Here they are! The homemade, no-bake, vanilla almond protein bars! What I especially like about these bars is that they’re not only easy to make, they’re not messy to make (no super sticky ingredients like honey or maple syrup). Also, if you’re feeling a little lazy, you can simply form them into protein balls instead of bars.
These vanilla almond protein bars are packed with protein. You get 13.3 grams per bar. (That’s assuming you take this whole batch of ingredients and make 9 bars).
I’m sure you could make these with peanut butter, but since we already have a peanut butter protein ball (or bar) recipe in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle recipe collection, I wanted a different flavor and used almond butter in this recipe.
Anytime you use almond butter or peanut butter, the recipe is going to be more caloric because nut butters are calorie dense ingredients. These are not super low in calories. But on the other hand, these homemade vanilla almond protein bars are lower in calories than almost any protein bar you’d get at the store. They clock in at only 193 calories per serving. They’re healthy too.
Here’s a few tips if you want to make these into good looking square (rectangular) bars of a nice thickness: An 8 X 8 baking pan is ideal. I made these the first time in a 9 X 9 and that worked fine, but it did mean I had to press the protein bars down so they were thinner.
These are not messy compared to other protein bars and protein balls I’ve made. That’s because they don’t use sticky ingredients like honey or maple syrup. But if you place a sheet of plastic wrap on top as you press the dough down into the pan, then there is literally zero mess or sticking.
I’m sure they’d last a while on the countertop, but I like to put these in the refrigerator or freezer shortly after making them. They’re great at room temp. But they’re great chilled out of the fridge too. Take them out of the freezer and it only takes seconds in the microwave until they are thawed, warm and ready to enjoy.
I do recommend that you wrap these in plastic wrap individually or put a piece of parchment paper in between each bar if you stack them. Otherwise they may stick together and when you pull them apart, you may find a chunk of one attached to the other.
I have a few of recipes I still tinker with to see if I can make them even better. But this one… I’m calling it done. I don’t think I’d change a single ingredient. These are delish. And so easy to make. And no bake.
Enjoy!
Tom Venuto,
Founder of Burn the Fat Inner Circle
Author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle
Author of Flexible Meal Planning For Fat Loss
PS. Be sure to check out the newest e-book From Tom Venuto: The Guide To Flexible Meal Planning For Fat Loss (Includes 50 more recipes)
PPS. Want more protein dessert recipes? Browse the full recipe collection on our protein desserts main page
No Bake Soft N Chewy Vanilla Almond Protein Bars
Equipment
- 8 X 8 aluminum baking pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups Old fashioned rolled oats (160g)
- .5 cup Almond butter (120g)
- 1 cup Vanilla whey protein (93g)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- .5 cup Skim milk (8fl oz/236ml)
- 2 Tbsp Truvia naturally sweet (spoonable) (28g)
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients to medium to large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add wet ingredients (almond butter and skim milk).
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together and compress into a large mass of dough.
- Flatten and press into an 8 x 8 (or 9 X 9) baking pan. Tip: cover with plastic wrap as you compress dough down into flat sheet for cutting into bars. Alternately, make protein balls (faster and easier).
- Refrigerate for about an hour to firm up for easier cutting.
- Cut into 9 bars (about 2.5 inches across)
Nutrition
About Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilding and fat loss coach with 35 years of experience. He holds a degree in exercise science and has trained hundreds of clients in person and thousands online. He is also a recipe creator specializing in fat-burning, muscle-building cooking.
A former competitive bodybuilder, Tom is now a full-time evidence-based fitness writer, blogger, and author. His classic book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is an international bestseller, first as an ebook and later as a hardcover and audiobook. He is also the author of Meal Prep For Fat Loss, a practical guide to smart shopping, batch cooking, and kitchen strategies that make healthy eating simple and sustainable.
Tom’s work has been featured in Men’s Fitness, Oprah Magazine and dozens of other major publications. He is best known for his no-BS, scientific approach to natural fat loss and muscle-building.
Tom is also the founder of Burn the Fat Inner Circle, a fitness support community with more than 59,000 members worldwide since 2006.
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