No-Bake Vegan Almond Butter Protein Bars

This is the vegan answer to a store-bought protein bar without the eight-dollar box. Brown rice syrup is what makes them chewy instead of crumbly, since maple syrup alone is too thin to bind a no-bake bar. Plan on two hours of chilling before you cut them.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 scoops (96g) vanilla plant protein powder
• 3/4 cup natural creamy almond butter
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate, melted

Instructions

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the slab out later.
2. Stir the puffed rice, oats, protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Warm the almond butter and brown rice syrup in a small saucepan over low heat for about 2 minutes, just until pourable, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir quickly before it sets.
4. Add the soy milk a tablespoon at a time until every piece of puffed rice is coated and a handful clumps when you squeeze it.
5. Press the mixture into the pan very firmly, using a sheet of parchment and the flat bottom of a glass. Loose packing is the number one reason no-bake bars fall apart.
6. Spread the melted chocolate over the top and chill for 2 hours, then lift out the slab and cut 12 bars with a hot, dry knife.
7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, with parchment between the layers.

Tips

• Brown rice syrup is doing structural work here. Maple syrup and agave are thinner and the bars will crumble; if you have to substitute, use thick date paste instead.
• Plant protein powder keeps pulling moisture out of the bars for days, so a bar that was perfect at hour two can be dry by day three. Wrapping them individually slows that down a lot.
• For a crunchier, denser bar, skip the soy milk entirely and add 2 more tablespoons of almond butter instead.

FAQ

Can I use whey protein powder?

Yes, but drop the soy milk to about 2 tablespoons. Whey absorbs far less liquid and whey bars set noticeably harder in the fridge.

Can I swap the almond butter for peanut butter?

Yes, one for one. Sunflower seed butter also works if you need these nut free, though the flavor is more assertive.

Do these need to be refrigerated?

Yes. They go soft at room temperature within an hour or two. Pull one out about 10 minutes before eating for the best chew.

Why do my bars taste chalky?

That is the plant protein powder. Rice protein is the grittiest, so look for a pea and pumpkin blend, and let the cut bars sit overnight so the powder fully hydrates.

More Protein Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Chewy no-bake peanut butter protein bars with 20 grams of protein per bar.

15 min20g protein10 bars

Chocolate Chip Protein Granola Bars

Chewy chocolate chip protein granola bars with 14 grams of protein.

35 min14g protein12 bars

Lemon Blueberry Protein Bars

No-bake lemon blueberry protein bars with 16 grams of protein.

20 min16g protein10 bars