Cookie Dough Protein Bars - No Bake 5 Minute Recipe (2024)

Save money and make your own protein bars at home. These homemade cookie dough protein bars are low carb, healthy and so easy that they come together in 5 minutes without baking. Better than Quest bars!

I love protein bars and I would eat them everyday. Multiple times a day. But, we all know, protein bars can get pretty expensive – and quite unhealthy as well. So I decided to make my own and came up with this cookie dough protein bar recipe. Honestly, once you try homemade protein bars you'll never go back!

Why you will love cookie dough protein bars?

These peanut butter protein bars are so good that I ate the whole batch in two days. Literally. And I'm pretty sure you'll love them too, because they are:

• Rich in high quality protein
• Low carb
• Free from artificial ingredients, gums & co.
• Gluten-free
• No-bake
• Incredibly easy and cheap to make
• Peanut buttery and chocolatey, just like cookie dough

Homemade protein bars are perfect as a on-the-go snack, to pack for school or work or to eat after a workout. And as they taste like cookies, they are also great as a protein dessert.

Healthy protein bars at home

A long, endless list of unknown, nasty and artificial ingredients. Every time I read the ingredient list of protein bars, my heart stops. In the back of my mind I think “Matteo, you’d better stay clear of those things. A healthy snack is something different”.

However, I love protein bars. So I took my protein powder and headed off to the kitchen to make my own. A couple of fails later, I finally came up with these delicious peanut butter protein bars!

Ingredients for homemade protein bars

This homemade protein bar recipe uses just 5 simple ingredients. In case you are still missing something, I have included a list of substitutes for you. So keep on reading!

Here’s what you need to make protein bars at home.

Protein powder. This recipe uses whey protein powder, but any protein powder works. Whey, casein and vegan protein powder, they are all good. However, opting for vegan protein powder or casein you may need to adjust the dough with more peanut butter or maple syrup. The reason is that these protein powfders are more absorbent than whey.

Speaking of flavor, I recommend vanilla, peanut butter or cookie dough protein powder. Also unflavored options will work, but you may need to adjust the sweetness with more maple syrup.

Almond flour. The use of blanched, deoiled almond flour will give you a batch of of protein bars that are also low in carbohydrates. Almond flour is rich in protein, nutrients and is perfect for cookie dough protein bars!

As a replacement you can also choose oat flour, but no normal flour (normal flour can't be eaten raw).

Peanut butter. This recipe uses natural peanut butter. You can swap it out for cashew butter, almond butter or any nut butter of your choice. In case of nut allergies, opt for tahini or sunflower seed butter.

Maple syrup. Maple syrup con be replaced with honey, agave syrup or date syrup. For keto protein bars you can also use sugar-free syrups, such as fiber syrup.

Chocolate chips. Opt for extra dark chocolate chips (sugar—free) and your peanut butter protein bars are also going to be healthier.

How to make cookie dough protein bars at home

This cookie dough protein bar recipe is so quick and simple. It is whipped up in five minutes in a bowl and does not require baking. Here is how to make them!

Step 1. In a large bowl stir all ingredients together to form a cookie dough. Start with the dry ingredients – protein powder, almond flour and pinch of salt – then add peanut butter and maple syrup. Finally, fold through your favorite chocolate chips.

Step 2. Line a 15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 in) pan with parchment paper or grease with little oil so that the protein bars won’t stick to the bottom. Transfer the dough to your prepared pan, smooth it out and refrigerate for about 1 hour. After it has set, cut into bars. Keep stored in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

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