Gluten Free Homemade Protein Bars – Cherry Almond

If I could total the amount I used to spend on store bought protein bars… ? It wasn’t until a couple of years ago I realized how easy it was to make my own! And obviously how tasty (have you had these no bake peanut butter ones?!). on top of being an easy snack to grab and run out the door with, it’s fairly simple to customize protein bars which is nice if your family has food allergies! These gluten free homemade protein bars are not only allergy friendly, but they taste great too!

Protein bars. Truthfully these are an absolute staple in my house. The funny thing is that they used to be a staple because I focused so heavily on physique goals and a high protein diet. Now-a-days they’re crucial because I can jam a lot of healthy superfoods into them and keep us all full in a pinch!

In my day, I have bought countless amounts of protein bars. Countless.

They were quick, easy, freakishly sweet and did the trick after a gym workout.

And they are so not worth it.

Not only do store bought protein bars contain a crap ton of sugar and other “ingredients” but it’s tricky to find protein bars geared towards specific diet needs. Well, good ones anyways ?

Now, the funny thing is that I’m not celiac nor am I vegan. However, I find that when I focus on a real food diet my recipes tend to end up either vegan or gluten free as the ingredients are healthy.

And of course, homemade is best 😀

So that leaves us with these gluten free homemade protein bars.

The bars use both almond meal and gluten free oats as the base, giving the bars a boost of healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Almond meal is probably my favorite to use for absolutely everything(especially in pancakes!) because it’s unbelievably nutrient dense- which if you’re making your own bars you might as well aim for!

Regarding protein powder you’ve got quite a bit of choice. Below is the protein powder I used for this recipe. This is one I truly enjoy because it’s filled with plant-based protein and a lot of “super” ingredients.

You can most definitely use your own vegan protein powder but confirm it’s celiac approved if you need these specifically to be gluten free homemade protein bars.

You can also use a whey protein powder in the bars, but it will make them insanely sweet- which isn’t always bad ?

All in all these gluten free homemade protein bars are insanely simple to make (thank god for no bake snacks right?!) and also extremely tasty. They’re vegan (so dairy free), gluten free and made with only real food ingredients. Plus, cherry almond is a wonderful combination!

Make these for friends (if you’re doing this… I need more friends like you!) or keep a batch in the freezer for post workout or on the go snacks. Seriously, gluten free homemade protein bars make life easy ?

Ingredients In The Gluten Free Homemade Protein Bars

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup gluten free Old Fashioned Oats
2 scoops Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil, measured solid
1/3 cup Almond butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
2/3 cups dried cherries
1/2 cup almonds, chopped

Note: all these health boosting ingredients can be purchased through my favorite retailer Well.ca– and the best part is that they offer free shipping!

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

How To Make The Cherry Almond Bars

In a large bowl combine the first four ingredients.

Heat the coconut oil until melted and whisk it in with the almond butter and syrup,

Pour wet into dry and mix slightly.

Slowly add in the almond milk and whisk until combined.

Add in the dried cherries and mix again.

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Scoop the mixture into the pan and using another piece of parchment paper, press the bar mixture evenly into the pan. Press hard to make sure they stay together.

Top the mixture with the almonds and use a silicone spatula to press them into the mixture.

Place in the freezer to set for one hour.

Remove and cut into ten bars.

Keep in the freezer until ready to eat (or place in the fridge). Can be eaten straight from the freezer or chilled in the fridge.

Makes ten bars.

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