Protein Fruit & Seed Bars

A hearty snack bar – these protein fruit & seed bars also make a great on-the-go breakfast on busy mornings. Packed with seeds & dried fruit all topped off with a decadent layer of smooth dark chocolate! 

I use nuts and nut butters in a lot of my desserts, baking and snack recipes. Every time I post a recipe I can guarantee I’ll get at least one person asking for a nut-free alternative. Nuts can easily be replaced with seeds and nut butters with tahini or sunflower seed butter. 

I thought it was about time I created a recipe that’s completely nut-free, but still packed with healthy fats & fibre. I also added in some protein powder to make it a more balanced and well rounded snack. 

Fruit & seed bars like these make a great nutritious snack. They’re a great source of plant goodness like fibre and antioxidants. They also have added protein to bump up your daily protein intake with each serving containing 9g of protein! Not bad for something that tastes like a dessert 😉 

Plus, they’re vegan and gluten-free, so they’re perfect for those with dietary restrictions/allergies/intolerances. You can easily double the recipe to make a bigger batch. You can also freeze leftovers to enjoy later on. 

What you’ll need to make these protein fruit & seed bars:

Tahini – A sesame seed butter/paste (like peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds). A great source of minerals (copper, phosphorus and zinc) as well as unsaturated fatty acids and some protein. Runny tahini works best as it makes everything easier to mix. I always use Middle Eastern tahini (preferable Lebanese like this brand) as the quality is so much better than those found in your local supermarkets. 

Seeds – High in fibre, vitamins & minerals (like vit E, zinc & magnesium) and unsaturated fatty acids. They’re also a source phytochemicals – a form of antioxidant. I like to use a mixture of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc.), but you can use what you have available in your cupboard. 

Dried fruit – a great source of fibre and phytochemical. I used dates and dried apricots, but again you can use whatever dried fruit you have available.

Protein powder – I always try to add protein powder to my snacks to make them more balanced. It’s also an easy way to make sure I’m getting enough protein into my diet. You can use vegan or whey protein powder. Flavours like vanilla, caramel and chocolate work best, but you can also use unflavoured. 

Chocolate – a dark chocolate coating makes these bars feel a little more indulging and help satisfy a sweet tooth! You can omit if you want a healthier, lower in sugar snack. 

Why you need to try these protein fruit & seed bars:

These bars are:

• Nut-free
• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free 
• No-bake 
• Easy to put together 
• Make a great snack or on-the-go breakfast
• Taste delicious
• And you only need 6 ingredients to make them! 

Protein Fruit & Seed Bars

A hearty snack bar packed with seeds, dried fruit and added protein to make it filling, satisfying and nutritious!

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert, Snack

Servings 8

Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 85g tahini
• 100g mixed seeds pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc.
• 50g soft dates finely chopped
• 50g dried apricots finely chopped
• 4 tbsp vegan protein powder*
• Pinch of salt

For the topping

• 100g dark chocolate
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

 

• Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until everything is evenly distributed.
• Transfer into a loaf tin (I used a 21x11cm loaf tin) and press down using a spatula.
• Break up the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and add the coconut oil. Melt in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.
• Pour the chocolate on top, then refrigerate until set (1-2 hours).
• Slice into bars and enjoy!

Notes

* From my experience, whey protein powder doesn't work as well when making no bake protein bars. It creates a sticky mixture that's difficult to work with, so I would suggest using vegan protein powder here. 

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the fridge or up to 4 days. 

You can store leftovers in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 299mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 144IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 4mg

Keyword dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy dessert, healthy snack, nut-free, protein dessert, protein recipe, protein snack, tahini recipes, vegan snack

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!