36 Paleo Protein Bar Recipes That Will Kickstart Your Day
If you were to look in my desk drawer or purse, you’d always find a protein bar stashed away. They’re great after a workout or whenever I need a quick boost of energy throughout the day.
But store-bought bars are a huge drain on my budget. That’s why I make my own! They’re super easy to make and endlessly customizable. So, I’ve put together a list of my go-to Paleo protein bar recipes. Packed with healthy fats, they’re also tasty treats the whole family is sure to love!
Whether I’m in the mood for a fruit-filled bite of coconut or a dose of delicious dark chocolate, these recipes have it all. There are even a few no-bake recipes on this list, making it even easier to make your own nutritious, on-the-go Paleo snack!
Here are just a few of the Paleo Protein Bar Recipes we’ve included:
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bites
- Sweet & Salted Energy Balls
- Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Paleo Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bars
- Cashew Coconut Larabites
- Honeyed Lemon Ginger Bliss Balls
- Paleo Blueberry Breakfast Bars
- Chocolate Chip Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Bars
If you click or tap any of the links above, it will instantly take you to the recipe below. Or download the entire list by clicking on the green button below.
Paleo Protein Bar Recipes – Chocolate
Pumpkin Seed Bark Recipe with Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt
– Ketogasm
Photo Credit: Tasha from Ketogasm
Ingredients: 3 oz dark chocolate, roasted pumpkin seeds, sea salt.
We all know that dark chocolate can increase your carbohydrates, but the higher the cocoa content the lower this will be, so try and get the best you can. This Keto and Paleo recipe should really be a special treat, however, as it does still contain a little sugar. This would be a great Halloween treat as you are using pumpkin seeds which stand out against the darkness of the chocolate.
“Peanut Butter” Balls
– Ditch the Wheat
Photo Credit: Carol from Ditch The Wheat
Ingredients: almond flour, almond butter, maple syrup, semi-sweet chocolate chips.
These little Paleo butter balls look so good that they would make a great gift for a friend, or a lovely weekend treat for the family. This is a gluten and dairy-free recipe, but the centre of the chocolates is smooth and creamy and tastes so rich and decadent. You can use your favorite almond butter in this recipe and it is quite simple to make. These lovely treats can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
– Healy Eats Real
Photo Credit: Hannah from Healy Eats Real
Ingredients: coconut butter, almond butter, honey, chocolate chips.
Cookie dough has become more and more popular over the last few years and has even been used as a flavoring for ice cream, so this handy Paleo recipe will give you all the taste but without the hassles in just a few minutes. If you use coconut sugar instead of honey, these little bites are vegan-friendly too, so these would be great to make as a surprise for a vegan friend.
Coconut Protein Bars
– Coconut Mama
Photo Credit: Tiffany from The Coconut Mama
Ingredients: coconut flour, collagen hydrolysate (a.k.a. collagen peptides), Dutch-processed cocoa, maple syrup or raw honey, coconut milk, coconut butter, coconut oil.
The Paleo protein bars in this recipe look so good as they have a ‘layered’ look with the chocolate base and the cream topping. The textures are amazing and you will never believe they are grain and dairy-free! These have collagen as the protein source which can help strengthen hair and nails and ease joint pains. These bars can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Paleo Chocolate Protein Bars
– Cook It Up Paleo
Ingredients: coconut butter, coconut oil, almond milk, date syrup, chocolate collagen whey, coconut flour.
These delicious protein bars have a dense, fudgy texture and taste so moreish! They have the lovely rich flavor of dates from the syrup and are a source of slow-release energy which is helpful if you are working out or traveling. If you don’t have date syrup you can use maple instead. These are nut-free snacks if you use coconut milk, so would be perfect for youngsters with nut issues.
Chocolate Coconut Butter Bars
– Coconut Mama
Photo Credit: Tiffany from The Coconut Mama
Ingredients: soy free chocolate coconut butter, vanilla extract, raw honey/maple syrup.
Chocolate and coconut are classic partners, especially in sweet treats like these delicious Paleo butter bars, and the two layers look amazing together. These little beauties are great for a quick protein kick after a busy morning when you need to boost your energy levels. If you tolerate nuts you could also sprinkle chopped nuts on the top but this is just an option.
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bites
– Savory Lotus
Photo Credit: Katja from Savory Lotus
Ingredients: almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, raw cacao powder, unrefined salt, peppermint essential oil.
Chocolate and peppermint really do go hand-in-hand, and I love to have treats like these ready at Christmas time or when friends pop round. These bites melt in the mouth and could even be served as an after-dinner palate cleanser. You can make these in muffin cases or special molds, but it is easiest to set them in ice-cube trays then pop them out and store in the freezer in a bag.
5 Minute Raw Paleo Fudge Balls (Vegan)
– Healy Eats Real
Photo Credit: Hannah from Healy Eats Real
Ingredients: cacao powder, shredded coconut, honey/coconut nectar or maple syrup for vegan, coconut milk or almond milk, almond butter.
It can be a great idea to have a really speedy recipe for treats like the ones in this Paleo recipe, just in case friends pop round or you have no time but just need fudge! These fudge balls can even be made vegan if you sweeten them with maple syrup, and would be a great treat for the holidays. You can either roll these in cacao powder or shredded coconut for an extra bit of texture.
Paleo Cookie Dough Bites
– Living Well Mom
Ingredients: coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract, honey or maple syrup, almond flour, dairy-free chocolate chips.
Cookie dough traditionally involves using gluten, but these ones are gluten and dairy-free, so are totally safe for the Paleo lifestyle. These also do not use egg, so they are perfect for those of us who can’t have raw egg products. These would make a lovely dessert served with some low-carb ice cream. Just store these in the refrigerator and they will keep for a few days.
Paleo Protein Bar Recipes – Nut Free
Sweet & Tart Energy Bars
– Meatified
Photo Credit: Rach from Meatified
Ingredients: black mission figs, golden raisins, dried tart cherries/dried apricots/or dried cranberries, plantain chips or plantain strips, unsweetened coconut, ground cinnamon, sea salt.
This is a truly adaptable recipe which is suitable for AIP followers. The bars have no added sweeteners or oils, and the combination of sweet and tart from the fruits used here make them so tasty – a great snack to fill you if you have a while to wait and are running on empty! These can be stored in an airtight container or frozen, but we recommend you separate them with wax paper first so they are easy to take out.
Raw Coconut, Orange and Date Bars with Pink Himalayan Salt
– Healing Family Eats
Photo Credit: Healing Family Eats
Ingredients: medjool dates, shredded coconut, coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut butter, orange zest, orange juice, water, Himalayan salt.
Because these bars don’t involve cooking, they are easy to make and can be ready in minutes, so you can rustle up a batch really quickly. The orange is just enough to give a citrus hint to the flavor, but the richness comes from the sweet and sticky dates. The sprinkle of Himalayan salt adds a lovely look to the bars, but also gives just enough saltiness to cut through the rich dates.
Cranberry Fig Collagen Protein Bars
– Grazed and Enthused
Photo Credit: Grazed & Enthused
Ingredients: black Mission figs, unsweetened dried cranberries, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, coconut oil, grated orange zest, sea salt.
Whether you use these as a post-workout energy booster or just as a quick mid-afternoon snack on a busy day, I am sure you will love these Paleo protein bars with their jewels of cranberry studded through. It is the stickiness of the fruit that holds these delicious bars together, and other dried fruits such as raisins would work well here to vary the flavor.
Sweet & Salted Energy Balls
– Meatified
Photo Credit: Rach from Meatified
Ingredients: black mission figs, golden raisins, dried tart cherries/dried strawberries/or dried apricots, plantain chips or plantain strips, shredded unsweetened coconut, ground cinnamon, sea salt.
Figs, like dates, have a slight sweetness and give a sticky richness to these Paleo snacks. The combination of sweet and salty in these energy balls is a wonderful taste experience. If you can’t eat coconut, then simply add more plantain chips to bulk up the mixture, and if you use salted plantain then the advice is to taste the mixture before you add any salt.
Caramel Apple Pie Bars
– Clean Eating with A Dirty Mind
Photo Credit: Vanessa from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind
Ingredients: maple sugar, coconut sugar, full-fat coconut milk, ghee, vanilla extract, sea salt, apples, almond flour, coconut flour, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg yolks, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, egg white, water.
Because this recipe is for bars that are drenched in sweet caramel, you might want to use apples that are a bit tart to give a contrast to the flavor. Granny Smith are excellent for this low-carb recipe as they hold their shape really well when they are cooked. These bars look so good and with the cinnamon and nutmeg they have all the flavors of the holiday season!
Coconut Berry Bars
– Coconut Mama
Photo Credit: Tiffany from The Coconut Mama
Ingredients: coconut butter, berries, raw honey, vanilla extract, fresh lemon zest.
The first thing that strikes you about these wonderful Paleo berry bars is the vivid color! This comes from the choice of fruit you decide to use, and the color can be even deeper if you use blackberries and blueberries. These bars are the perfect mix of fruit and coconut and can be a great way to encourage even the picky eaters in the family to enjoy healthy snacks.
Nut-Free Paleo Chewy Granola Bars
– The Paleo Mom
Photo Credit: Sarah from The Paleo Mom
Ingredients: eggs, vanilla, honey, shredded unsweetened coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried apricots, dried cranberries, dairy-free mini chocolate chips, flaked coconut, salt, cinnamon.
Some traditional store-bought granola bars can be very dry and crumbly, so it was great to find this Paleo recipe for chewy ones. The chewy texture comes from the coconut and fruit, and because there are healthy seeds in these as well, you will find they are quite filling and will keep you going till dinner! These bars are perfect to take on long journeys or if you are out for a hike, as they really boost your energy.
Paleo Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bars
– Paleo Running Momma
Ingredients: eggs, unsweetened almond butter, unsweetened applesauce, raw honey or pure maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, blueberries.
These perfect Paleo breakfast bars have a denser texture than muffins, making them great to have in the morning or for a bit of a boost mid-afternoon. They are sweet and fruity, and you can use fresh or frozen blueberries, so they can be quite cheap to make. It is so good to bite into these and find little pockets of blueberry goodness through the middle!
Mango Coconut Protein Bar
– Real Food Forager
Ingredients: dried mango, collagen peptides, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, ground ginger, shredded coconut.
If you have a family member who has nut intolerances it can be difficult to find energy bars for them. So why not make your own? These are so easy to make and have a lovely tropical flavor thanks to the mango and ginger. Obviously these bars contain a lot of natural sugars, so should not be eaten too regularly, but they are ideal for an occasional low-carb snack.
Other Paleo Protein Bar Recipes
Paleo Strawberries and Cream Collagen Bars
– A Girl Worth Saving
Photo Credit: Kelly from A Girl Worth Saving
Ingredients: unsweetened dried coconut, raw cashews, dried strawberries, coconut cream, coconut oil, collagen peptides, pure vanilla extract, coconut flour, sea salt.
Who doesn’t like strawberries and cream! So to have them in a healthy Paleo-friendly snack bar is amazing! The whole family will love these tasty treats. Full of healthy fats and proteins from the nuts, they also have a natural sweetness from the strawberries. The collagen peptides can also help keep your hair and nails strong and can be useful for skin conditions too, so are great for teens and tots alike.
Cashew Coconut Larabites
– The Healthy Foodie
Photo Credit: Sonia from The Healthy Foodie
Ingredients: pitted dates, coconut oil, Himalayan salt, dry roasted cashews, unsweetened shredded coconut.
Making your own energy bars is such a great idea as they are much healthier and cheaper and, like these ones, can be stored in an airtight container for weeks! These low-carb bars are sticky and sumptuous and just sweet enough to satisfy without giving you a sugar rush. Just remember when you are making these that you press the mixture firmly and this way you will have a firmer texture rather than a crumbly one.
Lemon Fruit and Nut Bars
– Peace, Love and Low Carb
Photo Credit: Kyndra from Peace Love and Low Carb
Ingredients: raw almonds, raw cashews, Deglet Noor dates, lemon.
Just imagine how good it is to have your own homemade Paleo protein bars to enjoy any time you need a bit of a boost! These ones don’t involve any cooking and it would be great to involve the kids in making these. The dates are great for giving you a slow-release energy source and their sweet richness is complemented by the lemon, which gives them a real citrus hit.
Toasted Almond and Chocolate Homemade Protein Bars
– The Healthy Foodie
Photo Credit: Sonia from The Healthy Foodie
Ingredients: toasted almond butter, coconut butter, date paste, Himalayan salt, hot water, New Zealand Whey Protein Isolate, organic cacao powder, raw almonds, cacao paste, coconut oil, raw honey, unsweetened coconut flakes.
It is often important that your food looks good as this can encourage even the most skeptical to try eating the healthier option, so why not give these Paleo protein bars a try? They look amazing! Don’t be put off by the size as these bars are designed to be a total replacement for a meal if you have no time, but if you would rather use them as a snack you could cut them into smaller pieces.
Paleo Lara Bar Copycats – Pumpkin Pie Fruit and Nut Bars
– Peace, Love and Low Carb
Photo Credit: Kyndra from Peace Love and Low Carb
Ingredients: raw cashews, raw pepitas, Deglet Noor dates, dried apricots, pumpkin pie spice.
Homemade fruit and nut bars can be a much healthier alternative to store-bought protein bars and these ones can be easy to make Paleo-friendly. They get their sticky texture from the dates and this helps to hold the bars together, and they have all the spices associated with pumpkin pie. You can vary the ingredients for different flavors, for example adding cranberries or raisins instead of the apricots.
Paleo Superfood Energy Bars
– Cavegirl Cuisine
Photo Credit: Michelle from Cavegirl Cuisine
Ingredients: Deglet dates, egg whites, raw honey, salt, goji berries, almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), walnut pieces, unsweetened coconut flakes.
These Paleo energy bars hold together really well, partly because of the egg white and partly because they are baked. They are a fantastic source of energy and have the natural sweetness from the honey, leaving you satisfied and with a boost to the system to keep you going. If there are some ingredients you don’t like or can’t find then just substitute them for your favorites.
No-Bake Paleo Protein Bars
– Fed and Fulfilled
Photo Credit: Fed and Fulfilled
Ingredients: nuts of choice, raisins, nut butter, protein powder, coconut oil, cocoa powder.
If you have no time in the morning and need a quick protein-rich breakfast, these no-bake bars will be so handy! They are quick to make and can keep you going till lunch. They don’t involve any cooking and are so portable as they are wrapped individually, so these would make a good booster for a lunchbox or when you are traveling. These Paleo bars can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.
No Bake Paleo Lime Bars
– Empowered Sustenance
Photo Credit: Empowered Sustenance
Ingredients: tigernut flour, coconut flour, nut or seed butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, fresh lime juice, grass fed gelatin, lime zest, avocado, pure maple syrup or raw honey.
There is nothing that tastes fresher than these delicious lime bars and they would be just great for a summer snack! There is no cooking involved, so making these is a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. The green color of these Paleo lime bars comes from the zest and the avocado, which also helps keep the texture smooth. They also have the added benefit of gelatine which is a good source of protein.
Honeyed Lemon Ginger Bliss Balls
– Ditch the Wheat
Photo Credit: Carol from Ditch The Wheat
Ingredients: raw cashews, shredded coconut, honey, fresh ginger, lemon, ground vanilla.
Bliss balls are a great source of protein and healthy fats and can be a wonderful snack to have as an energy booster. The ingredients in this recipe have the warming winter flavors of honey, lemon and ginger and these would be a good snack if you have a cold. These perfect Paleo snacks are great for traveling or as a quick breakfast when you are short on time in the morning.
Chocolate Coconut Oil Nut Bars
– Savory Lotus
Photo Credit: Katja from Savory Lotus
Ingredients: walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, raw honey, coconut oil, cacao or cocoa powder.
This is such an adaptable recipe as you can use whatever seeds and nuts you prefer to create your own chocolate bars. You could even add in some dried fruit like raisins or cranberries for a fruit and nut alternative. These low-carb bars can be chunkier or smoother, depending on how you like them – you can even leave some of the nuts whole for added texture.
Paleo Blueberry Breakfast Bars
– Milk & Honey Nutrition
Ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, blueberries, orange juice.
Here is another Paleo recipe for energy bars that can be used for breakfast on a busy morning or as a healthy snack. This is a vegan recipe if you use maple syrup instead of honey.
Chocolate Chip Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Bars
– PaleOMG
Ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, ghee, maple syrup, mini chocolate chips, cream from full-fat coconut milk, vanilla extract, fresh raspberries.
I love when summer comes around and you get to eat all the delicious fresh berries that are available then. These amazing Paleo cookie bars are studded with fresh raspberries that bring their own natural sweetness and act as a contrast to the chocolate. The shortbread base sets the whole bar off with its crumbly texture and these would be good to serve with coffee when friends come round.
Raw (3 ingredient) Snack Bars
– I Heart Umami
Ingredients: nut of choice, medjool dates, cacao powder.
This has got to be the simplest snack bar recipe ever, with only three ingredients and no cooking! These Paleo bars use dates as a source of sweetness and to hold the bars together, and they give these tasty bars a richness of texture too. You can use whatever nuts or seeds you like and these will boost the protein level in the bars. These can be stored individually wrapped for easy transport.
Coco-Nutty Dark Bark
– Nom Nom Paleo
Ingredients: unsweetened coconut flakes, dark chocolate, macadamia nuts, dried cranberries.
I don’t know about you, but I just love it when someone gives me a homemade gift, and this dark bark would be so good to gift at Christmas! You are not restricted to the ingredients you use – have fun with different nutty and fruity combinations or customize it to the season using macadamia nuts and dried cranberries for Christmas or shredded coconut and other dried berries for a Paleo-friendly birthday gift.
Almond Joy Bars
– PaleOMG
Ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, ghee, maple syrup, salt, unsweetened shredded coconut, coconut
oil, honey, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, almonds.
These amazing Paleo layered bars look so pretty and they taste really good! You have the combination of the shortbread base, the sweet coconut middle and the chocolate topping, giving you a really moreish bar that will fill you and keep you going. You can top these with almonds, sprinkle a little more coconut on the chocolate or ramp up the flavor by adding some fresh berries as a topping!
Almond Coconut Bars
– The Paleo Mom
Photo Credit: Sarah from The Paleo Mom
Ingredients: shredded unsweetened coconut, raw almonds, almond butter, extra virgin coconut oil, coconut flour, salt, blackstrap molasses, vanilla extract, dark chocolate.
When you need a snack bar to keep you going, this recipe can be a good one. These bars are not particularly sweet, but there is a rich flavor from the molasses and it adds a stickiness to the texture. If you like your protein bars a bit sweeter, but still sticky, you can use raw honey instead, which might be a good idea for kids who crave sweeter foods.
Homemade Coconut Cream Pie Larabars
– The Big Man’s World
Ingredients: raw almonds, raw cashews, pitted dates, unsweetened shredded coconut, coconut oil.
Here is another great Paleo recipe for high-energy bars, thanks to the dates that are used in them. They give the bars a gooey and chewy texture, which can be very satisfying. These are also gluten and dairy-free and can be wrapped and taken in a lunchbox or as a post-workout snack.
Applesauce Raisin Breakfast Bars
– Create Delicious
Ingredients: tigernuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, raisins, coconut flour, cassava flour, ground cinnamon, salt, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, coconut cream.
This is an AIP-compliant recipe that fits with the Paleo eating plan too. It uses tigernuts which are actually tubers, so this is a nut and grain-free breakfast recipe. These healthy bars have a chewy texture and are studded with raisins for extra sweetness. If you can’t get tigernuts where you live they are available online, or you could use actual nuts if you tolerate them.