This No-Bake Vegan Cherry Vanilla Protein Bar recipe is the perfect easy snack! Not only are they packed with protein, but they also have zero refined sugar, flour, or oil and are easily gluten-free!
I’m just gonna go ahead and tell you that this protein bar recipe tastes like COOOOOKIES and rainbows and butterflies.
Like are they a healthy snackity or are they an indulgent treat? Nobody knows.
Which protein powder should you use?
Before we get into it, I should tell you that I wholeheartedly believe these taste like cake mostly because of this vanilla protein powder. It’s organic, super tasty, and downright perfect in the texture department. I use it in smoothies all the time, too!
I was super excited to partner up with California Almonds and create a delish and nutrish snack because 99.978% of my snacks involve almonds anyway! If I’m not slurping a smoothie made with almond milk, I’m chowing down on an apple with almond butter or even just almonds straight up. Did you know that almonds have the most plant-powered protein (6g), fiber (4g), calcium, riboflavin, vitamin E, and niacin of any tree nut? Good things come in teeny packages, my frands.
Loaded with oodles of healthy goodies like oats, flax, coconut, and almond butter, these bars really are the perfect energizing snack. You all know very well that I’m a busy bee so having homemade bars in the freezer is my saving grace for maintaining my health and my sanity.
Lots of no-bake bars are made entirely of nuts and dates, so I decided to use whole-grain oats as the base instead. This not only helps lighten up the bars a bit, but it also makes them a bit easier to mix together. I like the texture that blending all the dry ingredients lends to these bars, but if you want to just throw everything in a bowl, that’s fine too!
I froze mine in a loaf pan to achieve the trendy bar look, but you could totally roll them into balls if you’re feeling lazy. Or if you’re feeling like a baller.
Being busy doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor! Say NO to that boring snack-time routine by preparing a couple of snacks ahead of time and storing them in the freezer. Snack smarter, not harder. Your taste buds and waistline will thank you!
And then they’ll thank all the almonds of the world for being so gosh darn tasty and healthy and cute.
If you’re looking for more protein bar recipes, you’ve come to the right place:
- Cookie Dough Protein Bars
- No-Bake Matcha Protein Bars
- No-Bake Raspberry Protein Bars
- No-Bake Banana Nut Protein Bars
- No-Bake Salted Chocolate Fudge Protein Bars
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The perfect nutrient-dense snack, packed with oats, flax, and plant-powered protein! This No-Bake Vegan Cherry Vanilla Protein Bar Recipe is the perfect easy snack! They’re packed with protein, and zero refined sugar, flour, or oil.
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 scoops (81g) vanilla plant-based protein powder (whey will not work)
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (unless you want to roll them into balls instead). Set aside.
- Place oats, ground flax, coconut and protein powder in a blender or food processor (I used my nutribullet). Blend until the mixture resembles a powder.
- Dump dry mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add in almond butter, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla, stirring until well combined (I used my hands). Fold in dried cherries.
- Dump mixture into lined loaf pan. Press down firmly using your fingers until it’s completely flat and smooth. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 9-11 bars.
- Store in the fridge or freezer.
Keywords: protein bar recipe
Disclosure: I participated in the Almond Board’s #CrunchOn campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I was compensated for my time and provided samples. All opinions are my own.
I tried this with another kind of protein (Vega Sport) and failed miserably. Maybe you can add more detail to the amount of protein powder or whether or not another type of protein powder can be used.
Me too! These did not solidify for me at all and just crumbled – I used Garden of Life plant based protein powder. Rather than throw them away, I’m going to try adding some coconut oil or maybe dates for the stick factor! Or do you have suggestions?!
★★
Copying my reply from above– Bummer! I haven’t heard that feedback before. I provided the scoop quantity and grams for protein in the recipe. Was your almond butter drippy? Protein powders can vary. No worries–just add more maple syrup or almond milk until it sticks together. Hope that helps!
How long can these last in the fridge?
I’d keep them in the fridge for up to a week then freeze.
Bummer! I haven’t heard that feedback before. I provided the scoop quantity and grams for protein in the recipe. Was your almond butter drippy? Protein powders can vary. No worries–just add more maple syrup or almond milk until it sticks together. Hope that helps!
Looks like we were both had homemade protein bars on the brain this week! I’m loving your version with cherries and vanilla. And they really do look like cookies and rainbows and butterflies! 🙂
These look so great lady. I am a little tired of all the bars with dates in them too and very weirdly, too many dates give me really bad heartburn. It is so strange.
The texture of these look awesome – they look like they would give you a really filling snack to tide you over until dinner!
Yum! Everyone is going crazy with cherries all of the sudden. I don’t ever eat cherries, but that definitely needs to change !
Yum!! Almonds are definitely a huge obsession of mine, so I am totally on board with these. I also LOVE that you added dried cherries. I bet they would be awesome with dried cranberries too!
Also.. I am now wondering what rainbows and butterflies taste like 😉
Cookies Rainbows AND Butterflies??? I’m in!
In LUST! Both with the cherry vanilla combo, and the ground up oats. Kind of a texture freak over here, and I LOVE how soft and doughy bars become with ground oats.
Well don’t these just look absolutely AMAZING! XOXO
I love using oats as a base too! Alexis – I am replacing my bowl of oats with these bars – they are simply PHENOMENAL!
I love those snacks that can double as dessert/breakfast/all the purposes! These bars look perfecto!! My first attempt at a granola bar was a fail, so I’ll have to follow your recipe to get these maaaahvelous bars. Bring on those almonds!
YESS. Silly bars based off dates.
Pictures = ON. POINT. like a ballerina’s toe.
Love the ingredient combination in these bars!
★★★★★
Delicious! I love the cherry vanilla flavor!
Om nom nom. These look so good! I’ve been looking for something to do with all this protein powder I bought lol