No-Bake Tahini Protein Bars {Vegan, Nut-Free, GF}
Quick & easy, no-bake tahini protein bars (13+ grams protein per bar), with two Middle Eastern flavor twists: orange & cardamom. They are vegan, gluten-free & nut-free.
Servings: 6 bars
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup about 67 g vegan vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup tahini well-stirred before measuring
- 1/3 cup rolled oats ground into a fine flour
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the protein powder, tahini, oats, maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice and cardamom, adding a few drops of water, as needed. Stir until the mixture is a stiff dough.
- Gather the dough together and evenly press into the prepared pan. Place another piece of parchment or wax paper onto surface of dough; firmly tamp down with your hand, a second loaf pan or a measuring cup.
- Refrigerate for about 1 hour (to firm up) before removing from pan and cutting into 6 bars.
Notes
Storage: Store the bars, wrapped (e.g., parchment paper, plastic wrap, wax paper) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months. The bars will keep at room temperature (lunches, workouts, camping) for several days, but will become softer the longer they are left out (and the warmer the temperature).
Sweetener: If you are not strictly vegan, honey is delicious and flavorful option in place of maple syrup.
Variation: Add up to 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon or lime zest to the dough, along with the cardamom.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.3g | Protein: 13.3g | Fat: 11.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Sodium: 23.9mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 9g