No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars are basically candy bars for adults who read ingredient labels and are health conscious. Loaded with peanut butter and protein powder, these stout guys pack 28 grams of protein so are the quintessential post-workout meal replacement or nutritious snack.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate = Pure Indulgence
I don’t know about you, but if I’m raiding my kids’ Halloween stash, I’m looking for a Reese’s peanut butter cup. It’s funny how sweet they taste to me now as an adult. Too sweet if I’m honest. So, here we have an adult version of that classic peanut butter and chocolate combo that’s less cloyingly sweet and more chocolate+peanut chemistry.
As with anything homemade, you get to decide what ratio of peanut butter filling to chocolate you are craving. You could do half and half as I do in these cut-out squares or you could shape them into bars and dip them in chocolate if you’re looking for just a thin layer of the chocolate. It’s fun to experiment with this recipe.
Ingredients You Need to Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars
In this recipe, you have a peanut butter protein paste that’s really thick and will remind you of playing with clay and a stovetop melted chocolate portion that gets poured (or used for dipping). No oven baking required. You just need a pan, parchment paper, a pot, and a mixing bowl.
- Coconut flour: coconut flour is desiccated coconut (think fiber) with a fine, flourlike texture that’s available in the baking aisle next to gluten-free flours.
- Protein powder: Use any type of protein powder that you like. Double check that there’s no gluten or dairy if you follow a gluten and dairy-free diet. For an allergy-friendly option, I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology or Equip Prime Protein which is unflavored and unsweetened. Note: If your protein powder is sweetened, you will want to decrease the amount of maple syrup a bit.
- Peanut butter: Use plain, creamy peanut butter; if your peanut butter is already sweet, you may need to decrease the maple syrup in this recipe to taste. You may substitute with any nut butter. Cashew or sunflower butter would be great.
- Maple syrup: grade A or grade B work equally well in this recipe or try coconut palm syrup, honey, date syrup, or brown rice syrup.
- Palm shortening: I found a big tub of Palm shortening and enjoyed how easy it was to scoop and measure. Note, you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil 1:1 as a substitute.
- Coconut butter (not oil): Coconut butter or whole coconut puree provides some necessary fat (fat=flavor) and is reminiscent of cacao butter in that it’s solid at room temperature. Feel free to substitute cacao butter, if you like.
- Coconut sugar or maple sugar provide sweetness but coconut sugar is unrefined and won’t completely dissolve; if you want your carob coating smooth, go with maple sugar or evaporated cane sugar.
- Cocoa or carob powder: regular cocoa powder or carob powder is the base for the chocolate coating
- Vanilla extract: just be sure to read the label to ensure you are buying pure vanilla extract not imitation vanilla
- Optional: either sea salt in the chocolate or flake salt for garnish
Steps for Making Peanut Butter Protein Bars
See recipe card (below) for all the details.
Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour.
Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup then combine with the protein mixture to form a claylike paste.
Press the protein paste into the parchment lined dish and set aside. Make the chocolate mixture on the stovetop.
As you can see, the chocolate mixture starts out with melted palm oil (coconut oil works, too). Pour the chocolate mixture over the protein paste and chill until set (or shape the protein paste and dip).
More Sweet Snacks to Try
- Disappearing Apricot Coconut Bites
- Lime Cheesecake Bites with Toasted Coconut
- Valentine Tuile Cannoli
- Bodybuilding Dessert: Peanut Butter Tofu Pudding
- Candied Orange Slices Dipped in Chocolate
Get all my appetizers and snacks (sweet and savory) here!
Last but not least, you can add a flourish of fancy flake salt. While your bars are chilling, this peanut butter tofu pudding is fun to gawk at–it’s from my Dad’s bodybuilding competition days.
This recipe is adapted from my own recipe for Tigernut Butter Protein Bars. What’s great about this recipe is that you can swap the nut butter for anything you are not allergic to so feel free to try cashew butter or sunflower butter.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Ingredients
Protein Bar Ingredients:
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 ½ cups protein powder I like Hydrolyzed beef protein AI Paleo by Rootcology
- 2 cups peanut butter creamy/smooth
- ½ cup maple syrup
Carob Coating Ingredient:
- 1 cup palm shortening coconut oil works, too
- 1 cup coconut butter not oil or cacao bar
- ¼ cup evaporated cane sugar /maple sugar/coconut sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder or carob powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt leave out if adding flake salt for garnish
Instructions
- Get ready. Use silicone bar mold or line a glass Tupperware or baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars or bark, use any size bigger.
- Whisk the protein powder with the coconut flour. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour and protein powder.
- Melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup. In a small pot over low heat, melt the peanut butter with the maple syrup until you can stir until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Use a spatula to combine the dry and wet mixtures to form a very thick, sticky, smooth paste.*Troubleshooting: If the mixture seems dry and crumbly (it should be moist, sticky, and very thick) then you need to add more liquids, try 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or coconut oil) until you reach the desired texture. IF you mixture is too wet, consider adding more protein powder.
- Press protein paste into prepared container. Transfer the protein bar paste into the prepared pan and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- After the bars are firm, it's time to make the chocolate mixture. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the palm shortening and coconut butter.
- Add the sugar (coconut sugar/maple sugar/cane sugar) and stir frequently to distribute evenly (remember, coconut sugar will not completely dissolve). To avoid scorching, remove promptly from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt.
- Working rather quickly, make the bars! You should get 8 large bars or 10 to 12 smaller ones.
- Easy Way: Drizzle the chocolate coating over the top of the protein and refrigerate. Once set, use a knife to shape into squares or bars.
- Hard Way: Cut into bars first and dip the protein bar into the chocolate mixture to cover.
- Refrigerate to allow the shell to harden. Serve when chocolate coating is firm and set.
