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These Pumpkin Protein Bars are gluten Free, vegan, refined sugar free and are super simple to make. They’re made with only five simple ingredients, are filled with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and taste like pumpkin pie in a bar form! Try them once and they’ll become your new fall snack obsession.
If you know me, you know I am obsessed with all things Fall. The changing leaves, cooler weather, cozy sweaters, staying in and watching Halloween movies, Autumn decor, warm and hearty meals, PSL’s, and ANY sort of pumpkin recipe! Well, I FINALLY made my own homemade protein bars and I was so obsessed, I had no other option to make a pumpkin version.
All you need are a few main ingredients that you most likely already have lying around the house. It takes a few minutes to stir up all the ingredients, stick them in the freezer for an hour or so, and wah-lah, you have delicious, fudgy, healthy, homemade protein bars for a balanced, filling snack!
There are so many benefits to making your own protein bars at home over the store-bought options. They’re great for quick, on-the-go options if you don’t have the time to make your own but honestly, these are now my preferred bar! I still have a hard time finding protein bars in store that have minimal ingredients, no additives or preservatives, are lower in sugar, and actually pack in a decent amount of protein. By making your own, you can choose your own ingredients, keep them simple, and have them taste delicious the way that YOU want them!
Watch how to make these HERE.
Why You’ll Love These
- Easy meal prep staple – These are no bake bars, so all you need to do is mix the ingredients, lay them in a pan, and let them freeze for an hour or so. Super easy to include in any meal or ingredient prepping you already do for the week ahead!
- High protein – This recipe makes about seven bars and each bar has almost twenty grams of protein!
- Balanced snack – These bars have a nice balance of protein, fats, and carbs making them a filling, satisfying snack that will also lower the chance of a huge blood sugar spike. We have protein from the protein powder, healthy fats from the peanut butter, and high fiber carbs from the pumpkin puree.
- Dietary friendly – These bars can easily be customized but by following this recipe exactly, it’s already gluten free, grain free, vegan, refined sugar free, low sugar, high protein, and low carb!
What You’ll Need
- Peanut butter— Feel free to sub in whichever nut or seed butter you prefer. I recommend getting a natural, organic nut butter where the only ingredients are the nut and salt, maybe a little oil. These are naturally runnier and make it easier to stir!
- Protein powder— I love to use plant-based protein powders in my bar recipes for the taste and texture. My favorites are from Truvani and Sprout Living (discount code: callascleaneats). Neither of these have weird additives or preservatives, they’re organic, and higher in fiber.
- Pumpkin puree— Look for a can of 100% pure pumpkin puree. You don’t want the kind with added sugar/other ingredients or pumpkin pie filling!
- Pumpkin pie spice— A necessity! You can find pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores in the spice aisle.
- Chocolate chips— To keep these vegan and dairy free, make sure to use dairy free chocolate chips like these. I also love using Hu Gems for bigger chunks!
- Sea salt – High quality is key and makes any recipe better and why I prefer Redmond Real Salt.
How To Make
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. (Tip: For easy removal of the bars once they’re done, make sure there’s parchment paper hanging off both long sides of the loaf pan so you can grab hold of those and lift the bars out of the pan!)
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients well until you reach a thick dough consistency.
- Press the dough into the lined loaf pan and flatten the top with a silicone spatula or the back of your hands. If you’re including chocolate chips in the your recipe, press some more into the top.
- Set in the freezer for at least one hour until firm. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or longer in the freezer. Enjoy!
Recommended Tools
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Glass mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula – This will keep the thick dough from sticking while you mix it!
- Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons – Stainless steel washes really well and these have lasted me so long.
- Glass food storage container
Even More Homemade Protein Bars
Snickers Protein Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Cosmic Brownie Protein Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Honey Sea Salt Vanilla Protein Bars (Gluten Free, Low Sugar)
Pumpkin Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- chocolate chips (optional— for topping)
Instructions
- Line loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix all ingredients super well until you reach a thick dough consistency.
- Press dough into loaf pan and flatten the top with a spoon or your hands.
- Press in chocolate chips and set in the freezer for 1 hour.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest!
How many calories are in them?
what can i use instead of protein powder?
What is the breakdown of calories, protein etc.. z
Hi Kris! I don’t include calories or macros on my recipes but you can enter this into a nutrition calculator app or online and it will give a good estimate 😊
Can I use collagen instead of protein
Yes! Collagen should work just as well, you might need to adjust the ratio of wet/dry ingredients since collagen can be a little less packed than protein powder.