Homemade protein bars taste so much better than store-bought and they save you money too. Made with toasted coconut flakes, dates, vanilla, and chocolate these protein bars for kids will become a favorite. Wrap individually to easily pack in a lunch or grab for snack time. Gluten-free.
These protein bars have quickly become the snack of choice in our home as we are busy running between school, work, and extracurricular activities. I could not find a protein bar my kids would eat. Stop wasting a lot of money on uneaten bars and try homemade bars – with all the flavor kids want and nutrition parents are looking for!
The best part of homemade gluten-free protein bars is that you know exactly what is going into them. For more from scratch recipes of store-bought favorites, check out Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten Free Cheesy Potatoes, and Homemade Gluten-Free Granola Bars.
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These chewy protein bars are made in 5 minutes with less than 10 gluten-free ingredients. For protein, we used Vital Protein Collagen Peptides.
Easily swap with your preferred protein powder or omit it as an ingredient to turn these protein bars into homemade granola bars.
Gather the equipment and ingredients while double-checking the labels of each ingredient. Then, follow the step-by-step directions or use the printable recipe card below to get started!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 3.3 ounce bag toasted coconut flakes check for gluten-free
- 10 large Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup collagen peptides we used Vital Proteins which is gluten free
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract check for gluten-free
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey optional
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips check for gluten-free
How To Make
Add the coconut flakes, dates, collagen peptides, water, salt, vanilla, and honey if using, to the food processor or blender. Pulse until blended.
Line the baking pan with parchment paper
Line the 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper then spread the mixture into the lined pan, pressing firmly. Then, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The longer you are able to refrigerate, the easier it is to slice the bars. If sliced too soon, the bars will be sticky and fall apart.
Melt the chocolate
Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl with a pour spout if available. Microwave in 30-second increments until melted, stirring in between.
Mix It Up: For a variety of flavors, drizzle with melted chocolate, peanut butter, almond butter, and/or sun butter as desired. The chocolate melted with peanut butter is up next in our home!
Lift the parchment paper with the bars out of the pan and slice
Remove the bars from the pan. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the bars into rectangular pieces. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let the chocolate harden then wrap the homemade protein bars in pieces of parchment paper.
The parchment paper not only keeps the bars from sticking together but makes it simple and quick to pack in a lunchbox or grab from the fridge on the way out the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Easily turn these nut-free and gluten-free protein bars dairy-free too buy swapping the chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips or omit them as an ingredient.
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For storage, wrap individually in parchment paper then place in a large Ziploc bag. Label both refrigerated and frozen bars for kids to easily pick their snacks.
We use a 9×9 inch pan as we find this size creates the perfect thickness.
More Gluten-Free Recipes
For more gluten-free meal ideas, check out our popular lunch and dinner recipes!
- Gluten-Free Ground Beef Recipes
- Gluten-Free Shepards Pie
- Crockpot Irish Beef Stew
- Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas
- Gluten-Free Instant Pot Recipes
- Easy Gluten Free Pasta Sauce
- Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
- Gluten-Free French Dip Sandwiches (Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Homemade Protein Bars
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl
- pizza cutter or knife
Ingredients
- 3.3 ounce bag toasted coconut flakes ✅
- 10 large Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup collagen peptides ✅we used Vital Proteins which is gluten free
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ✅
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey optional
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ✅
Instructions
- ⭐️Blend the ingredients together in the food processor (except the chocolate). Add the coconut flakes, dates, collagen peptides, water, salt, vanilla, and honey if using, to the food processor or blender. Pulse until blended.3.3 ounce bag toasted coconut flakes, 10 large Medjool dates, pitted, 1/2 cup collagen peptides, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper. Line the 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper then spread the mixture into the lined pan, pressing firmly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- ⭐️Melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl with a pour spout if available. Microwave in 30-second increments until melted, stirring in between.1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Lift the parchment paper with the bars out of the pan and slice. Remove the bars from the pan. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the bars into rectangular pieces. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let the chocolate harden the wrap the homemade protein bars in pieces of parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- May add honey if desired, but we found these to be sweet enough on their own.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate, peanut butter, almond butter or sun butter as desired.
- Wrap individually in parchment paper for an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Nutrition
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