With 8g of protein per serving, these no-bake oatmeal protein bars are one of our favorite grab-and-go snacks. Made with just 8 ingredients and comes together in 10 minutes.
We always keep healthy treats on hand, like vegan protein balls, chocolate peanut butter protein bars, and these protein oat bars. They make the perfect mid-afternoon or post-workout protein snack.
The idea for these peanut butter oatmeal protein bars came about during one of the heat waves, when I wanted to make a batch of protein flapjacks but have no desire to turn on the oven.
Like my vegan protein cookies and protein cinnamon rolls, they are satisfying and decadent without being overly indulgent, making them great protein snacks to tide you over to the next meal!
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💚Why you will love protein oat bars
- Chewy, perfectly sweetened, and incredibly satisfying
- A meal-prep friendly snack packed with protein
- Highly customizable with different mix-in options
- Budget-friendly and cheaper than store-bought protein bars
🥜What you will need
- Oats - I prefer rolled oats for a chewier texture, but quick oats would work as well. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- Protein powder - Both plant protein and whey protein powder would work; I am personally using Orgain's vanilla protein powder. You can also use any flavor you like.
- Maple syrup - Can be substituted with other liquid sweeteners, including agave syrup, sugar-free syrup, and honey.
- Chocolate chips - I prefer using Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, but any chocolate chips would work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✨Protein bars flavors and mix-ins
- Oatmeal raisin bars - Substitute chocolate chips with ½ cups of raisins.
- Chocolate protein bars - Use chocolate protein powder and mix in up to ¼ cup of cocoa powder. You may need to add a splash more milk if the dough feels dry.
- Chopped nuts - For added crunch, mix in ½ cup of chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans.
- Dried fruits - Enhance sweetness with dried cherries, cranberries, chopped dates, or other dried fruits of your choice.
- No protein powder - I highly recommend checking out my protein balls without protein powder instead.
🔪How to make oatmeal protein bars
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla.
Step 2: Add oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Combine to form a dough.
Step 3: Firmly press mixture into a lined 8x8 square pan. Optionally, drizzle on some melted chocolate.
Step 4: Freeze oatmeal protein bars for an hour until they firm up, then slice and enjoy!
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✔️Helpful tips
- Adjust the texture of dough - It should be moist enough to hold together but should not stick excessively to your hands. Add more milk or oats as needed.
- Handle dough with damp hands - As the dough is slightly sticky, it is much easier to handle the dough with damp hands, especially when pressing it into the pan.
- Allow to firm before slicing - Freeze peanut butter protein bars for at least an hour before slicing. This helps them hold their shape and yield cleaner cuts.
❄️Storing suggestions
Homemade protein bars will not last long at room temperature; they might soften and turn sticky, especially on warmer days. You can either refrigerate it for a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Allow frozen bars to thaw at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before enjoying!
?Commonly asked questions
These no-bake homemade protein bars should be refrigerated. They will turn soft and sticky if left out at room temperature for a while.
If protein bars turn out crumbly and start falling apart, there isn't enough binder to hold them together. Add either milk or nut butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moist enough to bind.
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Bars (no bake)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
- ½ cup peanut butter or another nut butter
- 2-3 tablespoons soy milk or other plant-based/ dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats or quick oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder plant-based or whey*
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it with cooking spray.
- Mix all wet ingredients in a bowl.½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup peanut butter, 2-3 tablespoons soy milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Then, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup vanilla protein powder, ⅓ cup chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Mix until everything is well combined. If the dough appears crumbly, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add more oats instead.
- Using lightly damp hands, firmly press the dough mixture into the baking pan. Pop it into the freezer to firm up for at least an hour.
- Once the dough has been set, slice them up and serve!
Notes
- Mixed-in suggestions - Instead of chocolate chips, you could do ½ cup of chopped nuts (like pecans and walnuts) or dried fruits such as chopped dates, raisins, or dried cranberries.
- Allow to firm before slicing - Freeze peanut butter protein bars for at least an hour before slicing. This helps them hold their shape and yield cleaner cuts.
- Refrigerate bars - As this is a no-bake recipe, they might soften and become sticky if left out for too long.
- Freeze for longer storage - Bars can be refrigerated for a week and frozen for 3 months. Allow frozen bars to thaw for a few minutes to soften before enjoying.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Katie says
If I'm tripling the recipe, can I use a 13x9? I noticed it still called to use the 8x8 pan. Thank you!
Jim Mee Sha says
Yes, do use a larger pan! Due to the setting of the recipe card, I unfortunately can't change the dimensions of pan used.