Need an afternoon bite of chocolate that actually fills you up? How about a post-workout snack that doesn’t come in a package? Look no further than these super simple Vegan Chocolate Protein Bars!
After getting sick of granola bars that added tons of sugar but didn’t actually feel like they took care of my hunger, I tried some of the recent protein bars that have come on the market. Brands like RX Bars are typically targeted at high protein dieters, people doing strength training, and those looking for a snack that really sticks with them, so the bars are packed with nuts and powdered egg-whites to increase the raw amount of protein. They’re pretty tasty and definitely filling, but at $3 for a bar, I decided it was worth trying to develop a recipe to make them at home.
Scouting out other recipes online for inspiration only reinforced that I would need to get creative. Most of the versions I found still used powdered egg whites. Sure, you could just buy these to get a blast of extra protein, but that’s not what we do here at Craft & Process! You can dehydrate egg whites at home, but everything I researched suggested that this involves cooking the eggs and then just running your oven at a very low temp for a really long time (like 18-24 hours long). I didn’t exactly feel like heating up the house for a whole day, or potentially wasting a bunch of eggs if it didn’t work out.
Looking at the ingredients on an RX Bar, which are conveniently outlined right on the package (hooray for transparent labeling!), it seemed like the egg whites aren’t being used for the structure of the bar. In their powdered form, they’re just adding protein, so the dates must be doing the (ahem) heavy-lifting for binding the bars together.
So, what’s another easy source of protein? Quinoa! Not wanting large grains of tooth-breakingly raw quinoa in this snack, I just threw a bunch in a dry-ingredients blender and presto! Quinoa flour. Protein-rich, dry, and not adding too much flavor, just like powdered egg whites. It’s not as protein-dense as egg whites by weight, but it works and makes it accessible to those looking for a vegan alternative.
Add to that some dates (to sweeten and bind), some nuts (more protein and healthy fats), and some cocoa (because… chocolate) and mix it all up in a food processor. Our food processor is bad at, well, processing food, so I just did the ingredients individually and then mixed them together in a bowl by hand. Press the somewhat sticky solid mess into a 9×13 pan, chill in the fridge for half an hour, and you’ve got a snack that will last you all afternoon!
We’re topping these with cacao nibs and salt, but feel free to experiment. Add in some coconut to mix up the texture, ditch the cocoa to rely on the cashew and almond flavors, or even add some other dried fruits to get some blueberry or cranberry notes on top of the dates.
- 200 g almonds
- 175 g cashews
- 175 g dates
- 160 g quinoa or equivalent weight of quinoa ground to a powder
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 3-6 Tb water
- Cacao nibs and sea salt to taste
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Line a 9”x13” pan with foil or parchment paper.
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If you don’t already have quinoa flour, grind your raw quinoa into a powder using a dry-ingredient blender, spice grinder, coffee grinder, or (if you’re feeling ambitious) a mortar and pestle.
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Add almonds, cashews, dates, quinoa flour, and cocoa powder to food processor along with 3Tb water. Alternatively, process/grind nuts and dates separately, then mix ingredients in large bowl with a wooden spoon and by hand.
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Mix until smooth and consistent, adding extra tablespoons of water as necessary if it gets too thick.
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Press the bar mixture into the lined pan.
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Sprinkle the top of the bars with cacao nibs and sea salt, then press the toppings into the bars to get them to stick.
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Chill the bars in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove the pan and cut into 24 even servings.
The bars can be stored in a sealed container or individually wrapped for taking on the go as a snack. Store the protein bars in the fridge for up to a week. They are also fine for a few hours at room temp.