Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
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These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars have that melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough texture!
They’re gluten free, refined sugar free, and completely vegan!
The pumpkin and chocolate chip combination is simply irresistible! If you’re a fan, too, check out my Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
- They’re completely no bake
- They can be made in just 5 minutes
- They have that melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough texture
- They’re vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free
Key Ingredients
- Almond Butter – Provides that melt-in-your mouth cookie dough texture, while bringing out the fall flavor profile
- Pumpkin Puree – a staple for the pumpkin flavor
- Vanilla Protein Powder – helps bind the wet ingredients together, while boosting the protein content of these bars, and making them a blood sugar balanced sweet treat
- Please note that different protein powders absorb moisture differently (whey protein, pea protein, beef isolate protein, etc) so feel free to add a splash more syrup or coconut oil if too dry, and a tad more coconut flour if too wet / sticky, until that perfect cookie dough texture is achieved
- Pure Maple Syrup – adds sweetness without needing refined sugars. Don’t confuse this with pancake syrup, which is composed of high fructose corn syrup
- Coconut Flour – helps transition the mixture for sticky and unworkable to a cookie dough that easily presses between your fingers
- Dark Chocolate Chips – full of antioxidants while keeping these dairy free. My favorite is Pascha brand 85% dark chocolate, or their 70% dark chocolate sweetened with stevia
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
- Mix together all the ingredients, minus chocolate chips until smooth
- If mixture is too sticky add another tbsp of coconut flour. You want a cookie dough texture that presses easily between your fingers, without sticking (see photos below)
- Fold in chocolate chips
- Press into loaf tin lined with parchment paper
- Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals until almost all the way smooth, then stir in coconut cream
- Pour and spread overtop the bars, sprinkle with flakey sea salt, and refrigerate for 1 hour for best texture
- Slice into bars and enjoy!
I love how easy it is to throw everything in a bowl, mix, press, freeze, and enjoy just 20 minutes later!
These freeze great, too!
Variations for Dietary Preferences
- Almond Butter – feel free to sub for peanut butter for a delicious pumpkin peanut butter cup flavor
- Vanilla Protein Powder – I used Ka’Chava plant based all in one nutrition shake. You can sub vanilla protein powder of your choice. If you don’t want to use a protein powder you can sub oat flour
- Pure Maple Syrup – You can sub honey, medjool date syrup, or sugar free syrup
- Chocolate Chips – feel free to sub chopped pecans or walnuts
If you make these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars I’d love to your thoughts! Or tag me on social media so I can see your creations!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 2 scoops Vanilla Protein Ka'Chava all-in-one shake
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1-2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Ganache coating
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp coconut coconut cream
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients, minus chocolate chips until smooth
- If mixture is too sticky add another tbsp of coconut flour. You want a cookie dough texture that presses easily between your fingers, without sticking
- Fold in chocolate chips
- Press into loaf tin lined with parchment paper
- Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals until almost all the way smooth, then stir in coconut cream
- Pour and spread overtop the bars, sprinkle with flakey sea salt, and refrigerate for 1 hour for best texture
- Slice into bars and enjoy!
Notes
I used Ka’chava plant based Vanilla all-in-one shake here. Please note that different protein powders will yield different textures (whey protein, pea protein, beef isolate protein, etc.). Adjust your mixture by adding more/less coconut flour or maple syrup until you achieve that cookie dough texture that easily presses between your fingers without sticking to you (see photos in above blog post for reference)
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Sugar: 5g