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Katie Serbinski, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and millennial mom, blogging about healthy recipes, child and mom nutrition, and motherhood.

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Home » Food & Recipes » Snacks » No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

Mar 31, 2021 80 Comments

No-bake chocolate protein bars are made with just six ingredients and are the perfect snack for on-the-go, busy days!

No-bake chocolate protein bars stacked on a white and red plate.

When it comes to getting enough protein throughout the day, I usually have no problem. Milk with meals? Check. Yogurt and hard-boiled eggs for snacks? Check. Chicken OR beef for dinner? Check. Eating regular meals and snacks daily? NOPE!

Not with my erratic schedule of Mom-life, work-life, and well, just LIFE in general. I’m not one for supplementing nutrients unless it’s medically necessary. And missing meals because of limited time and energy counts as a reason for these no-bake chocolate protein bars in my book! 

Close up of a piece of no bake chocolate protein bars.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Protein Bars

  • Convenience [which I need as evidenced by my story about no time to eat]
  • My pantry is overflowing with peanut butter…
  • Buying protein bars in the store can make your grocery bill add up!
  • It’s easier than you think to make a homemade version— I was inspired by this recipe.
  • I can pronounce every ingredient in these protein bars- a healthier version? Maybe so! 

How to Make No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

How to make no-bake chocolate protein bars.

  1. Gather the ingredients
  2. Combine milk, peanut butter, honey, and microwave. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
  3. Flatten mixture out on a baking sheet with or without parchment paper.
  4.  Freeze for about 15 minutes and cut into bars.

No-bake chocolate protein bars stacked on a white and red plate.

More Snacks You’ll Love

  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
  • No-Bake Nut Lover’s Bars
  • Apple Hummus Stackers
  • Banana Oatmeal Cookies
  • Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
  • Open-Face Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwiches

If you’re not into making your own protein bar, do you have a favorite store-bought brand?

4.8 from 5 reviews
No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Author: Katie Serbinski
Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
  • 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
  • ½ cup of milk
  • 1 cup of peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons of honey
Instructions
  1. Combine the milk, peanut butter, and honey in a large bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds. Stir and microwave for an additional 15 seconds.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.
  3. Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper and press the mixture evenly in the pan.
  4. Freeze for at least 15 minutes. Cut into bars [I made 8].
  5. Store in an air-tight container in your freezer or fridge for up to one week.
3.2.2925

 

No-bake chocolate protein bars are made with just six ingredients and are the perfect snack for on-the-go, busy days!

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Comments

  1. [email protected] athletic avocado says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:09 am

    I just made my own protein bars for the first time last week and I can’t believe how incredibly easy they were! These look scrumptious, you can never go wrong with chocolate anything!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      Thanks Rachel!

    • Divya Chawla says

      February 5, 2017 at 4:18 pm

      Can I leave out the peanut butter? How can i supplement it? Thank you

    • Randy Brown says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:39 am

      What are the nutrition facts

    • Katie says

      June 26, 2017 at 8:01 am

      I haven’t calculated those out just yet! Please send me an email and I can get that over to you this week.

  2. Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:09 am

    I’ve been looking for a grab and go protein-packed snack recipe for my guy who spends long hours at the hospital (and they don’t give them breaks to eat… :O) Pinning to make!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      Yes!! I made these with a lot of my health prof friends in mind who work 16 hour shifts with minimal time to eat 🙂

  3. Min says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:34 am

    These protein bars are so awesome to have around when life gets crazy. Haha looks like we share the same problem – we shall never run out of pb 😉 Love seeing the lil’ hand so precious!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:18 pm

      I might run out of milk and bread, but NEVER PB!! Thanks Min xo.

  4. Sonali- The Foodie Physician says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:46 am

    These look and sound awesome! Being about to pronounce every ingredient in your food is always a plus 🙂 And I loved the photo bomb- so cute!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:18 pm

      He’s always sneaking into my shoots lol!

  5. Kristen Chang says

    March 18, 2015 at 9:12 am

    Yum!! I can make this with my chocolate hemp protein powder (from Trader Joes… a great product!) I can’t wait to try these, thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:19 pm

      I need to get that next time at TJ’s… Now that you’ve educated me on all the types of protein powder I can buy 🙂

  6. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    March 18, 2015 at 11:22 am

    OH this is so easy and sounds SOOOO good!! I’ve got to try this!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:19 pm

      I’d recommend it Sam!

  7. Lauren says

    March 18, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    These look amazing! I am going to pin to my clean eating board! 🙂 I have a bunch of chocolate protein powder and Im too lazy to make shakes, so this is perfect.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:19 pm

      So much easier to clean up from a bowl vs. blender!! Hope you like 🙂

  8. Lindsay says

    March 18, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    Was the protein powder you used sweetened? I have some (mildly) chocolate flavored brown rice protein. I’m wondering if I would need to add a little more honey or some coconut sugar if I use that?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:20 pm

      Mine wasn’t. But it still tastes fairly sweet to me!

  9. Deanna Segrave-Daly says

    March 18, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    Can’t wait to make these with my daughter – do you think I could swap in regular whey powder and cocoa powder for the chocolate protein powder (which I don’t have)?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      Yes!!! I think that’s a great substitution Deanna! Let me know how they turn out 🙂

    • Megan says

      June 17, 2016 at 3:50 pm

      Could you let me know how much cocoa powder to substitute? I have vanilla protein powder I’m trying to use up before buying more.

    • Katie says

      June 23, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      I’d add 2 teaspoons and try it to make sure it’s chocolatey enough for you!

  10. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    March 18, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    Love these! So easy and healthy!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks Rebecca!

  11. Kristy Hegner says

    March 18, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    These look great! The one thing I can’t stand about store-bought protein bars are their tough texture, I think I’ll need to give these a try!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      These have a semi-silky smooth texture. My favorite!

  12. Emily @SinfulNutrition says

    March 18, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    You had me at chewy brownie. Definitely making these this weekend!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      Get it girl!!

  13. genevieve @ gratitude & greens says

    March 18, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    This would be such a great on the go breakfast or snack! I’m down for anything with chocolate in it 😉

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:22 pm

      Me too!! Any time of the day 🙂

  14. Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    These look so yummy and I have all the ingredients!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Hope you like them!!

  15. lindsay Cotter says

    March 19, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    you had me an no bake… but then you went and added CHOCOLATE! yes, sign me up!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks girl!! Hope you enjoy 🙂

  16. [email protected] says

    March 21, 2015 at 11:37 am

    As a fellow mom, RD, recipe reduxer and protein bar maker/lover, these definitely caught my attention. They look delicious and I love the simple, healthy ingredients used. Also love your leftover recipe redux post too!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Thank you Marie!!! I appreciate you stopping by so much! Let me know if you make them…

  17. Rhonda says

    December 31, 2015 at 10:57 am

    Do you know what the actual nutritional info is on them? They sound great!

    Reply
  18. Wille says

    January 14, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    Do have any general nutrition information on these bars? Would love to add these to my fitness app. I understand different protein powders and peanut butter could vary the information.

    Reply
  19. Rachel says

    January 25, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    HI, I tried these last night and they turned out so slimey and gooey. The taste is great but the texture is so bad. Any ideas what I did wrong or how to prevent that?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 26, 2016 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Rachel! Next time I might decrease the amount of milk you use. It might be dependent on the type of protein powder I used vs. what you used. I would also try freezing them for longer than 15 minutes if you had that problem! Let me know if you make them again and we can trouble sheet another suggestion 🙂

  20. Jstev says

    February 26, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    What kind of protein powder did you use? I have brown rice protein powder which can be chocolate flavoured too and was thinking of using with this recipe!

    Thanks

    Reply
  21. Kati says

    February 26, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Oh yum! A healthier replacement for my no bake cookies that I love! Don’t know about texture yet because I just placed them in the freezer but oh, they taste divine!

    Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Laura says

    March 1, 2016 at 10:12 am

    Great recipe!

    My husband has a nut allergy, so we used sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. (It has a similar texture & taste; makes a good substitute!) They taste delicious, and are super easy to make! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  23. Coral says

    March 4, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Just curious, when you two scoops of protein powder, how much is that exactly? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Coral says

      March 4, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      *say* When you say 2 scoops lol

    • Katie says

      March 13, 2016 at 9:49 pm

      It’s likely about a cup! I hope that helps!

  24. Kirstin says

    March 20, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    Do you have the nutrition analysis for this? I’m curious how many grams of carbs, proteins and how many calories each serving has.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      May 9, 2016 at 1:08 pm

      I’d love the nutritional analysis too! Tia:)

    • Katie says

      May 21, 2016 at 9:15 pm

      I’ll see if I can get that for you!

  25. Candice says

    April 6, 2016 at 9:10 pm

    Could I use steeled oats with this recipe? I have the exact problem of eating properly and thought I’d give home made protein bars a try!!

    Reply
  26. Tamara says

    June 2, 2016 at 10:16 am

    Hi! I tried these last night and they taste great but even after putting them in the freezer overnight, an hour after taking them out they are mush… has anyone had a similar problem? If so recommendations to making them hard would be great. thx!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      June 2, 2016 at 8:04 pm

      Hi Tamara! Thanks for your comment and for trying my recipe! I’ve made them multiple times this way and they’ve turned out for me. Are you using a natural peanut butter? Perhaps it’s a difference in protein powder too. I’d suggest adding more oats! I use Jiffy PB so not sure if that makes a difference too.

  27. Lindsay Walker says

    August 25, 2016 at 9:40 am

    I have been playing with this recipe because I love it so much. I have been adding ground raw pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, ground flax seed, whole grain rice crisp cereal and in addition I replace the milk with extra virgin coconut oil. I have also made a few batches with ground coffee!!! I also use local honey instead of store bought as it is just another healthy / allergy benefit!! Next I’m wanting to try some fresh vanilla!!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      August 31, 2016 at 11:56 am

      Whoop whoop!! Sounds awesome! Love that you are being so creative. I love the coffee version. I’ll need to give that a try next!

  28. jonathan says

    October 17, 2016 at 7:28 pm

    I need some macro info so they can fit into my stats

    Reply
  29. Christine says

    October 23, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    I just happen upon your website thru Pinterest, I’m trying to get myself back to a healthy state by redoing my eating habits. I was on a low card regimen for a year and found that fixing my own food was so much better than buying, I agree when you purchase items with ingredients you can’t pronounce you need to stay away from it, all the preservatives that are added into todays’ food is ridiculous!!

    I was reading some of the reviews and they all seem to enjoy but for the ones that said it came out mushy do you think instead of changing the protein powder they could as you stated not add as much milk, maybe do 1/4 cup milk and then add a couple or 3 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil, that would for one help to solidify the recipe.

    This was just a suggestion to see how this would turn out and so I guess the only way to find out would be to try it

    Reply
    • Katie says

      October 23, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      I think that’s an awesome idea!!! I don’t have any coconut oil on hand… but if you make the change please let me know how it turns out! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  30. Donna says

    January 28, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    I just made these and can’t wait ti try them! I substitued sunflower seed butter for the peanutbutter and used coconut milk. I also added pumpkin seeds!!

    Reply
  31. Alison says

    February 25, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    These are such a yummy alternative to desserts!!

    Reply
  32. Mandi says

    June 22, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    Hello! I just made these, but need to know a nutritional breakdown if possible. Do you have a one with the ingredients you used?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  33. Holly Ferrante says

    August 2, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    These bars came out great. I didn’t have chocolate protein powder so I used vanilla and added cocoa powder.

    Reply
  34. Mary Bateman says

    August 22, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Hey there! 🙂 I have done the nutritional break down on these! Mine and chilling in the fridge. I will cut into 10 (slightlly smaller). I used form super protein chocolate and salted caramel, following the qdvice that 2 scoops is about 1 cup, and added 2 tsp of cocoa. I used almond milk instead of normal milk, and I also weighed everything for those in the uk etc. Here it is:

    12 bars. Calories per bar 280 kcal.

    108g rolled oats
    115g protein powder
    23g chia seeds
    243g whole earth smooth peanut butter
    146ml unsweetened almond milk
    74g runny honey

    Macros per bar:
    13.5g protein
    17g carbs (of which 7.7g sugar and 6.01g fibre)
    16.6g fat (of which 2.3g saturated and 1.79 unsaturated)
    143mg sodium
    4mg potassium

    Reply
  35. Mary Bateman says

    August 22, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    Oops some typos!!!

    August 22, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Hey there! ? I have done the nutritional break down on these! Mine are chilling in the fridge. I will cut into 10 (slightlly smaller). I used form super protein chocolate and salted caramel, following the qdvice that 2 scoops is about 1 cup, and added 2 tsp of cocoa. I used almond milk instead of normal milk, and I also weighed everything for those in the uk etc. Here it is:

    10 bars. Calories per bar 280 kcal.

    108g rolled oats
    115g protein powder
    23g chia seeds
    243g whole earth smooth peanut butter
    146ml unsweetened almond milk
    74g runny honey

    Macros per bar:
    13.5g protein
    17g carbs (of which 7.7g sugar and 6.01g fibre)
    16.6g fat (of which 2.3g saturated and 1.79 unsaturated)
    143mg sodium
    4mg potassium

    In future I might try toasting the oats and adding some toasted almond slices!

    Reply
  36. Faye Hunt says

    February 15, 2019 at 9:29 am

    Hey how could i do these without a microwave? I dont have one 🙁

    Reply
  37. Jessica says

    March 24, 2019 at 12:36 pm

    Do you have the nutrition facts for the no bake chocolate protein bars? I made these years ago after weightloss surgery while looking for some easy healthier protein bars. Also not to mention saving money on buying super expensive bars. Lol. I used to work in an ER and brought one with me and ended up having to share and make some more so some of the girls could have one for the shift. It had nutrition facts when I originally found this recipe. Would be greatly appreciated if you have them.

    Jessica

    Reply
  38. Tirzah says

    June 11, 2019 at 2:14 pm

    Are these made with regular PB or natural? They look great!

    Reply
  39. Sid says

    August 2, 2019 at 1:30 am

    I really love this no bake protein bars, learn a lot of stuff today. Thanks for posting.

    Reply
  40. Laura Hilton says

    September 7, 2019 at 5:54 am

    I’m a nutritionist and have worked out the nutritional data for these when the above recipe is divided into eight:

    Per bar:

    333 kcals
    17.5g protein (70 kcals)
    27.5g carbohydrate (110 kcals)
    17.8g fat (160 kcals)

    Reply
  41. Laura Althouse says

    October 20, 2019 at 7:27 am

    These are delicious! They remind me of the no bake cookies my mom made when I was a child, which was 50 years ago(lol). I have made these a few times for my husband as an on the go breakfast after his workout at the gym. He absolutely loves them. I add walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Craisins, chopped dried fruit also to mix things up. Recently; I substituted half of the peanut butters with coconut butter, yum, thanks for the great recipe

    Reply
  42. Linda says

    January 9, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    I made these but they never fully firmed up. The are sticky and mushy. Is there anything I can to fix them

    Reply

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Katie Serbinski at Mom to Mom Nutrition

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Hi, I’m Katie! Registered Dietitian, Mom, and Mealtime Negotiator. I’m on a mission to make mealtime happier, healthier, and easier with small children, despite what my 4 picky eaters have me believing. From family-friendly recipes to confessions about my unfiltered motherhood moments, I hope you grab a seat at my kitchen table!
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