These easy homemade protein bars taste like a cinnamon roll, and have 7 g protein per bar! Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, and they taste way better than store bought.
We love making our own homemade granola bars as well as no bake energy bites; not only do they taste better than store bought, but you know exactly what goes into them! Protein bars are another great option to make at home, and they're surprisingly easy!
These homemade protein bars have just seven ingredients, and taste eerily similar to a cinnamon roll. I absolutely love their texture- chewy, but easy to eat (unlike some protein bars which can get so tough over time!). I think you're going to love them!
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Reasons youโll โก this recipe
- you need seven simple ingredients that you may already have in the pantry
- they have the best texture- chewy yet slightly soft- and taste similar to a cinnamon roll
- you know exactly what goes into them and they taste better than storebought
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how I make homemade protein bars! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- rolled oats- you can use rolled oats or quick oats for this recipe; we blend them in the food processor to make oat flour before adding in the other ingredients.
- vanilla protein powder- this recipe was tested with whey protein powder and I cannot say for sure if vegan protein powder would also work. I used this AllWhey French Vanilla Protein Powder, which adds vanilla flavor and a touch of sweetness.
- almond butter- for this recipe, you'll need all natural almond butter (the only ingredients should be almonds and possibly salt). All natural peanut butter can also be used.
- honey- helps to bind the bars and adds a touch of sweetness; alternatives have not been tested, but may work (drop us a comment if you try!)
- coconut oil- I use refined coconut oil, which does not have a prominent coconut flavor.
- flaky salt- optional but totally adds that finishing touch to the bars; I use Maldon.
Step by step directions
1. Pulse dry ingredients- In a 7 cup or larger food processor fitted with a steel S blade, add the protein powder, cinnamon and rolled oats. Blend for 1 minute, until oats are powdery and fine, as pictured above.
TIP- this is the food processor I have & love!
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2. Add wet ingredients- Add melted coconut oil, almond butter, honey and vanilla extract to the food processor. Blend for another 30 seconds, until mixture is well combined.
TIP- to avoid dirtying measuring cups, weigh the almond butter and honey right in the food processor- weights are provided in the recipe card!
3. Check consistency- Fold some of the mixture in your hand; it should form a ball and not crumble. If the mixture is crumbly, add water and process again.
4. Press & chill- Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment, and press the protein bar mixture into the pan until smooth across the top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then chill for 2 hours (or freeze for 30 minutes).
TIP- spritz the bottom of the loaf pan with spray oil to help the parchment stay put!
FAQ
My food processor had a hard time blending a double batch up properly. If you have a large food processor (larger than 7 cups), it might not be an issue for you. You could also work in two batches, then press into a 9 x 9 inch pan.
I suspect it would work, but can't say for sure as I've never tested. Drop us a comment below if you give it a try!
I bet that would be great! Chocolate sounds like a great option.
Storage
These bars keep supremely well in the fridge or in the freezer!
- fridge- store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days; due to the nut butter, I don't recommend leaving them out at room temperature for too long.
- freezer- wrap loosely in parchment paper and store in a larger bag or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
You could play around with this recipe, switching up the spices and flavorings:
- almond: go with a neutral flavored protein powder and add almond extract; top with sliced almonds
- mint chocolate chip: try adding a chocolate protein powder and some chocolate chips; maybe even some peppermint extract
- peanut butter: swap the almond butter for PB and/or use a PB flavored protein powder
- lemon coconut: try adding in some lemon zest and pulsing in some shredded coconut at the end
- coffee chocolate: add a tablespoon of espresso powder, some cocoa powder and chocolate chips
More healthy snacks
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Easy Homemade Protein Bars (Cinnamon Roll)
Ingredients
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder 40 g; a heaping ยฝ cup; see note 1
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup rolled oats 96 g; see note 2
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil 26 g; melted; refined recommended
- ยฝ cup natural almond butter 118 g; see note 3
- ยผ cup honey 74 g; see note 4
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water *if needed
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pulse dry ingredients-ย In a 7 cup or larger food processor fitted with a steel S blade, add the protein powder, cinnamon and rolled oats. Blend for 1 minute, until oats are powdery and fine, as pictured above.
- Add wet ingredients-ย Add melted coconut oil, almond butter, honey and vanilla extract to the food processor. Blend for another 30 seconds, until mixture is well combined.
- Check consistency- Fold some of the mixture in your hand; it should form a ball and not crumble. If the mixture is crumbly, add water and process again.
- Press & chill-ย Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment, and press the protein bar mixture into the pan until smooth across the top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then chill for 2 hours (or freeze for 30 minutes).
- Slice- Pull the bars out of the loaf pan, and cut into 8 squares.
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Tips:
- fridge-ย store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days; due to the nut butter, I don't recommend leaving them out at room temperature for too long.
- freezer-ย wrap loosely in parchment paper and store in a larger bag or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Elsa Johnson says
These are high in sugar, but I really like them. Great way to get protein in a hurry.
Gwen says
My teenagers and their friends love these
Alex says
If I don't have any protein powders, could I substitute and use something else instead please, e.g. Greek yoghurt, almond or oat flour etc? If so, do you know what quantities to use please? Many thanks in advance x
Patty says
Made these and love them .Taste great and moist.so easy to make
Nicole says
I substituted whey protein with my mocha cappuccino pea protein and skipped the cinnamon. Kept everything else the same and they came out amazing!
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Nicole, Mocha Cappuccino sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing
Jodie says
I cant have nut butter as i have nut allergies. What could i use instead as a replacement
Denise Bustard says
Hi Jodie, thanks for your question. We have only tested these bars using almond and peanut butters. It is possible that sunflower seed butter might work, however we have not tried. You can find our nut-free energy bites here: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/nut-free-energy-bites-seed-free-coconut-free-option/
Noรซl says
Love these protein bars! They are delicious, even my picky eater loves them.
Denise, I appreciate all the notes to guide your followers to adjust the recipe to meet their needs. I needed to switch out the almond butter, and your hints and tips helped me do that effortlessly.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Noรซl, thank you for your kind words, we so appreciate you taking the time to leave a rating and review! Very glad that our hints and tips were helpful and easy to follow!
Lia says
Be careful when using a smaller food processor than recommended in the recipe.
This recipe was a bit too much for my food processor. Unfortunately it broke.
Taste is alright ๐
I would recommend mixing the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients in by hand.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Lia, Oh no, sorry to hear! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Judi Paulson says
Denise, these cinnamon roll protein bars are killer! I must have spent thousands over the years on commercially made ones (Quest brand was the only one with a cinnamon version) but developed an intolerance to the sugar alcohols - yuck!
The taste, texture and mouthfeel are outstanding. Congratulations on an amazing bar and keep those recipes coming!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Judi, we're so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for your kind words! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review, we really appreciate it!
Evonne says
These are amazing! My husband enjoyed them too. I've made them 3 times so far. This most recent time I used almond flour in place of the Oats and they turned out just as delicious. Love eating them for an afternoon snack.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Evonne, we're so glad that you both enjoyed this recipe, and glad to hear that it worked out with your almond flour substitution. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Cathy says
Could I use avocado oil instead of coconut. For allergy on family.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Cathy, I would try to stay away from liquid oils for this recipe, since the coconut oil does work to help the bars set (it is hard at room temperature). We haven't tested it this way, so I can't say how it would turn out! I wonder if replacing the coconut oil with almond butter or another nut butter might work? Please let us know how it turns out for you if you do try it!
Rachel says
Made these with pea protein powder and it worked great! Is the honey needed to stick everything together? It was a bit sweet with my flavored protein powder, so Iโm wondering if I can leave out the honey?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Rachel, glad to hear that this recipe worked well with your pea protein powder! They honey does help to bind everything together. Though we have not tested this recipe without the honey - the almond butter and coconut oil may work to bind the ingredients together without it. Or you could try reducing the amount of honey? If you do test it without the honey, please be sure to let us know how it turns out!
Melinda says
What about agave? Would that work in place of the honey?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Melinda, great question! We have not tested this recipe with agave, but I suspect it could work as agave has a similar texture and sweetness to honey. If you do try it, could you let us know how it turns out?
christina says
Do you think I can add unflavored protein powder and maybe add vanilla?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Christina! That might work, but I can't say with 100% certainty as I have not tried. Would you let me know how it goes if you give it a try?
Andrea J says
I am going to make these with sprouted oat flour and am wondering if you know what amount I should use? Iโm not certain what amount of flour is made from milling 1 cup of oats...
Thank you!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Andrea! Unfortunately I've never cooked with sprouted oat flour and I can't advise you on how to modify the recipe with it. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Natalie says
I havenโt tried to make these yet but the usual store bought ones I get are 19g protein. Do you think 2 scoops of protein powder would work in this recipe? Iโm excited to try some homemade ones though!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Natalie, this recipe uses a heaping ยฝ cup of protein powder (or 40 g if using a kitchen scale). We have not tested it with any more protein powder than this. I'd try slowly mixing in more protein powder, to ensure it doesn't get too crumbly. You want to make sure they are still going to stick together ๐ If you do try it, could you let us know how it turns out?
Heidi says
These are SO much better tasting than anything I've bought from a store, thanks for sharing! I followed the recipe the first time and then had an idea that turned out pretty great so I thought I'd share: I subbed the honey for molasses and the cinnamon for ginger... boom, gingerbread protein bars! Much more filling than actual gingerbread cookies, and a slightly more festive take on protein options.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Heidi, I'm so happy to hear you've enjoyed the protein bars! Great idea with the molasses, yum! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Jessie says
Best homemade granola bars I've made!
Denise Bustard says
Woo hoo! I'm so happy to hear this, Jessie! Thanks so much for reporting back ๐
Alison Grimes says
Made the peanut butter ones today since my dad has a tree-nut allergy. Long story short, they are in cupcake wrappers so that they are easier to eat, but just as delicious. I didnโt have the protein powder but I added extra oats and cinnamon to counter balance that.
Thank you!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Alison! Thank you so much for reporting back with your modifications, that's so helpful for other readers! Glad you enjoyed ๐
Julie Vanderwekken says
These came out great and tasted wonderful! I used Magnum Quatro Vanilla Ice Cream protein powder.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Julie! So happy to hear you enjoyed the protein bars, thank you so much for reporting back with the protein powder you used!