Vegan No-Bake Hemp Protein Bars
on Oct 15, 2021, Updated Aug 15, 2024
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These vegan no-bake hemp protein bars are easy to make with just 5 simple, healthy ingredients.
You’ll need hemp protein, almonds, dates, nut/seed butter and cinnamon. You’ll love the spiced flavour from the generous dose of cinnamon paired with the sweet dates and creamy nut butter. These No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars and No-Bake Almond Coconut Protein Bars are great too if you’re looking for more easy homemade bars.
Hemp in all its forms, seeds, powder, etc., is a highly nutritious food that’s rich in protein, essential fatty acids, magnesium, iron, zinc and more! Regardless of your dietary preferences, it’s a wonderful food to include in your diet.
Enjoy these delicious bars anytime of day for an energizing snack or healthy dessert option.
Recipe Features
- Vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar, can be nut-free.
- 189 calories with 6 g of fibre and 8 g of protein per serving.
- You’ll need just 5 ingredients and a few minutes of prep time.
- The bars have a spiced flavour from the cinnamon that’s super yummy with the almonds, dates and whatever nut butter you use.
- They store and travel well so make a great snack for road trips, hiking, lunch boxes and otherwise taking on-the-go.
Ingredient Notes
- Almonds: Use plain, raw almonds without added oil or salt. You can substitute these with pecans, walnuts or cashews.
- Dates: Any variety works as long as they’re soft, moist and not overly dry.
- Cinnamon: The recipe uses a whole tablespoon but you can cut that back a bit if you like.
- Hemp Protein: The recipe is made for plain hemp protein powder but you can use any vegan protein powder.
- Nut Butter: Any nut or seed butter such as peanut butter, almond butter or tahini work.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the almonds to a food processor and blend into a grainy consistency. A few large pieces left behind are ok but they should be mostly broken down.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a thick, sticky dough you can press between your fingers.
Quick Tip: If the dough is crumbly, which can happen if your dates were too dry, add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 3: Line a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan with parchement paper so it sticks out over at least 2 sides of the pan.
Firmly press the dough into the pan, taking a few minutes to really press it down, espeically around the sides and corners. I like to wet my hands to smooth the surface as the dough will be a bit sticky.
Note: At this point, you can lift the bars out and slice them right away but I like to freeze them for 30-60 minutes for a firmer bar.
Step 4: Lift the bars out of the pan and slice into your choice of serving size.
I like to cut them into 16 bars and then cut those into 32 mini-bars so I can grab a small one or a few for a bigger serving.
Enjoy your delicious, homemade energy bars!
Notes & Tips
Original Recipe: The original recipe called for 2 tbsp maple syrup but I omitted it when this recipe was updated. I don’t feel it needs it, though it can be added to improve the consistency of the dough and add a bit of extra sweetness if you like.
Dates: It’s important to use soft, moist dates. If you feel your dates are overly dry, I’d suggest soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes (pitted), then draining well before using in the recipe. You can also use them as is and add 1-2 tbsp warm water after blending up the dough, if needed.
Medjool dates work well for recipes like this but I usually use sayer dates as they’re more afforable and have a sweet, caramel flavour and soft texture. Deglect noor dates also work.
Nut-Free Option: To make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of almond and tahini or sunflower seed butter instead for your nut/seed butter.
Storage Tips
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer (Recommended): Store in a sealed container for up to 3 months. They can be enjoyed straight from the freezer so I’d suggest storing them there.
- Room Temperature: If you’re taking them to-go, the bars are ok at room temperature for a day or two but will get soft if it’s warm. Keep them cool for best results.
More Vegan Snacks
Loving these hemp protein bars? Here are some more recipes you might enjoy:
- Vegan Protein Brownies: 5-ingredient flourless proteins made with protein powder.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls: No-bake protein energy bites.
- Nut-Free Energy Bars: Yummy bars made with seeds (no protein powder).
- No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars: A nutritious combo!
- Salted Mocha Coconut Protein Bars: Easy no-bake bars with a fun flavour twist.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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No-Bake Vegan Hemp Protein Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
- First place the nuts in a processor and mix until broken down into a grainy consistency. It’s okay if there are still some large pieces but they should be mostly broken down.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can squeeze together between your fingers. If the dough seems too crumbly, add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
- Line a 7 or 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so the it sticks out over at least 2 sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and firmly press into an even layer. Take a few minutes to really work it into the pan, especially in the corners. If the dough is sticky, it can help to wet your hands.
- You can lift the bars out of the pan right away and slice into bars or transfer to the freezer (recommended) for 30-60 minutes before slicing for a firmer bar.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published October 9, 2013.
Roughly how many grams is the 14 bar portion?
Hi Jimmy, sorry I’m not sure how much each bar weighs but I would guess somewhere around 75 g? Thanks!
mine came out a bit oily , might have been my almond butter I am guessing
Just made these and cannot stop eating them. Easy to make and delicious! Thank you!
This tasted amazing!! Thank you very much Deryn for your recipe. I can see a lot of potential with mix and matching different ingredients as the core ingredients can be used in combination with virtually anything.
Glad you liked them! You can totally try all sorts of fun ingredients in these – have fun!
Hi there,
I love these bars, they are delicious, but I just cannot get the consistency right! Maybe I’m not adding enough dates? Every time I try they fall apart! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Are your dates soft? Maybe they’re too dry? You can try soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes and then draining before using. Mine have always stuck together so I’m not sure what else it would be except maybe your almond butter being too dry as well?
I had the same problem, and I think my problem may have been my almond butter. It was the grind your own stuff fromt eh bulk barn and seemed drier than peanut butter (is almond butter supposed to be drier? Idk.) I’ll be making these again, but may try a different almond butter. Trial and error. These are amazing.
It should be drippy rather than dry. Using soft, moist dates is also important, if they’re dry I’d recommend soaking in hot water for 15 minutes then draining before using in the recipe. The type of protein will also make a difference. Glad you enjoyed them though!
These are delicious! I made them a couple weeks ago and enjoy them as a mid morning snack with coffee-YUM!
Looks great, but it’s worth mentioning that it’s a carb bar, not a protein bar. I just calculated it ( https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/265952591596605 ) and it looks like each bar (if you cut into 9 bars) is about 5 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbs (11 of which are sugar). Still, it does look good for people who need more carbs in their life 🙂
Made these to use hemp powder I bought on an impulse. I didn’t actually read the recipe before getting started, and learned the hard way that doing this with a *mini* food processor 1) takes FOREVER and 2) really takes its toll on the little motor. Especially when you make a double recipe… Kitchen has that metallic smoke smell of an overworked processor now… :/ So yeah, lesson learned, I definitely need to read ahead. But at least now I have a stash of bars that will last a while. Haven’t tried them yet but they look pretty legit.
Those look amazing! I don’t have the hemp protein but I DO have hemp hearts. Could I still use this recipe, just with the shelled seeds?
Hi Adam, I’m not sure they would hold together with hemp seeds but you could sub any other kind of protein if you wanted! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
PS. How many bars should this make?
If you use a loaf pan you can either cut it into 8 larger bars or 16 small bites. It’s up to you! I cut them larger at first but then decided I wanted more pieces so I made them smaller.
Those look delicious! Thanks for sharing all the other recipes too!
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
I would like to make this recipe without using dates. Are the dates just for taste or necessary for texture? Thank you for your time.
Unfortunately, the dates in this recipe are required to bind it all together. You could maybe try the recipe with raisins, soaking them first in hot water for 10 minutes then draining before using. I haven’t tried it though so I can’t guarantee they’ll turn out.