Quick and nutritious, these Easy Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars are a great midday snack or healthy diet-friendly dessert for anyone who’s looking to check off the low carb, low calories, high protein, high fiber from your “to eat” list. Loaded with nutrients and with good fats that come from the mashed avocado, these energy bars will also make a great post-workout snack to help you recover faster.
Here’s why I love this recipe
- no-bake
- easy to prepare
- made with healthy ingredients
- high-protein and high-fiber, so it’ll keep you fuller longer
- low calorie and low carb, to support your weight loss goals
- the best guilt-free dessert & post-workout snack
Ingredients used to make Easy Vegan Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Protein Powder – My go-to protein powder is a vanilla plant-based protein powder, like this Orgain Protein Powder.
- Notes on using other Protein Powders in this recipe: Most frothy protein-shake type powders like whey, casein, pea, hemp, brown rice, egg protein powders should give you similar results, but slightly different textures. (Whey tends to produce gummier protein bars, for example). Collagen Peptides protein powder DOES NOT work with this recipe, so I highly recommend that you stick with the recommended protein powders. For collagen protein bar posts, check out this collagen page instead.
- Coconut Flour – Coconut flour is a great low carb flour that is gluten-free, wheat free, and grain-free. Coconut flour is also nut-free (even though it’s called coco-nut) because it’s made from coconut flesh (which is a fruit, not a nut) that’s been dried and then grind into small flour particles. Here is a brand of coconut flour I like to use.
- Sugar of Choice – I used monk fruit sweetener in this recipe to keep this recipe low-sugar and low carb, but raw cane sugar, coconut, date, and maple sugars are perfectly acceptable substitutes.
- Dark Cocoa Powder – any kind works, but I like using the dark chocolate kind (like this one) for this recipe.
- Avocado – I used about 1 1/2 medium, fully ripened avocado. For this recipe, I would strongly recommend that you use a ripened (soft) avocado. If you use one that isn’t softened, you probably won’t get the velvety texture you see in the photos.
- Almond Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe. You can even use water.
- Chocolate Chips – you can use any chocolate chips. To make these protein bars low-carb, use a lower sugar, stevia-sweetened brand like this one below.
More Protein Powder Recipes (HERE)
Step by Step
How to Make Easy Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars
STEP 1
In a clean bowl, mix the dry ingredients: protein powder, coconut flour and sugar (I used monk fruit sweetener). Add cocoa powder.
STEP 2
Next, add in the avocado and the milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to combine together.
STEP 3
You can change the dough to a softer or firmer consistency you prefer. Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add more of milk or water if the dough is too thick. TRY TO ADD A TEASPOON AT A TIME! The final dough should be firm, but soft enough that you can roll the dough into a ball without it falling apart.
STEP 4
Shape the protein dough into a rectangular mound, then wrap in plastic wrap or an airtight container lined with parchment, and let the dough set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Cut into bars.
STEP 5
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 20 second bursts until melted, stirring in between. Dip the protein bars into the melted chocolate and then set it aside on a clean parchment paper.
STEP 6
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Feel free to experiment with natural flavoring / extracts. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn’t feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe) or vanilla bean paste to give it more flavor.
Just keep in mind that some extracts contain alcohol, and since this is a no-bake recipe, the alcohol won’t have a chance to fully evaporate. If serving this to kids, or if you’re sensitive to alcohol, be sure to use non-alcoholic extracts or flavorings. Here are some non-alcoholic brands, here: Non-alcoholic peppermint extract, non-alcoholic vanilla extract
How to Make this Healthier
- Make these Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Even better, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, or chia seeds.
How to Store Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars
- You can keep the protein bars out at room temperature for 1-2 days but for maximum freshness and best texture, it’s best to store these protein bars covered in the fridge. They’ll be fresh for up to 5-7 days.
- These protein bars also freeze very well! Seal them inside an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze them in a single layer so that they don’t stick together. I recommend double-bagging if you want to keep out the fridge smell. They can be frozen for up to 4 months.
Final Tips
- If you want to make the chocolate coating process easier, freeze the protein bars for 2-3 hours before coating so that they’re easier to handle.
- Also, I like to mix in 2 tsp coconut oil (or olive oil) to the melted chocolate. This thins out the chocolate and makes it easier to coat the protein bars.
Chocolate Avocado Protein Bars (Healthy, Vegan & Low Carb!)
Ingredients
Protein Bars
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder*
- 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp monk fruit sweetener** , or any granulated sugar of choice
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup mashed avocado (160g) , from fully ripened
- 1 Tbsp almond milk , or other dairy free milk like cashew or coconut milk
Deco (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips , melted
Instructions
- In a clean bowl, mix the dry ingredients: protein powder, coconut flour and sugar of choice (I used monk fruit sweetener). Add cocoa powder
- Next, mix in the mashed avocado and almond milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to combine together.
- TIP: Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of milk or liquid sweetener of choice if the dough is too thick
- Shape dough into a rectangular mound, then wrap in plastic wrap or an airtight container, and let the dough set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice into 5 bars. Keep the bars in the freezer until the next step.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 20 second bursts until melted, stirring in between
- Dip the protein bars into the melted chocolate and then set it aside on a clean parchment paper. Drizzle with more chocolate if desired.
- Let the chocolate set before enjoying
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