Paleo Protein Bars

These fruit and nut paleo protein bars are delicious and energy-dense to keep you well satiated, perfect for on-the-go breakfast, as a snack for active kids or adults or as pre or post-workout recovery fuel. These bars are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly.


Paleo Protein Bars (Vegan-Friendly)
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Good quality protein bars are super convenient for those in a rush or as a quick post-workout recovery snack. I know there are quite a few protein bars on the market but sometimes you just want to make your own so that you know exactly what’s inside. Plus, you can make a big batch that will last for a few weeks.

These energy-dense paleo protein bars are inspired by a traditional breakfast muesli bar. When I was doing the paleo diet, I would have these with my morning coffee if I didn’t have the time to prepare a full meal. I found them to be very satiating and I still make them from time to time, even though I don’t follow the Paleo diet.

These are great to have in a bag for when you get caught out with no healthy options on the run, and for those trying to eat more protein (or eat more in general to put on more body mass).

Check out more recipes for homemade paleo bars here and muesli and granola bars here.

Energy Bars (Protein-Rich, Paleo, Vegan)
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Tips For Making Paleo Protein Bars

These energy bars are made with dried fruit, a variety of nuts and seeds, protein powder and healthy fats. All of these foods provide lots of calories and energy and should be consumed if you’re active, after a workout or as a replacement for a meal (say you’re in a rush and need something quick and easy). Beware of adding it as a general snack to your meals as it can add unwanted calories (for those of your counting your macros). 

Pre-Soaking Nut & Seeds

Using nuts and seeds provides a good amount of protein, powder, vitamins and minerals, however, they also contain phytic acid, which reduces the absorption of minerals from these ingredients. The best way to mitigate this is to pre-soak the nuts and seeds in slightly salted water to reduce the phytates content. This will make them easier to digest and those beneficial nutrients more bioavailable (aka ‘activate those nuts’). However, this step is optional!

Which Protein Powder To Use?

As for the protein powder, I recommend using something that your body can handle well. For this recipe, I used Amazonia’s Raw Fermented Paleo Protein, which is a vegetarian and paleo-friendly protein powder made fermented plant-based ingredients including pea, quinoa, and millet. The soaking, sprouting and fermenting of these ingredients dramatically reduces and deactivates any present antinutrients (e.g. phytates, lectins etc), making them gut-friendly.

A combination of different plant proteins in this powder ensures the completeness of amino acids and it contains omega-3 rich Sacha Inchi. It’s a good option for those looking for more sustainable protein powder or who can’t tolerate whey/casein or egg white powders. Regardless of which type of powder you use, go for a neutral or vanilla flavour, although chocolate would also work well in this recipe.

You can choose a different paleo-friendly protein powder, read my Simple Guide To Paleo Protein Powders here.

How To Make Protein Energy Bars

You will find the full instructions, ingredients and nutritional breakdown below. Here are some step-by-step photos to guide you along. You can see that I pre-soaked all nuts and seeds before using, they should take 4-6 hours and can also be left overnight.

How to make energy bars - soaking nuts and seeds and processing the mixture
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All ingredients are processed into a sticky, doughy mixture. Transfer it to a paper-lined tray, flatten tightly and bake until golden brown. Cool and slice. 

How to make paleo protein bars - rolling out and baking
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Paleo Protein Bars Breakfast Style
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Paleo Protein Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Author: Irena Macri
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Healthy
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Calories: 440kcal
Perfect for on-the-go breakfast, as a snack or a post-workout snack, these fruit and nut paleo protein bars are delicious and energy-dense to keep you satiated and fueled. Gluten-free, grain-free.

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 cups almonds about 150 g
  • 0.5 cup Brazil nuts about 50 g
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds about 50 g
  • Salt
  • 7 large Medjool dates with or without pips
  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey optional
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup protein powder neutral or vanilla, about 70 g (see notes)
  • 2-3 tablespoons almond milk or other dairy-free milk
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  • Add the nuts and pumpkin seeds to multiple bowls or one big bowl. Add a pinch of salt to each and cover with water. Add Medjool dates to another bowl with water. Soak all for 4-6 hours. Smaller pumpkin seeds need less time than Brazil nuts, hence why I often soak them separately, but you can do them all together.
  • After 4-6 hours, preheat the oven to 175° C / 345° F.
  • Strain and rinse the nuts. Reserve a small handful of almonds and pumpkin seeds and add the rest to a food processor. Strain the dates, remove the pips and add the flesh to the food processor as well. Reserve a tablespoon of sesame seeds and add the rest to the processor too.
  • Grind everything together for about a minute, stopping and scraping the sides a few times. Add coconut oil, vanilla and honey and process for a further 30 seconds to a minute, scraping the sides a couple of times.
  • Now add the protein powder of your choice and continue to process the mixture for a further minute or two. At first, when you add the protein powder, it might seem that the mixture is too dry but as you continue to grind everything together, the nuts will release more oils and moisten the dough. Add the almond milk to give it a little more moisture. The consistency you’re looking for is finely ground nuts, sticky mixture that comes away from the sides and that moulds easily in your fingers, a little oily.
  • Line a shallow baking tray with a piece of parchment/baking paper. Grease with a little coconut oil. Transfer the nut mixture to the middle of the tray and spread out evenly. Use your fingers to press down the mixture into an even layer, about 1 -1.5 cm thick. Fill in any gaps or cracks, even if that means cutting the edge of the slice off and using up that mixture to even out thinner areas. You can place another piece of parchment paper on top and use a rolling pin to even out the top.
  • Sprinkle the reserved sesame seeds, almonds and pumpkin seeds over the top and press them down into the slice with your fingers. Do the same with the cranberries. Make sure they are pressed down deep enough.
  • Place the tray in the oven, middle shelf, for 10-12 minutes. Then remove the tray and let it cool completely. Lift the parchment paper with the slice out of the tray and place it on a cutting board. Slice into rectangular or square bars, you should have about 8-10 depending on how you slice them.
  • Store in an air-tight container for a week out of the fridge and for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. You can wrap the bars in some glad wrap individually so they are ready to go in your bag/lunch box.

Notes

There are many paleo-friendly protein powders on the market. Check out this guide to see what suits you best. If you can tolerate whey protein, that would be the best option here.

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg
Keywords: Snacks, Kid-friendly, Sweets, Energy Bars, Paleo Bars, Protein Bars
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More Healthy Snacks To Try


Disclosure: This post was once sponsored by Amazonia (nothing to do with Amazon). I received a free sample of their paleo protein powder product to try and after careful consideration and trying it a few times, I developed this recipe. All opinions are my own and I only work with products I genuinely like and think would be relevant to my audience.

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Irena Macri
By Irena Macri

About the author: Hi, I’m Irena Macri. I share delicious recipes that I have cooked and loved. I am a published cookbook author, have been food blogging for over 10 years and have a Diploma in Nutrition. You will find many healthy recipes as well as my favourite comfort food. More about me here | Subscribe to my newsletter and freebies

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Comments

9 Comments
  1. At the risk of being the Paleo Police, I think Amazonia are stretching the definition of “Paleo” with this protein powder – pea protein? I consume it myself, but this product seems to be a cash-in.

  2. Thankyou, now I understand why to activate the nuts. I thought it was to make them more chewable, I will now make the time to do this!!

    1. Hi Tammy, see the first point under Cook’s Notes 🙂 Soaking nuts and seeds ‘activates’ them (by reducing phytic acid).

        1. Ha, it’s actually more of a habit. I usually soak nuts and seeds and then dehydrate them in the oven back to dry. Bigger nuts take longer than seeds, so I have to spread them out on different trays when I put them in the oven. That’s why I soak them in different bowls. Soaking time also varies between nuts and seeds depending on size. Not as essential for this specific recipe but that’s the reason for bowls 😉

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