No-Bake Tahini Protein Bars

Rich, chewy, and ready for the refrigerator in 10 minutes, my no-bake tahini bars recipe makes kitchen-made protein bars with a gently spiced, halvah-inspired flavor. Each bar has about13 grams of protein, and the recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free with suitable ingredients.

Introduction

A jar of tahini can do far more than make hummus. When I wanted kitchen-made protein bars and discovered I was out of nearly every other nut and seed butter, tahini came to the rescue. I had a jar in the refrigerator and another in the pantry—more than enough for a little protein-bar experimenting.

The result was a batch of rich, chewy bars that I happily devoured over the following days. Their sweet sesame flavor reminds me of halvah, the Middle Eastern confection, especially with a little but of cinnamon or cardamom stirred into the dough.

My tahini bars recipe is wonderfully straightforward: stir the ingredients in a bowl, press the dough into a loaf pan, and refrigerate before slicing. Done. The one detail to watch is the dough’s consistency. Vegan protein powders absorb moisture differently, so add water only a few drops at a time until the mixture holds together. You want a stiff dough you can press into the pan, rather than a soft batter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No baking required:Mix and press the dough in about 10 minutes; the refrigerator does the rest.
• High in protein:Each of six bars has approximately 13.3 grams of protein, depending on your protein powder.
• Vegan:Made without eggs or dairy when you use vegan protein powder.
• Gluten-free and nut-free:Use certified gluten-free oat flour and protein powder suitable for your dietary needs.
• No added oil:Tahini provides the richness without a separate oil ingredient.
• A change from ordinary protein bars:Sweet sesame and cardamom give the bars a halvah-inspired flavor.
• Straightforward to make ahead:Wrap individual bars and keep them refrigerated or frozen for convenient snacks.

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.

• Vegan vanilla protein powder:Adds protein and vanilla flavor while helping form the dough. Choose a powder whose flavor you enjoy; its sweetness and absorbency will affect the finished bars. I do not recommend whey protein powder for this recipe.
• Tahini:Sesame seed paste gives the bars their distinctive flavor and richness. Stir the jar thoroughly before measuring so the oil and solids are evenly combined.
• Oat flour:Helps give the dough body. Choose certified gluten-free oat flour if needed. A smaller quantity of coconut flour is an alternative; see Ingredient Substitutions. Also, see my tip below for grinding rolled oats into oat flour.
• Pure maple syrup:Sweetens the bars and adds moisture to bring the dough together.
• Ground cardamom or cinnamon:Cardamom gives the bars their distinctive spiced flavor; cinnamon is an straightforward alternative.
• Water, as needed:A few drops can help bring a dry mixture together. The amount depends on your protein powder, so add it gradually.
  • Optional:pinch of salt. I often add a pinch of salt to the dough, to bring out the flavors.

Tip: How to Grind Your Own Oat Flour

If you have a blender, you can grind your own oat flour from rolled oats (any variety of rolled oats; if you have a high-speed blender, you can also process steel cut oats or whole oat groats into flour). Place the rolled oats in the blender container. Blend on high until ground into a very fine flour.

Note: food processors will not work for grinding oats into fine flour. The results will be closer to a rough meal.

How to Make No-Bake Tahini Protein Bars

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

1. Prepare the pan.Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dough.Stir the protein powder, tahini, oat flour, maple syrup, and cardamom or cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add water a few drops at a time, as needed, until you have a stiff, cohesive dough.
3. Press firmly.Gather the dough and press it evenly into the lined pan. Cover the surface with another piece of parchment or wax paper, then tamp it down with your hand, a measuring cup, or a second loaf pan.
4. Chill and slice.Refrigerate for about 1 hour to firm the dough. Lift it out using the parchment and cut into 6 bars.

Taste and Texture

Expect a rich sesame flavor, gentle sweetness, and a chewy, dense texture. Cardamom adds a fragrant spice note, while cinnamon gives the bars a more familiar flavor. Chilling makes the bars firmer and easier to slice; they soften as they warm up.

Your protein powder matters here. A strongly flavored or very sweet powder will carry through to the finished bars, so choose one you already like.

Storage

Wrap the bars individually in parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container.

• Room Temperature:The bars can be kept out for several days, but become softer the longer they sit and the warmer the temperature. I prefer refrigerated storage for a firmer texture.
• Refrigerator:Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Freezer:Store for up to 6 months.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy a bar with coffee or tea, tuck one into a packed lunch, or keep a few refrigerated for an afternoon snack or pre- or post-workout snack. They are great for satisfying a sweet tooth, too, for dessert, or anytime. Sometimes I will make half of a batch into bars and the other half into rolled balls for mini-snacks.

I hope you enjoy these! Don’t forget to rate and review the recipe below, and share your creations with me on Instagram. Cheers :).

Flavor Variations

Use cardamom for the spice and stir 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest into the dough.

Add up to 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon or lime zest to the dough along with the cardamom.

Replace the cardamom with 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Add 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Mix before deciding whether you need any water.

Stir 2 to 3 tablespoons miniature dark chocolate chips into the dough. Choose dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free chips as needed. I also like to melt chocolate and drizzle or spread it over the finished bars.

Use date syrup in place of the maple syrup. Sprinkle the surface with 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and press them firmly into the dough.

Tips for Success

• Stir the tahini well.Mix any separated oil back into the paste before measuring.
• Add water sparingly.Start with the ingredients as written, then add only a few drops at a time if the dough needs help coming together.
• Press the dough firmly.A second sheet of parchment keeps the dough from sticking to your hand or measuring cup while you tamp it down.
• Chill for cleaner cuts.About an hour in the refrigerator makes the bars firmer and less sticky. If you are in a hurry, you can slice them immediately, but they will be softer.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Maple syrup:Use an equal amount of agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or date syrup. Honey is another option if you do not need the bars to be vegan.
• Oat flour:Use 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coconut flour instead. Start with the smaller amount, allow a few minutes for it to absorb moisture, and add more only as needed.
• Cinnamon:Use the same amount of ground cardamom, ginger, or allspice. For the lemon ginger variation, use the quantity specified above.
• Protein powder:Choose a vegan vanilla protein powder. I do not recommend whey; it makes the bars gooey and too soft. Different vegan powders may require different amounts of water.
• Tahini:You can substitute an equal amount of runny nut butter or seed butter, such as cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, almond butter, or peanut butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can make a different version with coconut flour, almond flour, or other ground nuts or seeds, adding a little at a time until you reach the consistency you like. You will likely need to add a little bit more sweetener. I do not have an exact replacement quantity for that version, and it will change the texture and nutrition. Almond flour and ground nuts also make the bars unsuitable for a nut-free diet.

Protein powders vary in how much moisture they absorb. Stir in water a few drops at a time until the dough holds together. Stop while it is still stiff enough to press into the pan.

Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so the base recipe contains no nuts. Check the protein powder and other ingredient labels for your needs. Sesame is a separate allergen; a nut-free recipe is not sesame-free.

The oat flour version is not grain-free. For a version without oats, use the smaller amount of coconut flour described in Ingredient Substitutions and choose a grain-free protein powder.

No. Orange zest is optional. The basic bars are made with cardamom or cinnamon; add the zest when you want an orange cardamom variation.