Vegan Chocolate-Coated Protein Bars

Recipe

Vegan Chocolate-Coated Protein Bars

5 from 3 votes

These homemade vegan chocolate-coated protein bars taste just like candy bars! They have a chewy, cookie-dough-like center and a thin chocolate shell that gives you a satisfying snap with each bite. Easy to make, they make the ultimate high-protein snack. Plus, they keep for weeks at room temperature, no refrigeration needed!

Prep Time : 50

Cook Time : 5

Resting Time : 2

Total Time : 2 55

Servings 6 Bars

Calories 269 kcal

Ingredients

Bars

▢ 2 tbsp (24 g) dark chocolate chips
▢ 1/3 cup (105 g) date syrup
▢ 1/4 cup (60 g) almond butter
▢ 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 and 1/3 cup (100g) vegan protein powder
▢ 1/4 cup (32 g) roasted almonds
▢ 1/4 cup (7 g) rice crisps (optional but recommended for an additional crunch)

Chocolate Shell

▢ 15 ounces (425 g) dark chocolate I used 70% cocoa

Instructions

Bars

Melt the chocolate chips. Add the dark chocolate chips to a glass bowl and place it over a pot filled with about 1 cup of water to create a double boiler. Melt the chocolate over low-medium heat. Set it aside once melted.
Heat the liquid ingredients. Add the date syrup and almond butter to a saucepan and heat them over low heat, whisking constantly, for about one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside.
Process. Then, transfer the protein powder and warm date syrup/almond butter mixture to a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes. Note: At first, it will look like a fine powder. Just scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time until small bits start to form. Test the dough to see if it holds together well by squeezing a bit between your fingers.
Pour in the melted chocolate chips. Next, add the melted chocolate chips and process for another 15-20 seconds.
Add the almonds. Add the roasted almonds and process for another 5-10 seconds or until roughly chopped. At this point, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the rice crisps, if using. Mix well with your hands until well incorporated.
Press into a pan. Transfer the mixture to a 4.5×7-inch (11.5×18 cm) baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture very firmly into an even layer. Note: For this step, I usually place another layer of parchment paper on top of the mixture and use a rectangular glass or a cap to flatten it evenly.
Refrigerate. Cover the top of the mixture with plastic wrap (to prevent it from drying) and allow it to cool for at least 6 hours at room temperature or refrigerate for about 2 hours. This will allow the mixture to firm up.
Slice into bars. Once firmer, carefully lift the mixture from the pan and cut it into 6 square bars. Set them aside.

Chocolate Shell

Melt the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat.
Dip the bars. Working with one at a time, completely dip each bar in the melted chocolate using a fork. Slightly shake to let the excess chocolate drip off. Then, carefully transfer the dipped bar to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining bars.
Let them cool. Allow the chocolate shell to harden at room temperature for 2-3 hours (or about 20 minutes if your chocolate was tempered).
These bars will keep for up to 2 months at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap.

Notes

You can make your bars as thin or as thick as you like. The size of your pan will define the thickness. I prefer mine about 1/3 inch thick, so I used a 4.5×7-inch (11.5×18 cm) dish. And you don’t have to cut them into squares either. Slice them into long rectangles if that’s what you prefer!

Use a high-percentage chocolate for the coating. Chocolate with a higher cocoa butter content melts more fluidly, allowing you to get a thinner coating around the bars when dipping. I advise against using chocolate chips, as they are formulated to retain their shape during baking and generally contain less cocoa butter. This makes melted chocolate chips much thicker, resulting in a thick chocolate shell.

Note: If your melted chocolate is too thick, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of melted cocoa butter to thin it.

Temper the chocolate. For a perfectly snappy shell, I suggest tempering the chocolate. Tempering means heating melted chocolate to a specific temperature, letting it cool, then reheating it to another temperature before using it. For dark chocolate, the temperature curve is as follows: 122-131°F (50-55°C) > 82-84°F (28-29°C) > 88-90°F (31-32°C). Tempering is not mandatory, but the coating might not be as glossy or crisp if you skip this step. It also won’t snap off when you bite into it. I don’t always temper the chocolate, though, and the bars still taste delicious.

Nutrition