Learn how to make peanut butter cocoa protein bars with this easy, gluten-free vegan recipe. A few simple, whole-foods ingredients come together quickly in the food processor for a plant-based snack you can feel good about eating.
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cocoa Protein Bars
Making homemade vegan protein bars is incredibly easy and a great way to ensure that your plant-based snacks are made with high-quality nutritious ingredients. Whether you’re using peanut butter and cocoa, PB and Raisins, raw cacao and chia seeds, coconut, or a mix of nuts and dried fruits, the process is very similar. Here are a few simple steps to ensure success every time:
- Line your pan with parchment: The recipe will either call for an 8×8, 9×9, or loaf bread pan to be lined for pressing the bars. Do this first and get it out of the way. If you rolling the mixture into balls, skip this step.
- Get our your food processor: Using a food processor is the quickest and easiest way to make homemade power bars. You can pulse the ingredients one-by-one in a blender, but it’s going to be messier and take a lot more time.
- Weigh ingredients: Using a digital kitchen scale makes it quick to measure your ingredients. It also ensures accuracy with the recipe. You can place the bowl of your food processor on the scale and measure right into the bowl — reducing the amount of dirty dishes
- Puree: Once everything is in the food processor, let ‘er rip! Puree or pulse until everything is well-chopped. I still like to have some bits and pieces of the ingredients visible (so don’t totally puree to mush).
- Add Water: Now comes the time to drizzle in some water. Most recipes call for 2-4 tablespoons of water to be drizzled into the food processor. The purpose is for the ingredients to all come together in a cohesive ball. It will literally come into a ball…that’s when you know you’re good to go.
- Press and Weight: Press the mixture into your lined baking pan. Cover with parchment, another pan (if you have a one), and then weigh down with cans, boxes of almond milk, or other heavy items. Place in the freezer for one hour to set. It’s a weight game and a waiting game 🙂
- Remove from pan and cut into bars: Once the bars are set, remove from the pan, peel away from the parchment, and cut into bars. Use that same parchment to separate layers of the bars in your storage container. Refrigerate for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Add Too Much Water? Add a bit more oats, nuts, or other dry ingredients to diffuse the water.
One Technique, a Million Variations
Now that you know the basic skills for making healthy, plant-based vegan energy bars, you can use this on a million different variations of the recipe. Try it with chocolate flavors in Mayan Raw Cacao Chia Energy Balls or Easy Vegan Chocolate Coconut Oat Balls. Make the kid-favorites Peanut Butter and Jelly Chewy Energy Bites or Trail Mix Energy Bars. Or, try some bight citrus flavor with Lemon Poppy Seed No-Bake Energy Bars.
Using High-Quality Ingredients in your Vegan Protein Bars
Making homemade vegan protein bars from scratch means you get to choose high-quality whole foods ingredients for you bars. The premade bars found in the store often contain preservatives and lots of refined sugar — not the best options for optimal health. Rather, by using whole grain oats, dried dates, healthy nuts, and high-quality cocoa powder, you are ensuring whole foods eating.
Adding Plant-Based Protein to your Peanut Butter Cocoa Protein Bars
Vegan energy bars provide a great opportunity for adding healthy plant-based protein to your diet. Lately, I’ve been loving the VEEG brand of protein powders. They’re made with high-quality pea protein and loaded with essential vitamins and minerals (like Iron, Vitamind D, calcium, B-12 and Zinc). I add their vanilla powder to my morning oatmeal and chocolate to these protein bars.
Ensuring Gluten-Free Protein Power Bars
To ensure that your plant-based protein power bars are gluten-free (GF), you need to double-check that all of your ingredients are GF. Ingredients like dates, cocoa powder, and peanut butter are naturally gluten-free. Oats are as well. However, oats are often processed in facilities where cross-contamination can occur. If you are Celiac are particularly sensitive to gluten-free, be sure to purchase gluten-free certified oats.
More of Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Dark Cocoa Powder: For the best flavor, use a high-quality dark baking cocoa powder. It’s worth investing in a product that has deep, rich flavor. This will make your chocolate baking more delicious.
Baking Without Refined Sugar or Syrup: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories. These muffins don’t use any refined sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweetener. Dried dates provide sweetness, along with healthy fiber and essential nutrients.
Double-Check the Peanut Butter Label: Use roasted peanut butter that has no added ingredients. Check the ingredients list to make sure there’s no added oil, sugar, or syrup.
Weigh your Ingredients: For the best accuracy when baking, it’s always a good idea to weigh your ingredients. A small digital scale can save you time and help you create more consistent, delicious recipes
Peanut-Free: For a peanut-free alternative, try it with almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Flavor Kicks: Add dried spices for a pop of flavor. 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or vanilla extract would work. I also love adding 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or a dash of nutmeg
Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cocoa Protein Bars with Pumpkin Seeds
Print Recipe- Easy
- Ready in 75 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan
Gluten-Free Vegan Cocoa Peanut Butter Protein Power Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates 200g
- 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds 72g
- 1/2 cup rolled oats 40g
- 1/4 cocoa powder 20g
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter 64g
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder either 1 or 2 scoops, consult the package
- 1/4 tsp scant sea salt
- 2-4 tablespoons of water as needed
Instructions
- Line a standard loaf pan (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches) with parchment paper. Leave some extra parchment coming over the edges of the pan.
- Place all ingredients for the bars into a food processor, except for the water.
- Puree until the ingredients are well-chopped and combined, about 10-15 seconds.
- Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of water and pulse. See if the mixture comes together into a ball. If it does, it’s ready. If not, drizzle in a bit more water (1 tablespoon at a time) until the mixture comes together.
- Remove the cocoa peanut butter mixture from the food processor and place in the pre-lined pan. Spread into an even layer.
- Fold the extra parchment over the bars to cover. Place some heavy cans on the bars and place in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, until set.
- Remove the bars from the pan, peel away the parchment, and cut into 12 protein bars.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/8 recipe (1 bar)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 12.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 108 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 4 g | 6 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 85 mg | 4 % |
| Potassium 165 mg | 5 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 16 g | 5 % |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 13 % |
| Sugars 9 g | |
| Protein 5 g | 9 % |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 2 % |
| Iron | 7 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Gluten Free
- Sincerely Nuts Chopped Dates
- Rodelle Organic Baking Cocoa Powder
- Spread The Love NAKED Organic Peanut Butter
- NOW Foods, Pumpkin Seeds, Raw and Unsalted
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