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These No-Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars are made with just 7 ingredients and in just 20 minutes! No need to turn your oven on or spend hours slaving in the kitchen to make the ultimate on-the-go snack.

No-Bake Protein Bars - Mint Chocolate

No Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars

Do you ever get flashbacks with recipes? This recipe brings me right back to when I was still living with my parents and my siblings stole all of the treats I made. I love that this recipe has stood the test of time and I still make (and crave!) them today.

The world seems to go crazy over protein balls and energy bites but I don’t see many people make their own protein bars. That changes today! I promise this recipe is just as easy as energy balls… maybe even easier because you don’t have to roll out 32859 balls.

These No-Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars are made with just 7 ingredients and in just 20 minutes! No need to turn your oven on or spend hours slaving in the kitchen to make the ultimate on-the-go snack.

Why Protein Bars?

In my past life, I would have thought protein bars were what bodybuilders and extreme weightlifters needed and ate. That is so not the case! Everybody needs protein… Protein helps with bone health, boosts your metabolism, and helps your body repair after a workout or injury. I don’t think we necessarily need to look to add more protein to our diet but making sure you have a little bit of protein with every snack and meal is a good goal! Which is where these chocolate protein bars come in. They taste amazing and are a balanced snack that you can enjoy any time of day! Plus, you can’t beat the flavor combination of chocolate and mint… so good!

RELATED: No-Bake Protein Oatmeal Energy Balls

These No-Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars are made with just 7 ingredients and in just 20 minutes! No need to turn your oven on or spend hours slaving in the kitchen to make the ultimate on-the-go snack.Ingredients in No-Bake Mint Chocolate Bars

  • dates
  • nuts – I used cashews and almonds
  • protein powder (whey or plant-based works great)
  • cocoa powder
  • peppermint extract
  • almond milk
  • sea salt

How to Make the Best Protein Bar

You need two kitchen supplies to make these bars: a food processor and a baking pan. Start by pulsing the dates in a food process until they’re chopped up into pieces the size of a pea. Add in the nuts and process until the mixture is finely ground. Add in the rest of the ingredients and process until a sticky ball is formed. 

Place the bar mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and flatten using your hands. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to allow the bars to set a bit. Remove from the freezer, cut into 12 bars and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. 

Print

No-Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars

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4.3 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Bars 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup of dates
  • 1 cup of nuts (I used 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup of almonds)
  • 3/4 cup protein powder (I used Vega One French Vanilla but whey protein works too)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 2 tbsp almond milk (if using whey protein, you will need to use slightly more)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Place dates in food processor and process until pea-like consistency is reached.
  2. Add in nuts and continue processing until dates and nuts are finely ground.
  3. Add in protein powder, cocoa powder, salt, peppermint extract and almond milk and process until a well-combined sticky ball is formed.
  4. Take a 9 x 9 inch baking dish and line with plastic wrap.
  5. Place bar mixture into dish and flatten, making sure the top is even.
  6. Place in freezer for at least 15 mins.
  7. Remove from freezer and lift plastic wrap out of dish.
  8. Cut into 12 bars.
  9. Store in fridge or freezer.

*edited: the original recipe used 1/2 cup puffed cereal (I used puffed millet but puffed rice or amaranth works) stirred in at the end. The recipe works with or without it.

 

protein chocolate bars

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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141 Comments

  1. I’m always looking out for some good pre-workout fuel and these sound awesome! Mint and chocolate is always welcome around here. And disappears all too quickly.

    1. Thanks Kim! I am always so grateful when people like my pictures. I swear I spend more time on photography than on cooking or baking!

  2. Food definitely has the tendency to disappear around these parts… I think I have tiny little kitchen gnomes that come out at night. And I’m pretty sure I’m horrible at sharing… Not only am I an only child, but I live alone now so I’m used to having everything to myself Lol oh geez… I sound like a champ 😉 But these bars look amazing, and I’m pretty sure the gnomes would be going crazy for them. Mint chocolate combo = loooooove.

    1. I’m one of four and it clearly didn’t do me any good!!! In my house the gnomes are my siblings 😉

  3. Uhm, yum!! Mint chocolate is my one true food love. When I was little and would bake peppermint brownies, I would add so much mint that no one else would eat them (they say toothpaste, I say extra delicious!). As an added bonus, no need to worry about food thieves!

    1. Now that’s a technique I need to try! Sometimes I tell them it’s healthy and they won’t eat it but then when I make something that I actually want to share and then tell them it’s healthy they won’t eat it!

  4. Haha I’m the same way. If I make a recipe and there are leftovers, chances are I’ve planned to take those leftovers for lunch, so I hate it when someone else eats them first! I don’t usually mind sharing my baked goods/snacks though because sometimes I just want to get rid of them so I can get onto baking something else!

    1. I can’t stand that!!! I always make more than enough so that I have leftovers so nothing drives me crazier than when they get eaten!

  5. I’m literally the same as you about sharing! Living with four other girls, I’m often not surprised to find my food “mysteriously” disappearing though haha. These look so so delicious and sound like the perfect snack. I love that they’re no-bake too!

    1. Living with roommates we definitely a learning experience for me..and for them too! They stopped taking my stuff after a while because they knew I would find out!

  6. Hahaha! You know I am JUST as territorial. Those tupperwares are MINE people so back off. I am known to even put “don’t touch” sticky notes… sorry I’m not sorry (been wanting to say that for awhile) um yum these look awesome! Once I get my hands on some puffed cereal, oh and some extra time, definitely making these.

  7. Well, since I’m the mom I need to expect that my food is going to be taken. Even though it’s annoying. It happens less often now that my oldest son has gone back to his vegan diet. Then he remembers that I bake vegan and yeah.

    These sound delish! I love that they are so easy to put together.

  8. These look great! It’s funny you talk about food disappearing.. I made a batch of cookies on Monday night and they are almost gone! Grant sneaks them when I’m at work or sleeping and thinks I don’t notice the batch slowly disappearing!

    1. I’d rather them be up front about it! I was the kid who counted my halloween candy so you better bet I’ll notice 😉