I am continuously frustrated by the lack of good keto protein bars on the market. They all over-promise and under-deliver, in my rather expert opinion. Most of the store-bought bars either taste like a mouthful of mud, or they contain blood-sugar spiking ingredients.
As someone who relies on high protein low carb snacks to get me through the day, I am fed up. Because it’s actually incredibly easy to make low carb protein bars that taste good and don’t raise one’s blood sugar. And these Snickerdoodle Protein Bars prove my case beyond a shadow of a doubt.
And really, who can resist snickerdoodle flavors in a super easy no-bake bar recipe? Especially with a light dusting of cinnamon “sugar” on top. You can whip them up in a matter of moments and enjoy them within an hour.
With protein bars this easy and this tasty, you might never buy store-bought again!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ridiculously easy: Simply work the ingredients into a stiff dough, press into a pan, and refrigerate until firm.
- Classic flavor: These bars have all the wonderful cinnamon flavor of my Keto Snickerdoodles.
- Less expensive: Store-bought protein bars can break the bank but making your own at home is budget-friendly!
- Make ahead recipe: These bars don’t contain anything that will spoil easily, so they can sit on the counter for up to a week. You can also refrigerate or freeze them to make them last even longer.
- On-the-go snacking: The texture is sturdy and firm, so you can take them on hikes or to the office, or anywhere you need to be.
- High protein: Each bar has almost 19 grams of high quality protein, with only 3.6 grams net carbs.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond butter: You can use any seed or nut butter, but almond butter is the most neutral in flavor and won’t overpower the cinnamon. For a nut-free version, try using sunflower seed butter.
- Avocado oil: A little additional oil helps moisten the dry ingredients.
- Almond flour: You do need some flour to give the bars more structure and bulk. For nut-free, try using sunflower seed flour.
- Protein powder: I recommend vanilla protein powder for added flavor. It can be whey, egg white, or plant-based.
- Sweetener: You will want a little powdered sweetener for the bars and some granulated sweetener for the cinnamon topping.
- Collagen powder: A little collagen protein gives the bars added chewiness and helps them hold together better. You can skip it if you prefer.
- Kitchen staples: Cinnamon and salt.
How to Make Keto Protein Bars
- Mix the nut butter: Whisk the almond butter and avocado oil until smooth. Add the protein powder, sweetener, collagen, cinnamon, and the salt, and stir until well combined.
- Work in the remaining ingredients: Work the almond flour into the mixture until fully incorporated. Add water a little at a time until it becomes like a stiff cookie dough.
- Chill the bars: Press firmly and evenly into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Combine the cinnamon and granulated sweetener and sprinkle evenly over the bars. Refrigerate until firm.
- Cut the bars: Lift the bars out of the pan and cut evenly into squares or bars.
Tips for Success
Check your cinnamon for freshness. Ground spices lose potency as they sit around. If yours has been in your spice cupboard for a while, you can still use it. But you may need to add more of it to the mixture to get the right flavor. Since this contains no eggs, you can taste the dough and adjust as necessary.
I like vanilla protein powder in this recipe, as it adds both sweetness and flavor. You can use plain protein, but you will want to add a teaspoon of vanilla and some additional sweetener. I like using whey protein, but any kind of protein should work.
How much water you need to add depends on several factors, including how thin the nut butter is and what kind of protein powder you use. You want to add a little at a time, working it in until the dough becomes like thick but pliable. If it seems really dry, you can also add another tablespoon of avocado oil.
More High Protein Keto Treats
Keto Snickerdoodle Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (187.5 g) almond butter
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup (108 g) vanilla protein powder
- 3 tbsp (30.43 g) powdered sweetener
- 2 tbsp (12.17 g) collagen powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (37.33 g) almond flour
- Water as needed
- 2 tsp granulated sweetener
Instructions
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment or waxed paper with overhanging edges.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond butter and avocado oil. If the nut butter is very thick, you can melt it slightly in the microwave. Add the protein powder, sweetener, collagen, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and the salt, and stir until well combined.
- Work the almond flour into the mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated. If the dough is very stiff and hard to work with, add water a little at a time until it becomes like a stiff cookie dough.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
- Whisk together the remaining cinnamon and the granulated sweetener. Sprinkle evenly over the bars and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Lift the bars out by the edges of the parchment and cut evenly into 8 squares or bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Protein bars can be a healthy addition to a keto diet, but I recommend using caution. Most store-bought brands contain questionable ingredients, even if they claim they are keto-friendly. I find that the vast majority have blood-sugar spiking ingredients. These homemade snickerdoodle protein bars are a much safer option and good for low carb and keto diets.
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for several months.
This Keto Snickerdoodle Protein Bar recipe has 6.9g of carbs and 3.3g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.6g net carbs per bar.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Can peanut butter be used instead ?
Could these be made with equipment vanilla prime protein powder instead of whey protein?
They sound delicious!
That should be fine.
These are tasty and filling, despite my forgetting to add the almond flour. Next time I will! Perhaps when I make them properly the dough will hold together nicely without added oil and less water.
This sounds amazing! Thank you!
Have you substituted PB? Not sure I have almond butter, though I know it’s less inflammatory than PB! Thanks.
Its so good!! I made it for my husband, & he loved it! Thank you!