No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

Stack of 4 chocolate protein bars on parchment paper on a marble cutting board.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Homemade chocolate protein bars that are easy to whip up with just 5 simple ingredients and taste delicious!

Prep Time10

Chill Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Diet: Vegan

Servings: bars

Author: Deryn Macey

Ingredients

2 cups lightly packed soft pitted dates 350 g, see notes
1/2 cup tahini 120 g
1/2 cup chocolate or vanilla vegan protein powder 50 g
1/4 cup cacao powder 24 g
2-3 tbsp unsweetened plant-based milk
1/4 tsp sea salt optional

Instructions

Line a 7-8-inch square baking pan or a loaf pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over the edges. If you use a square pan, you'll get 12 thin bars, if you use a loaf pan, you'll get 8 thick bars.
Add everything to a food processor, starting with 2 tbsp of milk. Blend and assess the dough. Depending on the dates used, it may form one large ball of dough or smaller bits. Either way, the dough should be moist enough to press into a little ball between your fingers. If it seems to dry, add another 1 tbsp of milk.
Dump the dough into the lined pan and firmly press it into an even layer. Take a few moments to press it down, especelling into the corners and along the edges. You can fold the sides of the parchment overtop and help to smooth the top with your hands.
Place in the freezer for 1 hour to firm.
Lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 8 bars if you used a loaf pan or 12 bars if you used a square baking pan.

Notes

It's important to use soft dates in no-bake recipes like this. I would recommend medjool, sayer, honey or deglect noor but as long as they're moist and fresh, any kind should work. Medjool dates have the best flavour and texture in my opinion but I often use sayer dates. If you only have hard, dry dates, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes and thoroughly drain before using.

For best results, use a kitchen scale and weigh your ingredients according to my measurements.

Store the bars in the freezer for up to 3 months. They won't freeze solid and they're so good to eat straight from the freezer.

Nutrition facts are for making 8 bars in a loaf pan. Protein will vary slightly depending on the protein powder used. The protein powder I used added 44 grams of protein to the recipe.

Nutrition