The Reliable Vegan Chickpea Protein Bars (Grain-free, No bake)

Tired of searching for plant based protein bars and then paying a small fortune? Then make a batch of my straightforward vegan chickpea protein bars! They are a satisfying (taste like cookie dough), customizable, and reliable nourishing snack for powering your day!

Chickpea Cookie Dough Protein Bars

I am all for a crispy, crunchy granola bar, but sometimes a woman needs a treat that is more on the fudgy side. And since I love the taste of cookie dough, why not create a protein-rich bar with a creamy, fudgy, cookie dough texture and flavor?

Why not, indeed!

Hello, satisfying.

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (plant-based ingredients, dairy-free, egg-free)
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• High fiber
• High protein (10 grams protein per bar)
• Made with plain ingredients
• No-bake (no oven, no microwave)
• No added sugars (e.g., no granular refined sugar, maple syrup, or honey)
• An excellent source of complex carbohydrates

The sweetness in these kitchen-made protein bars comes from dates and vanilla protein powder.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• packed, very soft dates (about 6 to 8 pitted dates)
• creamy peanut butter (or any creamy nut butter, such as almond butter or cashew butter, or seed butter)
• vegan vanilla protein powder
• pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), toasted
• dried cranberries

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are key to this quick and straightforward recipe, contributing creaminess and nuttiness, as well as structure to hold the bars together.

They also happen to be nutrition superstars. Chickpeas are in the same family as lentils, peanuts and peas, all of which are touted for their high concentrations of plant protein, fiber, and many key vitamins and minerals.

A quick roundup of chickpea highlights includes the following:

• high protein
• high fiber
• lowfat
• great source of folate and iron
• inexpensive / budget-friendly
• versatile

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

• Line a 9×5-inch (22.5×12.5 cm) baking pan with parchment paper (fold to fit), aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
• In a large food processor, process the rinsed and drained chickpeas, dates, peanut butter, and a pinch of fine sea salt (optional, to taste) until blended and smooth, stopping and scraping the sides of processor bowl once or twice. If needed, add a drizzle of non-dairy milk (e.g., almond milk or oat milk) to help blend until smooth.

• Add the protein powder, pepitas and cranberries. Pulse and blend until very well combined and mixture looks like a dough ball (if not, add a bit more protein powder).
• Press the protein bar mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
• Place in the fridge at least four hours, or freeze one hour, until firm. Remove the bars using the pan liner and/or a spatula and slice into bars. See storage information below.

FAQ

How should I store the vegan chickpea protein bars?Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or the freezer for up to six months. The bars will keep at room temperature (tightly wrap) during the day in a lunch bag.

Can I vary the taste of the bars?Yes! For example:

• Dried fruit:Use different kinds of dried fruit in place of the cranberries (e.g., dried apricots, raisins, dried cherries or dried blueberries)
• Chocolate:Consider replacing the dried fruit with dark chocolate chips or chunks, adding a drizzle of melted chocolate on top of the bars, or replacing the vanilla protein powder with chocolate protein powder.
• Spices & extracts:Add a tsp vanilla extract or almond extract, or add a sprinkle (or more) of ground spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, or ginger.
• Nuts & seeds:Use different nuts or seeds (raw, toasted or roasted) in place of the green pumpkin seeds. For example, peanuts, sunflower seed kernels, walnuts, hemp hearts, pecans, or cashews.
• Coconut:Replace the pepitas or dried fruit with flake or shredded unsweetened coconut, plain or toasted.

I am not vegan. Can I make these with whey protein powder?Yes. If using whey protein, use the same amount of protein powder but also add 1/2 cup (up to 2/3 cup) of some finely ground oats, almond flour or finely ground seeds (e.g., sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds) to help hold the bars together.

Can I make these protein bars nut-free?Yes! Instead of peanut butter, use a creamy seed butter (for example, tahini, sunflower seed butter (e.g., sunbutter, or my DIY Sunflower Seed Butter or DIY Pepita Butter). Stick with pepitas (instead of nuts, for the the add ins), or use sunflower seed kernels or hemp seed hearts.

Can I make the bars in a blender?Possibly. It might be difficult to break down the chickpeas to a smooth consistency in the regular size blender. A bullet size blender would likely work with greater success for this volume of ingredients.

I have kitchen-made cooked chickpeas instead of canned. How much should I use?You will need to use roughly 1 and 2/3 cups of drained chickpeas, the equivalent of the contents of one fifteen ounce can, drained.