Tummy Friendly Mint Chip Protein Bars (24g protein!)

All you need is 5 minutes and a bowl to turn your favourite protein powder into these homemade mint chocolate chip protein bars. Made with tahini or almond butter, they’re a high protein snack that’s lower in sugar than storebought bars…and without the sugar alcohols and inulin that can upset your stomach!

hand holding chocolate protein bar — So easy to make, these DIY protein bars are never crumbly! Packed with 24g of protein.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m famous for saying that I don’t really eat food in bar form (I overdid it on CLIF bars in the 90s ha) but as a plant-based dietitian, I know how many of you rely on bars for a quick snack or breakfast on the go for those super busy mornings (maybe with a cup of my green blender juice for a dose of fruit + veg??)!

And because my clinical background is in digestive health, I also know how many of those bars contain a bunch of sugar alcohols and prebiotic inulin fibre that can really mess with your gut and make you feel bloated and gassy.

Not on my watch!! I wanted to challenge myself to create a homemade protein bar recipe for you – with actual protein powder – that you could make ahead and keep in the fridge for a high protein snack or post-workout mini meal that was low in sugar and checked alllllll the boxes:

Allergy friendly: dairy free, nut free, gluten free and yep, low FODMAP (depending on your protein powder!)
Nutrient-dense and actually healthy: these fresh protein bars are made with quick oats, plus tahini (or almond butter!) so they’re rich in minerals like calcium, iron and true dietary fibre…as opposed to all those gassy functional fibres…plus contain a good balance of healthy, satiating fats for balanced blood sugars.
They hold together well and taste good: using seed or nut butters as a binder creates a firm dough without being crumbly. And while the flavour and texture of your protein powder do matter, mint extract is super good for masking the slight off flavours in protein powder.

Looking for more actually delicious gut-friendly recipes? Grab a copy of my IACP and Taste Canada award-winning cookbook Good For Your Gut!

Tips and Tricks for Making these DIY Chocolate Mint Protein Bars

It took me more than a few tries to get these mint chip protein bars right! The balance of nut butter to dry ingredients is super important so you have a firm structure that holds without being crumbly and I’m so pleased with how these turned out.

I used a protein powder with 20g of protein per 1/3 cup scoop, hence the 2/3 cup measurement. If your protein powder has more protein than that, you can decrease the measurement to 1/2 cup of powder.

tahini, oats, protein powder and cocoa in bowls — Super important that your seed or nut butter be well-stirred…the runnier the better! If you’re down to the dried-out bottom of your jar, the bars are going to be way too dry.

Also, I’m obsessed with tahini but if you’re not, you can absolutely do almond butter instead…they’ll taste even more delicious

hand mixing chocolate dough — You don’t need any equipment to make these bars…just a bowl…but you definitely want to get in there with your hands to mix the dough. This helps incorporate the fat well into the dry ingredients so the bars hold together well and don’t taste dry.

hand pressing chocolate dough into pan — You don’t need any equipment to make these bars…just a bowl…but you definitely want to get in there with your hands to mix the dough. This helps incorporate the fat well into the dry ingredients so the bars hold together well and don’t taste dry.

Do yourself a big favour: for easy removal, line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that’s long enough you can use it to lift the bars out. Once cut, you can store bars in a ziplock bag in the freezer so they last for-evah!

These are very filling + nutrient-dense bars! Fun variation: you could shape the dough into little protein balls too! Makes 32 balls with 3g protein each.

More healthy, make-ahead, plant-based snacks:

Silken Tofu Peanut Butter Blender Pudding
30 Minute Feel Good Banana Bran Muffins
Frozen Blueberry Yogurt Clusters with Tahini
Protein-packed Curried Red Lentil Dip
One Bowl Low FODMAP Granola Bar