Chickpea Cookie Dough Protein Bars (No Bake & Sugar Free)

No bake Chickpea Cookie Dough Protein Bars with all the chocolate chips! An easy, healthy and low fat recipe that’s perfect for a post-workout protein boost or even just as a snack. 

If you’ve been here a bit, you must have noticed I’m a bit of a peanut butter and chocolate lover. It most certainly is a match made in heaven, and was my first flavor choice when I decided to make a protein bar.

But I thought I should probably add some variety to this blog coz not everyone is as much a fan of those favors.

Unfortunately I couldn’t help it so this does have the PB flavor there. Sorry guys.

You can use alternatives though.

(Chocolate Chip) Chickpea Cookie Dough + Protein

Chickpea cookie dough is all the rave right now, and quite deserving too. 

And then there’s all the fandom towards homemade bars or some sort or the other – granola bars, twix bars, brownie bars, what not.

They’re both on my to-do list as individual recipes, but then I thought, why not just combine both?!

Edible chickpea cookie dough as a protein bar!

Now before you get all ‘Urghhh’ about the thought of eating just plain canned chickpeas, with all the peanut butter and chocolate chips in there, you can’t taste the legume at all!

These Vegan Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie Dough protein bars are basically like the dough that’s used for cookies and blondies but turned into bars – or even balls work!

How to made these homemade cookie dough protein bars

Since it’s a no-bake recipe, these protein bars are way too easy to put together. All you need to do is blend all this good stuff in a food processor:

• Chickpeas: You can use the canned ones – be sure to drain them well – or cook some from dry. I’ve done the second version and it worked beautifully!

• Protein Powder: You can use a vanilla here, but I would 11/10 recommend a peanut butter flavored one. My go-to is the one from Quest Nutrition.

• Peanut Butter Powder: This is ground peanuts with most of the nut oils pressed out, so you get a low fat peanut butter flavored treat. I’ve used the one from Trader Joe’s as well PbFit, and Pb2 too.

• Oat Flour: This is rolled or instant oatmeal that’s processed in a food processor until it turns into a flour-like consistency.

• Almond Milk: Feel free to use any milk of your choice, but adjust the sweeteners based on whether the milk in itself is sweetened.

• Maple Syrup: You only need a little, since the protein powder in itself will likely be quite sweet. I’d recommend the one from Lakanto to make this sugar free.

• (Optional) Vanilla Extract: I added it because I used the peanut butter flavored protein powder, but if you go for the vanilla, skip this ingredient.

Then fold in the Chocolate Chips: Can’t really have a chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar without the choco chips right? I used the ones from Lily’s Sweets to keep it sugar-free again.

Spread the mix in a parchment lined 8×8” baking pan and press it down well. Use a smaller one or loaf pan if you want thicker bars.

(Optional, but really?) Top it with microwave-melted Dark Chocolate, and let it chill in the freezer for maybe 10-15 minutes!  Lily’s again here.

I’ve tried the recipe without and it was amazing that way too.

Oh and I guess slice it up after.

What makes these no bake protein bars healthy?

Just whole ingredients in these bars since you’re making them at home home – no added refined sugars, no oil, no preservatives.

They’re super low fat since they’re made using powdered peanut butter (also known as peanut  flour). The normal would be creamy peanut butter. 

Use stevia sweetened chocolate chips, as well as a sugar-free maple syrup, for sugar free and Vegan protein bars. Be sure to use a compatible protein powder.
For a regular version you can use normal chocolate and syrup – or even honey.

These protein bars are made with chickpeas and a bit of oat flour – making them gluten free too if your oats are GF.

More Chickpea Cookie Dough -ey Recipes?

• Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
• Favorite Fudgy Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies

Chickpea Cookie Dough Protein Bars (No-Bake)

4.67 from 3 votes

Print recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Freeze Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 16 2″ squares

Calories: 99kcal

Course: Dessert, Post-Workout, Snack

Cuisine: American

No bake Chickpea Cookie Dough Protein Bars with all the Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter! An easy, healthy and low fat recipe that’s perfect for a post-workout protein boost or even just as a snack.

Ingredients

• 1½ cup Chickpeas, 1 15oz can (390g) or Cooked from dry (110g)
• ½ cup Protein Powder, Peanut Butter Flavor, about 1½ scoop, see notes for sub
• ½ cup Peanut Butter Powder, 60g
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp Oat Flour, 45g, see notes for sub
• ¼ cup Almond Milk
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup, Stevia Sweetened
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3 Tbsp Chocolate Chips, 42g

Chocolate Topping:

• 3 oz Dark Chocolate, Chopped & Stevia Sweetened (6 Tbsp Choc. Chips, 85g)

Instructions

• Place oats in a food processor
• Place chickpeas, protein powder, peanut butter powder, oat flour almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor or blender, and process until combined. Do not over-process – the mixture should be coarse, not smooth/paste-y.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Line an 8” x 8” baking dish with parchment paper and press dough in, flattening with a spatula. Use a smaller one or loaf pan for thicker bars.
• Chop chocolate (or use chocolate chips) and microwave for about 60-90 seconds at 15-second intervals to melt.
• Pour melted chocolate over bars and spread evenly.
• Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set.
• Cut into slices and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from hannah.banana182 on Instagram and Purely Kaylie.

• To replace Peanut Butter Protein Powder:
  • ⅓ cup Vanilla Protein Powder
  • ¼ cup Peanut Butter Powder (or 3 Tbsp Oat flour)
• To replace Peanut Butter Powder:
  • ¼ cup Peanut Butter. Note: This will not be a low-fat recipe anymore.
  • Reduce almond milk to 2 Tbsp
• To replace Oat Flour
  • Process ½ cup Instant or Rolled oats in a food processor to turn into flour

Storage:

• Fridge: 5-7 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag.

Product Recommendations:

• Quest Nutrition Peanut Butter Protein Powder
• PbFit Original Powdered Peanut Butter
• Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup
• Lily’s Original Dark Chocolate
• Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

Nutrition:

• Servings: 16 2” bars | Serving size: 2 bars
• Calories: 99kcal
• Fat: 3.8g | Saturated fat: 1.6g
• Carbohydrates: 12.2g | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 1.3g
• Protein: 6g