My guy and I celebrated the 4th of July in our state’s capital this year. With plenty of fireworks shows to choose from nearby, I picked the one set off from the minor league baseball stadium (no surprises there—I’m a huge baseball fan!), located right next to the Sacramento River.
We arrived fairly early to find a good parking space, so when we realized we had lots of time to spare before the start of the show, we walked over to Old Sacramento to explore the railroad tracks and various restaurants and stores lining the cobblestone roads.
We first stopped at the candy store, and upon stepping inside, the employees greeted us warmly by inviting us to taste a few free samples from specially marked bins—yes, whatever we wanted!—including the large taffy section in the back. Because my guy is a huge candy fan (but not baked treats… go figure!), we took our time wandering around the store.
We paused at the root beer barrels (his favorite), exotic flavored gummy treats, fruity candies from our childhood, and the big display of Pez dispensers. We eventually ended up among the rows and rows of taffy boxes, and I slowly strolled past each one to read the names of the flavors.
They sold all of the stereotypical flavors like cherry, grape, strawberry, orange, watermelon, and peppermint. But then I spotted the fun ones… Blueberry muffin. Pumpkin pie. S’mores. Frosted cupcake. Cheesecake. Cinnamon roll. Maple Bacon. Chocolate chip cookies!
My guy bought a few of the more traditional flavors, but I couldn’t stop thinking about those intriguing ones as we walked back to the baseball field for the fireworks. Taffy that tasted like chocolate chip cookies?? Never in a million years would I have expected to see that! (Or maybe I just don’t get out enough…)
But that candy served as the inspiration for today’s recipe. If people make taffy that tastes like chocolate chip cookies, then why not something else… Like these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars! They have the same flavor as cookie dough snuck straight from the bowl, but they contain no eggs and a big protein punch instead!
Unlike grandma’s cookie dough recipe that starts with all-purpose flour and baking powder, these healthy protein bars skip that stuff in favor of coconut flour and protein powder. Remember, coconut flour is very different from any other flour! It’s about 3 times as absorbent, so we use a lot less. Because it soaks up a lot more moisture, it’s really important to measure it correctly. I highly recommend a kitchen scale! (I own this one.) They’re really inexpensive and worth their weight in gold. I use mine for every baking recipe I make!
As for the protein powder, I used Bob’s Red Mill soy protein powder. No, this isn’t a sponsored post—I just really, really love it! I’ve mixed it into my smoothies every single day for over a month now… And I sometimes make multiple smoothies a day. You could probably call me obsessed.
But anyway, back to this recipe. I love the soy protein powder because it only includes one ingredient: soy protein. No sweeteners, preservatives, flavorings, or artificial ingredients. That makes it the perfect canvas for just about any recipe, including these fun protein bars!
They’re sweetened with stevia, a no-calorie plant-based sweetener. Stevia can often have a strange aftertaste if you haven’t consumed it before, so I use a combination of two different kinds to minimize any funny flavors: Truvia and SweetLeaf. You can find Truvia at almost any grocery store (at least here in the US!), and most health-oriented grocery stores stock SweetLeaf as well.
To shape the bars, line a loaf pan with parchment paper. I hold mine in place with colorful bag clips, like in the picture above. (Note: I made a smaller batch in these photos, but the recipe below yields enough dough to fill the entire loaf pan!) Press a few chocolate chips on top for a prettier presentation; then chill the pan for at least 2 hours to make the bars firm. They should be stored in the fridge to ensure they hold their shape. Finally, after all of that [im]patient waiting… Slice and eat!
I think I just found bliss! ?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your protein bars and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars | | Print |
- 6 tbsp (42g) coconut flour (measured like this)
- 6 tbsp (30g) soy protein powder (I love Bob’s Red Mill!)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp (4g) coconut oil, melted
- 9 tbsp (135mL) unsweetened cashew or vanilla almond milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (37g) Truvia
- 1 ½ tsp (6g) SweetLeaf powdered stevia
- 2 tbsp (28g) mini chocolate chips
- Line a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper. (See the photos in the blog post above.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, soy protein powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the Truvia and SweetLeaf until fully incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Fold in 1½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Pour the crumbly dough into the prepared pan, and gently press it across the bottom using a spatula. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the top. Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing into bars. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to eat.
Any sweetener may be substituted in place of the Truvia and SweetLeaf. You may need to adjust the amounts to taste. If using a highly different amount, you may need to adjust the amount of coconut flour or protein powder if the dough is too wet OR more milk if the dough is too dry.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ page.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein, sugar-free}
UPDATE: In January 2016, I started making these protein bars with this vanilla crème stevia instead of the Truvia and powdered stevia. To use the vanilla crème stevia instead, do the following: omit the Truvia and powdered stevia, increase the cashew or almond milk to ¾ cup, and use 1 teaspoon of vanilla crème stevia.
If I had to adjust the recipe to use all-purpose flour instead (because of reasons), then how would I do it?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe! I’ve actually covered this exact question on my Protein Powder FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these protein bars!
Hi Amy, really wanting to make these, just wondering if it will make a big difference if I double the amount of protein powder, if you think that would be an issue, which of your protein bar recipes contains the most protein? Thanks.
Love your blog and all your great recipes. xx
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Evie! If you double the amount of protein powder, then the mixture will most likely be too dry to hold together. However, you could try replacing some of the coconut flour with additional protein powder, if you’re really concerned about the macros of your protein bars! I’d recommend starting by replacing half of the coconut flour with another 4 tablespoons of protein powder or so. The coconut flour tends to be more absorbent than the protein powder, so you may end up needing more protein powder if the mixture is too wet — but that should at least be a good place to start!
Although I don’t know off the top of my head, I’ve actually included the full nutrition information for all of my protein bars directly underneath each recipe, so it’s easy to compare those labels to see which of my protein bar recipes contain the highest amount of protein. 🙂
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these protein bars — or any of my other recipes that you decide to try too!
My dough turned out kind of wet and stretchy, I was wondering if baking it would make it any better? Love your recipes xx
It means SO much to me that you love my recipes, Cara! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 Did you happen to use a whey-based protein powder, by any chance? Is the consistency somewhat similar to thick brownie batter or thick muffin batter?
Would you think a rice protein powder would work?
I’ve actually covered this on my Protein Powder FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of this recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!) I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these protein bars if you try making them, Anita!
You didn’t put any of the nutritional values on here. Can you tell us?
Never mind I found it! Can’t wait to try these
What kind of sugar and how much would you recommend substituting for the Truvia and powdered stevia (granulated sugar, honey, etc)? I looked under the protein powder FAQ and the notes section and didn’t see anything. I’d like to try these but can’t have sugar substitutes.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Krista! If you’d like to use honey, you’ll need about 7 tablespoons. Reduce the milk to 2 tablespoons to start. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you’re able to fully incorporate all of the coconut flour mixture.
I’d love to hear what you think of these protein bars if you end up making them!
I’m allergic to coconut can I substitute almond flour or other gluten free flours to make this recipe? What would you recommend? And how much?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jamie! I’ve actually covered the answer to this exact question on my Protein Powder FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉
I’d love to hear what you think of these protein bars if you try making them!
I don’t understand why I should *increase* the liquid when switching to the liquid stevia drops (and thus removing a bit of the dry ingredients)… can you explain the reason behind this?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Whitney! I know that can be confusing. 🙂
The two sweeteners (Truvia and powdered stevia) fully dissolve in liquid ingredients, so they actually contribute to the total liquid volume. In contrast, flour doesn’t fully dissolve — that’s why adding it creates more of a dough, batter, or paste (depending on the recipe!).
So when you remove both the Truvia and powdered stevia and replace them with the vanilla stevia, that decreases the total amount of liquid volume, which is why you need to add more milk to achieve the same liquid-to-dry ratio.
Hopefully that makes more sense! 🙂
I’d also love to hear what you think of these protein bars if you try making them!
Ok, thank you! I did make them, and they taste delicious, but I substituted hemp protein and they were too wet. :/ I tried adding more of that and other protein powders (whatever unflavored options I have on hand) and still didn’t get it right. I’m not averse to trying again, though! 😉
It’s my pleasure, Whitney! I’m glad you at least enjoyed their flavor. 🙂
I haven’t used hemp protein powder before, so I’m afraid I don’t have much personal experience there… But if you’re up for trying again, adding more coconut flour should also help! If your hemp protein powder is much less absorbent than the soy protein powder that I used, you could also start with less milk. The video above the recipe should hopefully give you an idea of the consistency that you’re looking for too!