Vegan Chocolate Chip Protein Bars (Nut Free)

Vegan Nut Free Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Today we are making Vegan Chocolate Chip Protein Bars – nut free! If you’re looking for a delicious and healthy snack that satisfies your sweet tooth, look no further than these vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free chocolate chip protein bars made with chickpeas.

Can you believe that these vegan protein bars are free of many top allergens, taste like a healthy cookie dough and are high protein (using a secret ingredient – chickpeas)!? I have a very strong affinity for chickpea-based recipes because this was one of the first “secret ingredients” I began using in dessert recipes, from cookie dough, brownies and no bake energy bars!

These cookie dough protein bars bring the perfect combination of flavor and nutrition, providing you with a tasty treat that is also packed with protein and fiber. Chickpeas are the key ingredient in these bars, offering a plant-based source of protein that is also high in essential nutrients like iron, folate, and magnesium.

Since these bars are vegan, nut-free, dairy-free (no more whey protein stomach cramps?!) and gluten-free, they are an ideal snack for anyone with dietary restrictions or allergies. No artificial sweeteners, artificial ingredients or anything else you may find in grocery store snacks! So whether you need a great post-workout snack or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, these protein-packed bars are sure to satisfy your cravings while providing you with the nutrition you need to stay energized and healthy!

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

High Protein Dessert: These are the perfect bars that make you feel like you’re eating a cookie dough dessert bar! But secretly, it actually has chickpeas, tahini and oats all providing protein and fiber for a nutrition-packed energy bar. We love healthy snacks that taste like dessert. It’s something to look forward to on a busy day when you have delicious snack bars waiting in your purse, right?!

Customizable: Don’t like tahini? No problem! Substitute in nut butter, sunflower seed butter or even coconut oil. Don’t like chocolate chips? Use pumpkin seeds (more protein!), chia seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins or other dried fruit as add-ins. Don’t like oats? Try almond flour or another nut flour. The possibilities are endless to customize this bar, because it’s no-bake. You can taste the dough as you make it, adjusting for flavor and texture, before placing it in the freezer!

Nut Free, Added Sugar Free: Many vegan bars at the grocery store may use some form of nuts or nut butter in their recipe. For those with a peanut allergy, cross-contamination of peanuts is very common, as they are also an ingredient used often in energy bars. You can be assured that these bars are free of peanuts when making them at home!

Additionally, store-bought energy bars are more than just protein bars, they’re like sweet treats! Sometimes they contain as many grams of sugar as a candy bar (and that’s unhealthy sugar, not unrefined sweeteners like dates)! This bar also only contains a natural form of sweetener using clean ingredients like dates for the sugar.

Substitutions: Wet Ingredients

Chickpeas: Use a can of cooked chickpeas, or soak and cook dried chickpeas to make them fresh at home. If using canned chickpeas, look for a brand where the only ingredients on the can are chickpeas. If there are other ingredients, there may be added salt but try to keep this to a minimum, and avoid any other added preservatives. Chickpeas contain 10-12 grams of protein per cup (cooked)!

Tahini: Tahini s a source of healthy fats, and the fats in seeds and nuts provide a richer texture. As a substitute, try refined coconut oil. This should not be virgin or extra-virgin. It should have no coconut smell. Alternatively, for a version with nuts, use almond butter, cashew butter or natural peanut butter. Tahini has about 3.5-4 grams of protein per tablespoon!

Vanilla: I like using a pure vanilla extract that isn’t very diluted and doesn’t contain added dyes or caramel color. I found a Madagascar vanilla flavor from Simply Organic that doesn’t contain alcohol (it can’t be called “extract” due to the lack of alcohol and has to be labeled as “flavor”). The texture is thicker than other vanilla bottles I’ve used, and the flavor is stronger too! I’ve been using this for ages and love it.

Dates: Use pitted, soft Medjool dates. These are large and caramel-like, so they are a great option for this recipe! Alternatively, use Deglet Noor dates.

Personally, I love this brand of Medjool Dates from Natural Delights. Dates are natural sources of sugar, and there is no other added sugar in this recipe.

Although dates provide the sugar here, they also harden up when frozen, creating a chewy texture in the bars. For this reason, I don’t recommend to substitute with another sweetener such as coconut sugar or maple syrup.

Substitutions: Oats

Oats: Use rolled oats or quick-cooking oats in this recipe. If using rolled oats, pulse them in the blender first to make them smaller flakes, like quick-cooking. Then blend all the ingredients together. This is not exactly oat flour, because the oats are not made into flour before blending with the remaining ingredients.

So there will be pieces of whole oats that may be visible in the bars, which changes the texture than if we used pure oat flour. You can also try using almond flour, but the texture may be denser.

For a substitute, try using almond flour. It is denser and more absorbent than oats or oat flour. This means that you may need to use less of it in the recipe or add more liquid ingredients to compensate for its absorbency. Additionally, almond flour has a slightly nutty flavor, which may change the overall flavor profile of the recipe.

If you decide to use almond flour in place of oat flour, start by substituting half of the amount of oat flour with almond flour and then adjust the recipe as needed. You may also want to add additional ingredients to enhance the flavor or texture of the bars. For example, shredded coconut or chopped nuts.

Also, you don’t want the dough to be too runny. It should be somewhat firm, and then will firm up even more in the freezer. So adjust the almond flour being used accordingly.

Make it Higher in Protein

For a higher protein version, try substituting half of the oats with a plant-based protein powder. Do a taste test before using the protein powder though! Some powders don’t taste great plain, and it may ruin the recipe. If you like the flavor of the protein powder just mixed with water, it would be okay to use here. I recommend a vanilla protein powder (or an unflavored vegan protein powder) for the most neutral taste.

Substitutions: Chocolate

Chocolate: Use vegan chocolate chips, either semisweet or even dark chocolate if preferred. Check the ingredient label to check whether the chocolate has milk ingredients added or not. Many brands of chocolate are already accidentally vegan, even if it doesn’t specifically state it on the label!

Vegan & Nut Free Chocolate Chip Protein Bars Notes

• For an extra chocolate flavor, drizzle melted chocolate over top of the energy bars. This way, when you freeze them and take a bite, the chocolate coating on top will have an added crunch!
• Looking for different flavors? Use vegan white chocolate in the bars and crushed peppermint on top for a white chocolate candycane holiday flavor, or add lemon zest and white chocolate mixed in by hand for a white chocolate lemon spring flavor! For a birthday cake flavor, use cashew butter instead of tahini, and add sprinkles instead of chocolate chips!

More Healthy Snacks You’ll Love

Almond Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate Kind Bars: A Nut and Seed Granola Bars remake of the popular Almond Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate Kind Bars, made with whole foods, simple ingredients such as almonds, peanut and walnuts.

Peanut Protein Bars: These No Bake Protein Peanut Butter Bars are a great pre-workout snack or to pack in school lunches, with natural ingredients like peanuts, dates and oats.

Lime Coconut No Bake Energy Bars: No Bake Energy Bars using four all-natural ingredients of dates, almond flour, lime and coconut make for the perfect snack.

Mint Chocolate Energy Bites: Mint chocolate date balls with fresh mint leaves and cocoa powder with nuts, oats and dates provide for a nutrition packed dessert ball.

PB&J Oatmeal Balls: Take your PB&J to go instead, with these Vegan Oatmeal Balls! All the ingredients of an oatmeal bowl, wrapped into a healthy breakfast bite.

Pecan Orange Stuffed Dates: A Traditional Stuffed Dates Recipe featuring pecans, zested orange and shredded coconut, coated in chocolate.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Bars

If you make these Vegan & Nut Free Chocolate Chip Protein Bars, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!