Coconut Protein Bars
on Sep 15, 2014, Updated Feb 24, 2025
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These vegan no-bake almond coconut protein bars with hemp seeds are easy to make with 6 ingredients in a food processor and make a great snack or dessert!
Highlights
Here are a few reasons to love these coconut protein bars:
- Vegan and gluten-free recipe.
- No baking required.
- Easy to make with 6 simple ingredients.
- 11g protein per bar.
- Customize with different add-ins, use different nuts, etc.
- Good alternative to store-bought bars.
Love making your own protein bars? You’ll have to try these No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars or No-Bake Hemp Protein Bars next!
Ingredients
The following are a few notes on specific ingredients used and any possible substitutions. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete list with measurements.
- Almonds: Use plain, raw almonds with no added oil or salt. You can substituted pecans, walnuts or a mix of nuts.
- Dates: Any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist. If your dates are overly dry or you’re not sure, soak them for 10-15 minutes in hot water then drain well before use.
- Hemp Seeds: Sometimes labelled as hemp hearts. Readily available in well-stocked grocery stores, health food stores or online.
- Coconut: Use unsweetened fine or medium shredded coconut (desiccated coconut).
- Protein: Use any plant-based vanilla protein. I haven’t tested these with whey protein.
- Coconut Oil: These add a creamy texture, moisture to offset the dry protein powder, and help bind the bars together.
Recipe Adjustments
- For a lower-fat and calorie bar, you can omit either the hemp seeds or the coconut. I would suggest omitting the coconut so you still get the protein from the hemp seeds.
- You can add up to 1/2 cup other add-ins like cacao nibs, chocolate chips, dried cranberries.
How to Make Coconut Protein Bars
This is a no-bake recipe so they’re very easy to make in a food processor. Below is a visual of the step-by-step for making these bars. You’ll find the detailed written instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1. Add the almonds to a food processor and blend to break down. They should resemble a grainy flour but a some large chunks are totally fine.
Step 2. Add the dates, coconut and hemp seeds and process into a crumbly mixture.
Step 3. Add everything else and process into a thick dough. If your food processor can’t handle this much volume, transfer everything to a mixing bowl and use your hands to mix everything up.
Step 4. Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper then firmly press the dough into the pan. Use your hands to get it as flat and even as you can.
Recipe Tip
Step 3 may be too much volume for a smaller food processor. Mine was fine blending on low and stopping to scrape the sides a few times but the mixture did take up the whole container. If you think it’s too much for your food processor, transfer to a mixing bowl at this point and use your hands to combine.
Place the bars in the freezer for an hour, then lift out of the pan, slice into bars and enjoy! These bars are best stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container and can be enjoyed straight from the freezer as they don’t freeze solid.
Recipe FAQs
Chia seeds don’t work as well in this recipe hemp seeds though you could be able to replace half of the hemp seeds with chia seeds. You could add 2-3 tbsp ground flax to the recipe but I wouldn’t recommend it as a swap for hemp seeds.
You can store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes and no. This is quite a hefty recipe that may be too much for your blender or even food processor to manage.
If you only have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a smaller food processor, process the almonds then add the dates, coconut and hemp seeds and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the protein powder, coconut oil and water and use your hands to work the mixture into a uniform dough.
More Recipes to Try!
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No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
Energy Bars
Chia Seed Granola Bars
Desserts
Tahini Hemp Seed Bars
Coconut Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, 150 g
- 1 cup very tightly packed soft pitted dates, 270 g
- 1 cup hemp seeds, 150 g
- 1 unsweetened shredded coconut, 100 g
- 3/4 cup vanilla pea protein, 75 g
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, 70 g
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender and mix until broken down into a grainy flour. It’s ok if there are some large chunks.1 cup raw almonds
- Add the dates, coconut and hemp seeds and mix until it forms a crumbly mixture.1 cup very tightly packed soft pitted dates, 1 cup hemp seeds, 1 unsweetened shredded coconut
- Add the rest of the ingredients and process into a thick dough (see notes).3/4 cup vanilla pea protein, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup water, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper then firmly press the dough into the pan using your hands. Spend some time thoroughly pressing it in to the pan to ensure a bar that holds together well. Place in the fridge or freezer for at least 1 hour.
- Lift out of the pan and cut into 12 bars.
These are over the top delicious. I made a few modifications due to allergies. I used sprouted pumpkin seeds instead of almonds, added 3Tbsp of white chia seeds, pure pumpkin seed protein powder and sprouted pumpkin seed butter because of the chia seed addition. I used fresh grated nutmeg as the spice. I liked baked bars so I baked for 20 minutes at 350! I so appreciate your highly nutritional and adaptable recipes for intolerances. Your recipes are always a hit with me. Thank you!!
Thank you so much, Laura! Glad they were enjoyed. Sounds great with those adjustments.
OMG these are the best thing EVER. So good with a coffee to satisfy that sweet craving. I used a mocha protein powder from Vega which was delish. I also added a little bit of 85% dark chocolate once as well which was really nice too. I used almond flour instead of grinding my own and worked out fine.
Thank you Deryn this will be a staple in this house.
I just used ghee instead of coconut oil in this recipe and they turned out perfect, for those of you who would like to try something different. Will try coconut oil next time. Thanks a million!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your feedback, so glad you enjoyed them!
Delicious bars Deryn. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made these yesterday and they turned out very tasty. I had a question; how long will these keep in the refrigerator, do you think?
They should be fine for a week or so, you can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. They’re actually really good straight from the freezer!
I LOVE these bars. So much better than anything I’ve ever gotten from the store and ridiculously easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!
These bars are great! I add flax seeds to mine too. Do you use a food processor or a blender? The dates get stuck I my Vitamix and I’m trying to figure out a way to prevent them from getting stuck so I don’t burn it out.