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No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars

June 15, 2020

No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars – a healthy and portable snack packed-full of protein and made with healthy ingredients like dates, cashews, protein powder and rolled oats for a delicious and sweet no-bake treat.

While I’m a huge fan of baking I’m also a huge fan of not baking. Ha! Especially when the weather warms up, I like to keep our house cooler and keep the oven turned off when possible. And just on cue, our oven malfunctioned the other days so looks like we’ll be taking a week off baking anyway! So when I was craving a cinnamon roll the other day, I shifted gears in my mind and decided to make cinnamon roll protein bars! And let me tell you… they were a great substitute for the real deal!

Here’s What You Need:

raw, unsalted cashews – I’ve only made these with cashews but you could try using a different combination of nuts if you’d like!

dates – adds the perfect amount of sweetness and holds these bars together. 

vanilla protein powder – I have been liking the Garden of Life Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder lately but any vegan or whey protein powder will work! I do recommend vanilla flavor for this recipe. A note on my preference below.

cinnamon – can’t have a cinnamon roll without cinnamon!

sea salt

rolled oats – be sure to grab gluten-free if necessary 

almond milk – I recommend unsweetened almond milk but any non-dairy milk will work. 

There are two parts to these bars… the actual protein bar and then the “frosting” drizzle on top. Yes, the frosting is made from protein powder and milk but it’s a really great addition that I don’t recommend skipping! 

How much protein is in these bars?

This will ultimately depend on what type of protein powder you use. Here’s how to figure out the amount of protein per serving in each bar:

Determine how many servings goes into 3/4 of a cup i.e. for Garden of Life Vanilla protein there are 1 1/2 scoops in 3/4 cup so 1 1/2 servings. Each serving is 22 grams of protein so that means there are 33 grams of protein total. Now divide that by the number of bars- which I cut into 12. That means there are 2.75 grams of protein per bar. That being said, the cashews + oats also have small amounts of protein as well so likely around 3 grams of protein per bar

Generally whey protein tends to have more protein per serving than plant-based protein so if increasing your protein consumption is your goal then you’re better off going with whey.

 

Using Plant-Based Protein

So I’ve tested these no-bake cinnamon roll protein bars with both grass-fed whey protein and plant-based protein. I’ll be honest, the taste is a bit more authentic with the grass-fed whey. They also look a bit more like cinnamon rolls because the plant-based protein tends to add a “greenish” hue to the bars (which you’ll see in these photos). If that’s off-putting to you, stick with whey but if you’re vegan or just prefer plant-based protein powder know that they work just fine!

Storing No Bake Protein Bars

I recommend cutting and storing these bars in an airtight container layered with parchment paper. Keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Print

No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars

No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars – a healthy and portable snack packed-full of protein and made with healthy ingredients like dates, cashews, protein powder and rolled oats for a delicious and sweet no-bake treat.

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 bars 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (could try substituting another nut)
  • 1 cup soft, pitted dates
  • 3/4 cup vanilla protein powder (whey or plant-based)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

For the protein drizzle:

  • 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tbsp almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Instructions

  1. Place cashews and dates in a food processor or high-speed blender and process until they come together in a ball (about 2-3 minutes)
  2. Break up ball and add in protein powder, oats, cinnamon and salt. Process until oats are broken up.
  3. Add in 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk and process until it comes together in a ball again.
  4. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with plastic wrap.
  5. Take “dough” from food processor and spread out in baking dish with hands. Top should be flat.
  6. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile make the protein drizzle by combining the protein powder and non-dairy milk until powder has absorbed the milk.
  8. Remove bars from freezer and lift out of dish by picking up the plastic wrap.
  9. Cut into 12 bars.
  10. Mix the protein drizzle in a small bowl. Add more almond milk if needed.
  11. Add the protein drizzle to a ziploc bag and cut a very small hole in one corner.
  12. Pipe mixture in desired pattern over bars.
  13. Place in baking dish and freeze for another 15 minutes or until drizzle has hardened.
  14. Keep in fridge for up to 1 month or longer in freezer.

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  • Reply
    Paige
    December 27, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    I’m not sure why this didn’t work for me… It tastes delicious, but did not go into a ball and ended up crumbling.

  • Reply
    Lindsey R Grant
    May 24, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    Do you know the macos on one bar, at least round about?

  • Reply
    Lisa
    November 29, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    Your protein bar recipes look awesome but I can’t seem to see where you list their protein content. It’s late and I’m tired so maybe that’s why I’m missing it.

  • Reply
    Protein Clubs
    August 7, 2017 at 10:12 am

    Thanks so much for these nice recipes. I’ll try them.

  • Reply
    Arti
    February 12, 2017 at 2:54 am

    Hi

    What does T stand for as a unit of measurement? for example 3 T vanilla protein powder

    Thanks!

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      February 12, 2017 at 10:43 am

      Tablespoon!

  • Reply
    Vanessa M.
    February 11, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    I made mine without the protein drizzle. They tasted fantastic! A definite keep. I will probably double the cinnamon next time since I like it so much .

  • Reply
    Jason Beecher
    August 11, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    WARNING!!!! Making these may hurt your appliances. Made a batch a week ago and they were pretty good, but my wife loved them so I decided to make another batch. This round made our rarely used Cuisinart 7 cup food processor smoke and smell like an electrical fire. Thankfully it has not caught on fire, but I think the motor is shot all because of some cashews and dates that make a gooey mess. The only thing we use our food processor for is making cauliflower mash so whipping up steamed cauliflower is hardy taxing on the machine.

    Overall the first round was tasty, but a little chewy for my preference, but they are filling and a good snack. My wife loved eating them after nursing or pumping for our 5 month old daughter since she was usually starving.

  • Reply
    joy beckerley
    December 7, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    what is the nutritional content..ie protein grams and calories

    • Reply
      Vanessa M.
      February 11, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      I made mine without the protein drizzle. Cut into 8 bars, they were 250 calories and 11 grams of protein per bar.

  • Reply
    Taylor
    September 11, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    These are delicious! I had to use a bit more milk to make them a ball, but they turned out excellent!

    • Reply
      Davida Kugelmass
      September 11, 2014 at 7:50 pm

      So happy to hear it!

  • Reply
    Clara
    August 13, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Yes, thanks for post.
    I understands

  • Reply
    Angela @ Protein Companion
    May 11, 2014 at 11:48 pm

    Your baking misadventures reminded me of my own. Right from burning to forgetting ingredients, I have done them all. That’s why seeing the words ‘No-bake’ was such a relief for me and they look so yummy too.

  • Reply
    Daniel
    April 14, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Hey Davida,

    Thanks for sharing. Very nice imagery and I love that it’s gluten free! 🙂

    Daniel

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