No-Bake Vegan Protein Bars (4 Ingredients!)

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Wood cutting board with 6 squares of our Easy No Bake gluten-free Vegan Protein Bars recipe

Protein, protein, PROTEIN! (Said in loud, hulky voice.)

That’s what I’ve jokingly been saying recently as I shovel mass amounts of food into my mouth.

I’ve been trying to add more protein into my diet (as always), but it’s hard work! Namely because it’s challenging to remember that you need nutrients more than chocolate (even though chocolate is totally more fun).

A bowl of amaranth for making homemade gluten-free vegan granola bars

I recently realized after a number of failed attempts at vegan protein bars that I should totally just make my own.

So I did.
And they rocked.
And they’re easy.
And they’re way better than store bought (there I said it).

Plus, just 4 ingredients, naturally sweetened, and more than 10 grams of protein per bar!

The base is peanut (or almond or sun) butter, then comes maple syrup and your favorite protein powder (I list mine below). And the final touch? POPPED AMARANTH.

This mighty grain contains plenty of nutrients and protein and has a neutral, slightly nutty flavor. Not to mention, it pops up beautifully on the stovetop in no time (10 seconds!).

Series of photos mixing in the ingredients for our No Bake Vegan Protein Bars recipe

I hope you love these bars! They’re:

Crunchy
Savory-(naturally) sweet
Insanely delicious
Peanut buttery
Protein-packed (10+ g/ bar!)
& Highly portable!

These are the perfect snack to have around when you need a little extra protein during the day. They’re so simple once the amaranth is popped (you can do it, I believe in you). I highly recommend making a big batch and freezing these! They’ll stay forever in the freezer (OK, more like 1 month).

If you make this recipe let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Squares of our No Bake Vegan Protein Bars recipe for a protein-rich vegan snack

No-Bake Vegan Protein Bars (4 Ingredients!)

Insanely delicious No Bake Vegan Protein Bars with 10 g protein! Naturally sweetened, 4 ingredients, so simple to make!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Parchment-lined cutting board with several squares of our Vegan Protein Bar recipe drizzled with melted chocolate
4.69 from 29 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 9 (bars)
Course Bar, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days

Ingredients

  • ~1/3 cup amaranth (1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups popped as original recipe is written)
  • 3 Tbsp vanilla or unflavored vegan protein powder*
  • 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub stevia // more or less to taste)
  • 1 cup creamy salted peanut or almond butter (or sun butter if sensitive to nuts)
  • 2-3 Tbsp melted dark vegan chocolate (optional)

Instructions

  • Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and set aside (adjust number/size of pan if altering batch size).
  • Pop* your amaranth by heating a large pot over medium-high heat. You’ll know it’s ready to start adding amaranth when a drop of water disperses quickly and balls up.
  • Add about 2-3 Tbsp amaranth at a time and immediately cover. Shake the pot back and forth over the heat (wearing oven mitts is helpful) to move the grain around. It should start popping within 1-3 seconds, and be done popping at the 10-second mark. Be sure to pull them off at around 10 seconds or they’ll start to burn.
  • Not every single grain will pop (that’s OK!). Very quickly empty into a mixing bowl. This may take a couple tries to dial in your heat and not burn them – it took me 4 tries! But then you’ll hit your stride.
  • Continue until you have roughly 1 1/2 cups popped grain (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). As you go, add your popped grain into a small mixing bowl first to ensure none are burnt. Then transfer to a larger bowl so you don’t mix any burnt grain with perfectly popped grain. Set aside.
  • Add peanut or almond butter and maple syrup to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then add protein powder and stir.
  • Add popped amaranth a little at a time until you have a loose “dough” texture. Be careful not to add too much or the bars can lose their tackiness and won’t stick together. I found roughly 1 1/4 cups to be about right (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Stir with a wooden spoon or use hands to disperse mixture evenly.
  • Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and press down to form an even layer. Lay parchment paper or plastic wrap on top and use a flat-bottom object like a liquid measuring cup to press down and pack the mixture into an even, firmly packed layer.
  • Transfer to freezer to set for 10-15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Then lift out and slice into 9 bars (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Enjoy as is, or drizzle with a bit of melted dark chocolate (optional).
  • These get a little soft at room temperature, so store in the refrigerator (up to 5 days) or in the freezer (up to 1 month).

Video

Notes

*Popping method from Craftsy.com. If you can’t find amaranth, you can also sub puffed brown rice cereal or most other popped grains.
*My go-to protein powder recently has been Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder in Vanilla, which works great, here! Other options would be Vega, Vegan Smart, or Sun Warrior.
*I highly recommend making a big batch and freezing these! They’ll stay for at least 1 month, likely longer!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 9 servings)

Serving: 1 bar Calories: 215 Carbohydrates: 12.3 g Protein: 10.7 g Fat: 15 g Saturated Fat: 3.3 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 140 mg Fiber: 2.4 g Sugar: 4.2 g

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  1. mawi says

    Looks great, and Im sure its delicious, but as a competitive natural bodybuilder personally I would say that fat content is way too high.

    There is a big trend of vegan recipes that throw nut butters in everything, and I also understand that its difficult to find ingredients for such bars, but..

    Nuts are mostly fat, healthier fats yes, but still very high fat! Nuts are also renowned for being an allergen.

    it would be nice to see creators focus on digestive health, especially foods Low in Fodmaps.

    I challenge you to come up with a low fodmap vegan protein bar :) High in protein, low in fat, and not so high in Carbs.

    Or maybe you have recipes for that already?

    cheers
    M

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Mawi, we hear you. Since protein powders (and more specifically, amino acids) don’t usually taste great, that’s a bit tricky! Typically to make it taste good without artificial sweeteners/flavors, there needs to be more carbs/fats. We’ll add it to our ideas list though. Thanks for the feedback!

  2. VICKY says

    Loved these bars so much! They were so much fun to make too! My 3 year old had a blast popping the grains! We didn’t have protein powder, looking forward of buying some and making them with it. This will be a regular in our hose for sure!

  3. Annie says

    I’m not seeing my amaranth pop or change. The grains are getting more colored, so I’ve pulled off the heat. What am I missing? Thanks!!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Annie, we’d suggest increasing the heat. That should allow it to pop without getting too brown. Let us know if you’re still having issues!

  4. Gina says

    I just made this! :) I used vanilla protein powder & these remind me of the cereals I ate when I was young. Delicious! Like everyone else, I had trouble popping the amaranth at first. I was using a large saucepan. It took forever to heat up & the bottom surface wasn’t large enough to pop a tablespoon so I switched to a light cast iron coated skillet (with lid) & that worked perfectly! These bars are wonderful, as are all your recipes. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Gina. The amaranth does take a bit of experimenting to get right. But we’re so glad you persevered and enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  5. Nicole says

    Fun recipe! Like others, it took me a few tries to get the amaranth to pop. Best to wait 3-4 min for the pan to really heat up and use tiny bits of grain at a time. I replaced part of the nut butter with pumpkin for some fun flavor and lightening it up. I used Orgain vegan vanilla protein powder. Turned out delicious and a perfect work snack! Will double the recipe next time!

  6. Alana says

    Tasty and nice texture alternative to my regular protein bars with flax and oats. The hardest part was popping the amaranth. Like mentioned in the description, it took me about 4 tries to get it, but I don’t think it was technique…the first 3-4 times, it was just burning (even though I was lightly shaking pan), or 1/100 would pop and it was so tiny…I tried adding a little oil, but they just glom together and it didn’t help…I tried using a nonstick pan instead of stainless steel, but that didn’t change the outcome. I honestly don’t think I personally improved on my technique- I think you just have to let the pan stay heated for like 3-5minutes and double check that the water bubbles up and balls together. The water thing happened pretty quickly…like within the first minute, so that shouldn’t be your cue…but after about 3-5minutes, (which is how long it took me to fail 3-4 times), once it was hot for that long, as soon as I put in 2 tbsp, they immediately started popping and you lightly shake the pan with its lid on and when you don’t see/hear the popping (roughly 10sec), take it off the burner, put contents in a sieve and separate the popped from the burnt or unpopped. Hope that helps you! I enjoy these for breakfast or snacks.

  7. Catherine says

    Have made this recipe a few times, substituting One Degree Brown Rice Cereal Crisps for the amaranth, as mentioned in the comments. I also opted out of the chocolate drizzle, though I’m not sure why I would pass on chocolate. 🤔 Very easy to make, simply delicious! It’s a lovely go-to snack when reading in the evening. Much thanks for posting this recipe, but for also taking the time to include nutritional information – it is greatly appreciated!

    I’m going to try the 3-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge next.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Great idea! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Catherine! xo

  8. Tahlia shafar says

    I was so desperate to make these but I couldn’t find amaranth so I made it with quinoa flakes instead – I do not recommend!! Had to throw them out.

    Will make again but this time according to the recipe and post my review :).

  9. Mel says

    I made this today subbing puffed quinoa for the amaranth. They came out amazing! Wrapped them and popped them in the freezer for a quick snack/bfast option. They’re so good, I doubt they’ll last the week!

  10. Viktória says

    This recipe is my favourite of all protein bar recipes!!! So easy!! We just moved to Finland, and couldn’t find amaranth in the store, so I decided to make it with oats. I didn’t pop them, but it turned out perfect! Since then I made it like four times. Can’t stop… We just found an organic shop where they sell amaranth. Can’t wait to try it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoy them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

      • Viktória says

        Yep. Here is my rate. :) absolute 5 star!
        I tried the it with the popped amaranth! It is even better!!! Thank you again!

  11. Tash says

    Is puffed rice cereal like… Rice bubbles?
    I’m being lazy and want to make them with things I have already instead of buying amaranth.

  12. Nicole says

    Great recipe which can be customised! Used puff rice cereal instead of amaranth which makes this low fodmap friendly.

  13. Kat says

    YUM I’ve made these a few times now. So simple and delish. The first time I added the choccy but it’s not essential I find them sweet enough on their own. I use tropeka vanilla protein powder. Vegan and all natural

  14. Beth says

    Just made these. Left out the maple syrup and the taste is great, but super goey, even after an hour in the freezer. Suggestions to make them hold together better? Followed the recipe exactly except for the maple syrup.

  15. Haley-jo says

    These are amazing! I used quinoa instead of amaranth. I did 3/4 cup sun butter and 1/4 cush cashew butter. They needed to spend a little more time in the freezer for me to be able to cut them. Love this recipe!

  16. Ellie says

    I just tried this recipe with vanilla essence instead of any protein powder (didn’t have any in) and with golden syrup instead of maple syrup. I’m really pleased with the results! Very tasty. I’ve never cooked with aramanth before but it was quite fun, like many people have said. We used very chunky peanut butter though, I think the structural integrity suffered a bit because of it. Looking forward to trying again with some protein powder and some less chunky peanut butter. I think it would be nice with tahini, too. Thanks so much!

  17. Gonzalo says

    Sub-stevia does mean that I can substitute all the maple syrup with just stevia? I prefer not to add any sugar, even though its not refined (it still free sugar by WHO). I’m looking forward to do this recipe, it looks great!.
    Thank you for your help.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes, you can sub with stevia, otherwise you could try omitting the sugar, though we haven’t tried it ourselves and can’t guarantee successful results.

  18. Tim says

    Would amaranth flour work in this recipe? My local store carries the amaranth flour but not amaranth. Thanks in advance.

  19. Bonnie says

    Awesome! Thanks for the reply! I can’t wait to try these! Love your recipes! Your watermelon margaritas were fantastic ? a huge hit at my party last month!!!

  20. Bonnie says

    I know this is an old recipe on here but I’m wondering if you could use honey instead of maple syrup? I’m also subbing with a sunflower seed butter due to an intolerance to nuts. Thanks!

  21. Jess says

    Tried out this recipe, I wish the link to buying popped Amaranth online was included in the recipe to begin with, as popping it was time consuming, too inconsistent and frankly just frustrating. I ended up having to toss almost more than a third of it and at $9/bag that’s just too much waste. I ended up making these into balls as it did not provide enough to push into an 8×8 pan for bars. The taste is ok, though I find the vanilla protein powder flavor a bit overwhelming.

  22. Nathalie says

    this is legit one of my fave protein bars. so easy to make. i just wish i could pack them for hiking but since theyre no bake thats what i get ! regardless, i eat these before the gym if i’m in a hurry and dont have time to have a proper breakfast. i also eat them as a snack. but ive eaten them after the gym too. basically i just eat them whenever ! =)

    ive tried it both with amaranth and rice cereal. both are good but i def prefer the amaranth crunch you get.

  23. Lisa says

    Just made these today — so good! I ate a few spoonfuls before putting them in the fridge!! :) I think they’ll be great to take camping — if they can make it out the door before we eat them all hahaha!

  24. Tammy Terrio Wallace says

    I love the idea of this recipe but I don’t think I would do the amaranth again. It does not work well on the inconsistent heat of a glass stovetop. I think I literally did it over 12 times before it was okay. There were still lots of unpopped grain but they just wouldn’t pop. I found it worked best for me if I turned the stove up really high and didn’t shake the pot and let they all pop like crazy for about 1-2 seconds and then shook the pot so the other ones would get popped. If I just kept them on the heat (even low heat) for too long shaking they would just burn and not popped. at $6.65 a kg it just seemed like I ended up with a lot of waste… I also used wow butter so my 6 year old could bring these to school and I didn’t like the taste all that much. I hope she does. I would try them again with peanut or almond butter but I think I might hesitate because of the amaranth ordeal! LOL!

  25. Jennifer says

    These turned out pretty well and a little more practice for me will make them even better! It did take me a few batches of amaranth to figure out the best popping method (I ended up tipping the next unpopped batch and taking the pan off the stove for several seconds – a technique I use for popcorn – and that seemed to yield the best popped to not-popped ratio without burning)! Next time I will add a little less amaranth as mine did turn out a little too crumbly. But, the whole family loves the flavor so will definitely make again…after this batch is gone. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I used the Garden of Life vanilla protein powder – final product is deliciously flavored!

  26. Stephen says

    I used this as a base and expounded, based upon what I had in the pantry. Used ground flaxseed instead of amaranth. I used pea protein and a scoop of whey protein that I am trying to get rid of, so it’s not too vegan. I also used cocoa powder for the chocolate. It did well, and I will tinker more with it, but it came out to have a good balance of calories to protein once I worked the recipe out in MyFitnesspal. Once I am rid of my whey protein, I will double the scoops from the pea protein. Thanks for giving me a starting point; many of the protein bars in the stores give my belly problems.

  27. Kim says

    I’ve never popped amaranth myself, but when I was in India we would eat popped amaranth drizzled with honey and yogurt. I was excited to see this recipe and try popping it on my own. Popping was a little more frustrating than I thought it would be. It might be easier with a gas stove where you can control the heat better. It took awhile for my pan to warm up, maybe 8-10 minutes before the amaranth started popping right when I put it in. After that it was a cinch and the bars came together beautifully. I did have to use my hands to get everything together. I added some Maca powder and used Amazing Grass protein powder. I might add a touch of vanilla next time. They are delicious!

  28. Mary says

    Love it! I had never used amaranth before, so it took a few tries to pop, but after some practice it turned out great. I used Garden of Life vanilla flavored protein powder, sunflower butter, and the dark chocolate, and it was delicious. The bars are pretty soft, but they aren’t too messy thanks to the powder and amaranth taking away the stickiness of the sunbutter. I needed a good protein and calorie packed easy to eat snack, so these will definitely be a regular!

  29. Bernadette says

    My husband ate these. Enough said. I will definitely be making them again to keep in the fridge for when he is creeping around looking for a snack. Great recipe! Thanks :)

  30. Aleksandra says

    I found a package of Amaranth Grain in my pantry and had no idea what to do with it – came across this recipe and decided to try it! It was fun learning how to pop it – thank you for teaching me to do something new! After a couple of tries, it was pretty easy and was fairly quick to accumulate the cup and a half.
    Love how simple and easy this is and can easily be the start of a base to add other ingredients.

  31. Emily says

    Just made these and I can’t wait to eat them!! I couldn’t find amaranth so I subbed puffed brown rice. I also added a little less than 1/2 cup rolled oats, a couple tbsp chia seeds, a couple tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, and only used 1 tbsp of maple syrup. I wanted these to be more of a small meal replacement for when I’m starving at work, or a really calorie dense breakfast.
    I tasted the “batter” before putting it in the freezer and I think it’s gonna be great :)

  32. SoCalSemiVegan says

    Great use of amaranth. I bought a bunch and don’t really like the flavor by itself. With the nut butters its great. I didn’t use protein powder (don’t have any and don’t really “believe” in it), still worked out well. I added more amaranth to make up for the protein powder (1 1/2 cups). I also only used 1 tbsp of maple syrup and my toddler still ate it :)

  33. Amy says

    My daughter is going vegan/ peskateran? She’s 17 and is really tiny. I’m trying new recipes and want to do this right now… how would oatmeal work do you think. My girl needs calories lol… she does do vegan protein powder and vitamins daily. Thanks:

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! Adding some oats to this recipe should work, but may require you adding more nut butter to ensure that they are not dry! Let me know how it goes!

  34. Rachel says

    These are ok. A good base recipe but needs some work for me to love them. Pretty much like eating peanut butter from the jar :/
    I even added a bit more maple syrup and it was still like eating spoonfuls of peanut butter. I added the chocolate too!
    Popping the amaranth was fun!

  35. Katelyn says

    I absolutely love these! I have made several of your breakfast bars and these are my favorite!!! Popping the amaranth takes a little time to get the hang but once you get going it gets easy. My pot can’t handle as much as this recipe says to pop at once but once i figured that out smooth sailing. And the bag of amaranth seems like it will last through several batches of these. A total win in my book!

  36. Kimberly says

    I 4X this recipe about every 2-3 weeks, keeping half in my freezer at work and the other half my freezer at home. The ones I keep at work always disappear real fast…Everybody loves them! I’m a massage therapist at a franchise place where you get exactly 5 minutes from the time you take your hands off your client, to wait for them to dress; answer follow up questions; (pee, etc….); change the sheets on the table & get your next client, unless you want to be late for every client all day……Anyway, we all LOVE having these delicious, protein packed snacks available to easily grab on the go. They keep us from having loud tummy growls in the middle of massage sessions…truly.
    So, thank you so much for this recipe! It has been incredibly helpful to me, my coworkers, and our clients (even if they don’t know it). :-)
    P.S. Once I got the hang of popping amaranth, I started developing an amusement toward it. It’s actually kind of fun. I’ve even made videos of it. ha

  37. Margie says

    These are delicious and so easy. You are right once you get the hang of popping the amaranth it goes very quickly . Love that your recipes are vegan and GF. Thanks

  38. Mary Leopold says

    I made these yesterday and we (mostly I) have almost finished the batch! ;0 I didn’t have amaranth, so I toasted millet on the stove very carefully, and they are delicious. Drizzled a hearty amount of vegan chocolate on top. Thank you for another great recipe, Dana!

  39. Jenn says

    How do you think just regular chickpea flour would work in place of the protein powder? I don’t have a powder I like othe then hemp and it really imparts a flavor in bars! I’m going to try it today with sifted chickpea flour and hope for the tasty best :)

  40. fae says

    I think my almond butter wasn’t smooth enough (it was the fresh-ground-from-the-bulk-aisle type), because these never came together into a moldable mass, even with the addition of more almond butter. Tasty crumble, but not bars. If nothing else, at least, popping amaranth is pretty fun once you get the right temp :)

  41. Abbey says

    Something I loved learning from this recipe: popping amaranth is FUN! So now the question is what else can we use it for? I’m psyched!

    My bars came out great… at first. After a day in the fridge I think the grain absorbed all the moisture and they became very light and dry. The texture was hella weak. BUT! I’m glad to read some people had the opposite problem because that means there’s a middle ground. Will definitely try again.

    Thanks, Dana :)

  42. Kali says

    Very good. Popping the amaranth was a bit of a learning curve. After a few tries it became pretty easy. I had better luck in a large metal pot than a non-stick frying pan. Very, very tasty. I’ll be looking for more amaranth recipes now. Thank you!

  43. Shasta says

    What dimensions are the bars? My boyfriend is weight training and wants lots of protein… So want to get a size reference. Might try to figure out how to pack even more protein in them after I try making them according to spec.

  44. Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet says

    Hi Dana, Oh my gosh. We loved your recipe, only a slight modification – we only had quinoa, so instead of amaranth, we used that and first puffed it (rinsed the quinoa, then spread it on a cookie sheet and in the oven for 30 min at 200 degrees F) AND we folded in cashews into the batter at the end just for added protein and fun – the cashews turned soft, almost like white chocolate chips! SO yummy! Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe! Dee xx.

  45. RunningPathES says

    Just another comment — I wanted to make another batch, but didn’t want to go through the trouble of popping amaranth today. So I smashed up some Fiber One cereal, not very smashed just a bit, and threw that in instead. Used peanut butter, just under 1.5 Tb maple syrup, and the protein powder. They’re actually quite delicious this way. I’ve thought of other things to use, as well, such as crushed nuts (would add a lot more calories, but nutritious). I’m going to play around with it. The amaranth was pretty awesome, but I like that I can throw this together with whatever I have on hand and it seems to work well.

  46. Mariel says

    Finally got around to popping the amaranth I have sitting in my pantry…what a great recipe! So easy to make and very tasty.

  47. Maria says

    Whoa! I love love no-bake protein bars, but these are such a fun twist! Can’t wait to make them. Also, anything with chocolate and peanut butter can never be wrong.

  48. Jenny Nelson says

    Really excited to try this recipe. Would this be a good post work out snack to get my protein shot instead of a protein shake?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      It won’t provide “as” much protein as a smoothie or shake, but it would still make a nice post workout recovery snack!

  49. Hanusia says

    These look great, and I can’t wait to try making them! Your recipes have never failed me yet- I’m planning to make the Chickpea Sunflower salad/sandwich tomorrow!

    Also, I don’t know if you take recipe requests/ideas, but I’d love to see your take on a borscht. It’s a Ukrainian/Eastern European soup that is beet-based, so it’s a gorgeous pink color, with lots of veggies (and plenty of dill, yummm). It would be a great “one-pot” recipe and also it’s extra delicious topped with (vegan) sour cream. Just a thought!

  50. Marcia says

    When I tried to print the recipe (tried 3x), all I got was a picture of the bars. The rest was blank, on both pages. Any suggestions?

    Thank you, looking forward to making them and surprise my husband!

    Marcia

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerJohn Shultz says

      Hi Marcia,

      I’d suggest trying a new browser (such as google chrome or firefox) and/or clearing the cookies in your browser. I just tested this function and can’t find any other issues on our end. Hope that helps!

  51. Leona says

    I used the amaranth already popped, so I did not have to pop it myself. I also used more peanut butter because I used the crunchy type. They were delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  52. RunningPathES says

    I got excited about this and went to the supermarket after work. I’ve just tried to pop the amaranth and it just didn’t really work. Only about a quarter of it popped and then it started to burn, but when I turned the heat down it didn’t pop. Any ideas? I’m going to maybe use a fiber cereal instead of amaranth.

      • RunningPathES says

        Well, it finally worked…kind of. Maybe 75% of them popped. Good enough. I used a mixture of peanut butter and sunbutter, because that’s what I had open (end of the PB jar), and Bob’s Red Mill vanilla protein powder (my first protein powder purchase, actually). I had to add a bit of almond milk to the nut butter, maple syrup, and protein powder to be able to stir them all together (ever notice how sometimes PB plus maple syrup turns into a thick, unmixable paste somehow?). And I did drizzle some melted chocolate on top. Anyway, in the end they are okay but not excellent. The taste is pretty good. I actually really like the popped amaranth. The problem with them is they are really too soft, even out of the fridge. I’ll keep them in the freezer and I will definitely eat them, but then I’ll probably go back to my old mainstay, which is your granola bar recipe! Hmm, maybe I’ll try to add some protein powder to that…

  53. Kim says

    I wonder, can the amaranth be popped in an air-popper like you use for popcorn? I have tried the pot-method and most did not pop. Thanks!

  54. Jessica says

    These look awesome! But what about making them without the protein powder? Or maybe subbing a bit of ground up hemp seeds.

  55. Christine says

    HI Dana,
    Love your book! The pictures are beautiful and I’m so happy you have the nutrition breakdown!
    I want to make the protein bars but I only have the Vega vanilla Essentials Shake powder.
    I don’t have the regular powder to compare but this one has protein with no sugar added. Are you familiar with this Vega product? If not I guess I’ll give it a try.
    Thanks

  56. Nan says

    Have had a jar of amaranth in the pantry for way to long. So excited to use it and they turned out very yummy! I wonder if popped quinoa would work also? Thanks

  57. Sarah | Well and Full says

    These protein bars look amazing!! I’m always looking for new sources of plant-based protein, but I must admit that popped amaranth is a new one for me. I’m definitely going to give it a try, it looks delicious! :D

  58. Cory says

    These look good.I also struggle with eating enough protein. I highly recommend the Proteinpow Pea Mix. The ingredients are great and you can use it to make your own protein bars/truffles.(They are insanely delicious) You can add it to sauces,veggie burgers…you name it!

  59. Cassie says

    Tofu is a VERY easy sources of vegan protein, but sometimes you just don’t have it and you don’t want to eat too much soy! I love that these protein bars are so easy and contain all natural ingredients–so packed with protein and healthy fats as well!

    • Jarn says

      It’s soy protein isolate you have to worry about. All the vegan body builders and athletes eat tons of tofu, seitan, and tempeh. Soybeans are good it’s just the highly refined version that’s bad (soy protein isolate)

  60. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    The texture with that popped amaranth looks awesome! And the chocolate drizzle is of course extra awesome too. Can’t wait to try them :)

  61. Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says

    It’s hard to believe by your pics that there’s only 4 ingredients (well…. 5 because I never consider chocolate optional!!!) in these bars. These honestly looked like they took you all day and there’s a zillion ingredients needed. And I’m with you on the protein. I was just reading about woman and how we just aren’t getting the protein we need. Agreed!! I’m always starving and when you’re starving it’s tempting to reach for sugar which is bad because it picks you up and drops you like a ton of bricks. Great recipe!!!!

  62. Janel | Peach and the Cobbler says

    Oh man. I think I just found my new on the go breakfast bars! Protein? Only 2 tbsp maple syrup? That qualifies as breakfast food to me!