that way inclined!
Hope you give these a try — and if something goes sideways, honestly, just call it granola, chuck it over some yogurt, and pretend you meant to do it all along. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup vegan protein powder
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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1Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
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2In a large mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, vegan protein powder, chia seeds, and sea salt. Stir to combine.
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3Add peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until a thick, even dough forms.
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4Fold in the dark chocolate chips using a spatula.
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5Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan, making sure to flatten the top.
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6Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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