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.
Wow those sound like my kind of protein bars! Love all the chocolate chips in there 🙂
Thanks June!
I always enjoy seeing what you have come up with. Thank you for sharing.
Regarding the soy protein powder: I am very allergic to soy. Have you tried this with any other kind of protein powder that does not include soy?
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes Teresa! Unfortunately, this recipe was specifically designed for soy protein powder, so I can’t guarantee any other protein powders will work. You can try substituting another plant-based protein powder, and if you do so, I recommend reviewing my Protein Powder FAQ Page in the Notes section (underneath the Instructions) before you begin. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these protein bars!
hi there… awesome amy… you are so generous to share this healthy food. It has helped me out for more than a year alredy.. I used to eat chocolate and sweets etc and suddenly my immune system was very compromised… I had to cut out the white sugar and any recipe with corn syrup seemed to be the cause of huge inflammation issues.. even my toes got red and purple and i could hardly wear shoes at one point it was so bad…
I have been wanting to thank you for so long, its a shame i didnt get to it yet!!! i guess i do better hoping any time you would see i was following you that was appreciation in itself.. I am in my mid thirties and gluten free dairy free? except i handle cheese no problems.. yay… but you dont know how awesome it is to know food makes a dif.. or do you? sorry, its been a while since i looked up your about page… how embarrassing.. but i am not a huge responder on blogs.. i do not do well with that at all! But i am still so thankful that you dont have a club that you refer to which often is a disappointment to me because i dont have it.. i am presently in a home having some more personal care than i have before.. hoping drs can figure out what my problems are… its like they say its inflammation problems and umm… i dont care to list a bunch of stuff on here:) but WoW you are so awesome generous to share your recipes like this..
a lil bit about me… i used to cook and bake and quite much run a house with my mom and then my health just kept deteriorating.. i am much more stable GI wise now that the home here knows how to help me in some areas:)
Its been a guessing game for them…and even for me.. i cant feel temp with my tounge either and since i found thats why the mouth sores i eat mid-cold or frozen food.. never hot tea or steaming food… This is wierd but it works for me…yaY!
K i dint mean to spill…. so i will end wishing u a gorgeous sunny day.. and a thanks from the bottom of my heart! also, i make handmade cards and make my own sentiments for my cards with my own handwriting to boot.. i am s o lucky i can make up my own sentiments because this is one of the selling features of my cards… ok…. i gotta run… please dont feel pressured to respond because i myself Hate that kind of you-owe-me a reply… ! so just enjoy your day… and i will be learning from u sorta in the background here.. sincerely “glow”ing
I’m truly touched by your sweet comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and tell me about your story. It sounds like you’ve had quite a difficult health journey, but you still sound really positive and upbeat — that’s so inspiring! I hope the doctors continue to help you and figure out what’s going on; not knowing the causes is almost worse than simply dealing with the symptoms. I’m really glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes, and I’d love to hear what you think of any that you try in the future! ♥
Love the recipe idea! However, what would you recommend as substitutes for the coconut flour and oil, and soy protein powder that would still leave the recipe healthy? I’m, unfortunately, allergic to both coconut and soy. Thanks!
Thanks Becca! This recipe was specifically designed for coconut flour and soy protein powder, so I can’t guarantee that it will work when substituting for both. You’re welcome to try using a different flour (you’ll need at least 2-3 times as much!), plant-based protein powder, and your favorite oil. Or I have another chocolaty protein bar recipe (here) that doesn’t use coconut flour or soy — that may be easier for you! I hope you enjoy whichever recipe that you try!
I love raw cookie dough, I could literally eat the whole batch! These bars sound so good, anything flavoured like cookie dough is amazing so these bars are perfect!
Thanks Eve! It was definitely hard not to polish them off in one day. 😉
Oh my goodness! I think this is one of my favorite recipes you’ve posted lately. I’ve been loving coconut flour lately and I am all over this! Cookie dough taffy is definitely unique.
Thanks Brittany! It probably helps that they’re vegan too — finally something you can eat! 😉 Coconut flour is my new favorite thing. I’m totally obsessed!
I am highly allergic to coconut and products derived from coconut. Do you have any suggestions for alternative ingredients? I really need to take control of my eating habits, but it seems that almost every “clean” recipe I find calls for some sort of coconut product.
Good for you for trying to find healthier recipes Erynn! That’s one of the hardest steps to a healthier lifestyle. 🙂 I can’t guarantee that these protein bars will work with non-coconut substitutes, but I have a brownie protein bar recipe that doesn’t have any coconut products that you may like instead! I also recommend my energy bite recipes, all of which have lots of protein but no coconut either. I’d love to hear what you think if you try any of those recipes!
Hi! This recepie looks deilish!!!! If I only have pure stevia extract powder and no truvia, how much would you recommend using? Thanks!!!!
Try an additional ½ teaspoon of pure stevia powder, and adjust it to taste. You may need a touch more milk as well. I hope you enjoy the protein bars Shelby!
Wow – these look fantastic! I’m always trying to find recipes like these to make, I’m definitely adding this on my to-do list!
Thanks Julie! I really hope you enjoy the protein bars!
Hi, do you have any thoughts on substituting the sweeteners with honey, maple, or agave? Do you think I would add more coconut flour or less milk to balance out the extra liquid?
You’re welcome to try any of those above mentioned sweeteners. I’d suggest starting by reducing the amount of milk by the same amount of liquid sweetener you add first, rather than increasing the coconut flour. I’d love to hear how the protein bars turn out if you try them with those substitutions Matt!
Hi! OOPS, i accidentally bought bob’s red mill soy FLOUR and not powder… and i already incorporated it into the recipe! I’m not sure how big of a difference this will make… thoughts?
Oh no! I’ve never worked with soy flour before, so I’m not sure how it will affect the recipe. I highly recommend buying Bob’s Red Mill soy protein powder for the next time you make the bars though since it contains a lot more protein a far less fat than the soy flour. I hope you enjoy the protein bars Jane!