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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.
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.
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
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.Â
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.Â
PrintNo-Bake Mint Chocolate Protein Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 Bars 1x
Ingredients
- 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
- Place dates in food processor and process until pea-like consistency is reached.
- Add in nuts and continue processing until dates and nuts are finely ground.
- Add in protein powder, cocoa powder, salt, peppermint extract and almond milk and process until a well-combined sticky ball is formed.
- Take a 9 x 9 inch baking dish and line with plastic wrap.
- Place bar mixture into dish and flatten, making sure the top is even.
- Place in freezer for at least 15 mins.
- Remove from freezer and lift plastic wrap out of dish.
- Cut into 12 bars.
- 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.
Like this recipe? Here are some you might also enjoy:
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Protein Bars
Grain-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Matcha Protein Energy Bars
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it was perfect !
I just made these and they are SO GOOD. I put in too much milk so the consistency was definitely too gooey, but they taste AMAZING. Will definitely be making these again with some adjustments 🙂
I made these, and they were not good at all. I was extremely disappointed and almost wanted to puke.
Just made these and they’re great! Taste just as good, if not better than any store-bought!! I used Good Karma’s flax + protein milk to sneak in even more protein and added some blanched sliced almonds when I pressed it into the pan for texture. However my batch only made enough to fit into a loaf pan and cut into 7 slices. Thanks for a great recipe, I think I will try making these with almond extract instead of mint for flavor options 🙂
Hello
I just made your no bake mint protein bars and there’s only like 4 grams of protein per serving but you say it has 12.5. One cup of nuts and 3/4 scoop of powder divided by 12 is defenitely not much and there is little to none in cacao, almond milk and dates. They tasted good but I think you should do the math on your recipes macros.
Thanks!
– Dave
It’s 3/4 of a CUP not 3/4 of a scoop. That should increase your protein though this number depends on the type of protein powder you are using.
Thanks for the quick reply. That actually makes perfect sense. I also use the Vega one so that should change everything. Thanks again.
– Dave
Hi! Thank you so much for this recipe! I shared it with my audience and made them in my Facebook live cooking show. You can watch it here. https://www.facebook.com/jonesintogetfit/videos/1127485077388955/
Thank you again, it’s delicious!!!!
I tried making these but my food processor couldn’t process the dates. Am I doing something wrong? I just used the kitchenaid hand mixer. I tried softening the dates with hot water but that didn’t work either. Was I using too many dates?
Sorry i meant hand blender not mixer
Hi Annelyse, Sorry to hear you’ve had trouble! Unfortunately the recipe won’t work with a hand blender. You need a food processor or high-speed blender. Hand blenders aren’t powerful enough for the dates!
I am loving these bars but I’m not sure I’m adding enough dates. 1 cup seems to be about 4 ounces, unless I really mooch them in. Can you tell me how many ounces of dates you are using?
I’ll have to measure next time! I really back them in there so generally I get closer to 6 medjool dates!
Hi, would love to try these. First what should the consistency be if I use whey powder? Also, any nutritional value for these? thank you.
Whey and other protein powders will yield similar results! You may need to add a bit more liquid (1-2 tbsp) if using whey. I unfortunately don’t have the nutritional value of the recipe. Feel free to enter it into a nutrition calculator online!
What is the nutritional content?