No bake cinnamon roll protein bars

No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Protein Bars – a healthy and portable snack packed-full of protein and made with healthy ingredients like dates, cashews, protein powder and rolled oats for a delicious and sweet no-bake treat.

While I’m a huge fan of baking I’m also a huge fan of not baking. Ha! Especially when the weather warms up, I like to keep our house cooler and keep the oven turned off when possible. And just on cue, our oven malfunctioned the other days so looks like we’ll be taking a week off baking anyway! So when I was craving a cinnamon roll the other day, I shifted gears in my mind and decided to make cinnamon roll protein bars! And let me tell you… they were a great substitute for the real deal!

Here’s What You Need:

raw, unsalted cashews – I’ve only made these with cashews but you could try using a different combination of nuts if you’d like!

dates – adds the perfect amount of sweetness and holds these bars together.

vanilla protein powder – I have been liking the Garden of Life Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder lately but any vegan or whey protein powder will work! I do recommend vanilla flavor for this recipe. A note on my preference below.

cinnamon – can’t have a cinnamon roll without cinnamon!

sea salt

rolled oats – be sure to grab gluten-free if necessary

almond milk – I recommend unsweetened almond milk but any non-dairy milk will work.

There are two parts to these bars… the actual protein bar and then the “frosting” drizzle on top. Yes, the frosting is made from protein powder and milk but it’s a really great addition that I don’t recommend skipping!

How much protein is in these bars?

This will ultimately depend on what type of protein powder you use. Here’s how to figure out the amount of protein per serving in each bar:

Determine how many servings goes into 3/4 of a cup i.e. for Garden of Life Vanilla protein there are 1 1/2 scoops in 3/4 cup so 1 1/2 servings. Each serving is 22 grams of protein so that means there are 33 grams of protein total. Now divide that by the number of bars- which I cut into 12. That means there are 2.75 grams of protein per bar. That being said, the dates + oats also have small amounts of protein as well so likely around 3 grams of protein per bar.

Generally whey protein tends to have more protein per serving than plant-based protein so if increasing your protein consumption is your goal then you’re better off going with whey.

Using Plant-Based Protein

So I’ve tested these no-bake cinnamon roll protein bars with both grass-fed whey protein and plant-based protein. I’ll be honest, the taste is a bit more authentic with the grass-fed whey. They also look a bit more like cinnamon rolls because the plant-based protein tends to add a “greenish” hue to the bars (which you’ll see in these photos). If that’s off-putting to you, stick with whey but if you’re vegan or just prefer plant-based protein powder know that they work just fine!

Storing No Bake Protein Bars

I recommend cutting and storing these bars in an airtight container layered with parchment paper. Keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.