This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn qualifying purchases. Click here for more about this policy.
These Healthy Chocolate Protein Bars are gluten-free, full of fiber, and don’t have any added sugar. They taste better than a store-bought protein bar and only use 6 ingredients!
Delicious gluten-free chocolate protein bars are a great way to add more protein to your diet while also satisfying your chocolate cravings. These bars are sweetened with bananas and contain your favorite protein powder. They are great for making in advance to enjoy after the gym or when you don’t get enough protein for breakfast or lunch.
If you like homemade protein bar recipes, you will love peanut butter protein granola bars and blueberry protein breakfast bars!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 6 Ingredients: This chocolate protein bar recipe only contains 6 simple ingredients, including bananas, peanut butter, protein powder, cocoa powder, vanilla, and chocolate chips.
- Packed with 14 Grams of Protein: Thanks to the protein powder and peanut butter, these bars are full of protein. They will help you feel full and satisfied.
- No Added Sugar: These protein bars are sweetened with overripe bananas, so they don’t contain any processed sugars.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Bananas: Overripe bananas are the sweetest variation of bananas. They help sweeten the protein bars so you don’t need any added sugar.
- Peanut Butter: Use an unsalted peanut butter without any added sugar to hold the bars together and add more protein.
- Chocolate Protein Powder: To keep these low in sugar, use a chocolate protein powder without a lot of added sugar or one that uses stevia or monkfruit.
- Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa powder adds fiber, chocolate flavor, and even protein to the bars.
- Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite chocolate chips or dairy-free chocolate chips in these protein bars for added chocolatey goodness.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Use a Different Nut Butter: If you can’t have peanut butter, or just don’t have it on hand, try substituting it for almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or even tahini.
- Try a Banana Substitute: The banana flavor in these protein chocolate bars is very strong. You can cut the flavor by substituting one of the bananas for ½ cup of unsweetened apple sauce or avocado. You could even use pumpkin, like in these pumpkin protein bars.
- Use Different Mix-Ins: Instead of chocolate chips, try these bars with dried cranberries, cherries, peanut butter chips, nuts, or oats.
How to Make Chocolate Protein Bars Healthy
Enjoy protein chocolate bars after a big workout to help you recover and feel reenergized. They also help satisfy your sweet tooth or chocolate cravings. These bars get baked in a 350°F oven in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
Step 1: Blend the Ingredients. Blend all of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a food processor or blender until the batter is smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides as you blend!
Step 2: Transfer to Baking Dish. Pour the batter into the lined baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. The batter is sticky, so you may need to wet your spatula with a bit of water to help keep it from sticking as you smooth the top. Add the chocolate chips to the top of the batter.
Step 3: Bake, Cool, and Slice. Bake the protein bars for 30 minutes at 350°F. Then remove them from the oven and let them cool for at least an hour before slicing them into bars.
Expert Tips
- Let Them Cool for 1 Hour: The protein bars must cool for at least an hour to ensure they hold their shape and aren’t overly sticky when you slice into them.
- Use Warm Nut Butter: Warm the nut butter you use so that it’s easy to pour and blend. It doesn’t need to be hot, just slightly warmed to a thinner texture.
- Storing: Store leftover chocolate protein bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Store-bought protein bars are often packed with a lot of sweeteners or don’t have as much protein as we’d like. These homemade chocolate protein bars let you control the ingredients and flavor going into your bars. They are perfect for enjoying after a workout at the gym or when you need a filling snack to get you through the rest of the day.
- Enjoy a chocolate protein bar for breakfast on your way out the door. The protein will help keep you feeling satisfied, and the chocolate tastes great with a healthy peppermint mocha latte in the morning.
- Pair a protein bar with a blueberry protein smoothie or a slice of high protein veggie egg bake after an intense session at the gym to promote recovery and replenish your energy.
- If you’re trying to add more protein to your daily diet, try making this high protein shrimp stir-fry or cheeseburger skillet meal for dinner. Both are packed with protein, just like these chocolate bars!
Recipe FAQs
The bars turn sticky and won’t hold their bar shape if they are warm. You must let them cool for at least an hour before cutting them and then store them in the refrigerator.
If you used whey protein, it absorbs more moisture than other protein powders. This will make your bars stiff and dry. It’s best to avoid using whey protein for this recipe.
This recipe isn’t the best for making protein balls since it requires baking. Try my recipe for almond butter protein balls or chocolate walnut bites instead!
There are so many protein powders available to choose from, but here are a few of my tips for finding the right one for you. Look for a protein powder that has the least number of ingredients. Many protein powders have chemicals and additives that are unnecessary. I recommend a protein powder that is low in added sugar or uses stevia or monkfruit to sweeten it. From a nutritional standpoint, look for a protein powder that has less than 7 grams of fat per serving, has 20-30 grams of protein per serving and has less than 15 grams of carbs per serving. Also avoid whey protein for this recipe.
The best protein powder to use for protein bars is a protein powder you would enjoy drinking mixed with water or milk. I recommend this brand for a quality whey protein powder and this brand for a chocolate plant-based protein powder.
More Delicious High-Protein Chocolate Snack Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Chocolate Protein Bars recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Chocolate Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 2 Bananas, very ripe
- 1 cup Peanut Butter, unsalted with no sugar added
- 1 cup Chocolate Protein Powder
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoons Chocolate Chips, or dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Blend all ingredients except chocolate in a food processor or blender. Scrape down the sides and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer. The batter will be sticky. Wetting a spatula with a small amount of water can help with this. Add the chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and cool at room temperature at least 1 hour before slicing into bars.
- Store the bars in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or in the freezer up to 90 days. My low calorie cookbook has another protein bar recipe and other protein snack options.
Notes
- Choose a protein powder without unnecessary ingredients that is low in added sugar or uses stevia or monkfruit. The ideal protein powder has less than 7 grams of fat, 20-30 grams of protein, and has less than 15 grams of carbs per serving. Also avoid whey protein for this recipe.
- The protein bars must cool for at least an hour to ensure they hold their shape and aren’t overly sticky when you slice into them.
- Warm your peanut butter so that it’s easy to pour and blend into the batter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just tried a batch of these they turned out perfect with just the right amount of sweetness, much better than off the shelf protein bars.
Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these for the first time. The bars have a strong banana flavor. I may use one banana next time and maybe add a little bit of honey.
Can PB2 be used instead of peanut butter?
I have not tried it so I cannot say if it will work. It may not be enough fat to hold the bars together as PB2 has reduced fat.
Listed as “low calorie” and peanut butter is the main ingredient.
So let me get this straight. Because one of the ingredients is peanut butter it shouldn’t be listed as low calorie? This is disordered thinking. Just because something has peanut butter in it, doesn’t mean it can’t be low calorie. These protein bars are low in calories.
Hello,
Do you think I can replace the peanut butter with dulce de leche (caramel spread)?.
I would not recommend that as a substitute.
This worked out very well. I didn’t have a full cup of PB on hand so I used some tahini. I think this is a clever way to use protein powder.
Hello Megan. If I just wanted to make dough balls and bake them that way, how long would you recommend I cook them for?
I don’t know. I didn’t make them as balls. If I were making like energy balls, I likely would not bake them just chill. But I have not tested it that way so I cannot guarantee how that will turn out.
Please add the step where you add the chocolate chips in to the recipe card. Thanks.