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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThese Protein Bars Taste Like Candy Bars (But Keep Me Full For Hours)
Are these low carb protein bars a snack or a treat? Honestly, they check both boxes. They’re sweet, nutty, chocolaty, and packed with protein — kind of like a cross between a brownie and a truffle, but with ingredients you can feel good about. I’ve made all kinds of protein bar recipes over the years, and this version is the one I always come back to. Here’s why they stand out:
- Taste like a Nutella brownie – I made these for a quick snack, but my husband thought they were brownies. The hazelnuts and cocoa make them taste rich, indulgent, and way better than any store-bought bar I’ve tried.
- Fast & easy – With fewer than 10 ingredients, these high-protein bars come together in just 15 minutes. No baking needed — just mix, press, and chill.
- Naturally healthy and low carb – Each bar has over 6 grams of protein and is made with simple, natural ingredients. They’re low carb, gluten-free, and free from artificial sweeteners.
- Perfect for grab-and-go – I keep a stash in the fridge for post-workout bites or that 3pm snack attack. If you miss the convenience of packaged bars, these make it so much easier to stay on track whether you’re low carb or not.
One bite and you’ll see how good healthy can be. Make a batch with me!
Reader Review
“These are amazing! Even the rest of the family can’t keep their hands off them! I will be making more this week. One of my favorite keto recipes!” –Louise
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my protein bars recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – This is my go-to for protein bars because it’s super fine and gives the best texture. Other almond flours can be gritty. For a nut-free option, you can try sunflower seed flour, but I haven’t tested it.
- Hazelnuts – These form the base of my low carb protein bars recipe and give them that rich, nutty flavor that’s kind of like Nutella. You could also use almonds, but the flavor will be different.
- Cocoa Powder – I use Dutch processed cocoa for a smoother, deeper flavor, but regular cocoa powder works too.
- Collagen Protein Powder – I like using collagen because it blends smoothly and keeps the bars from getting gritty. Whey protein or soy protein works too, but some brands may make the dough a bit drier.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is the sweetener I use in almost all my no bake snacks (like fat bombs) because it dissolves so well and has no weird aftertaste. Other sweeteners can leave a bitter flavor on your taste buds, but this one’s smooth and clean.
- Almond butter – Adds healthy fats and helps the bars stick together. You could use peanut butter if that’s what you have.
- Cocoa Butter – This keeps the bars firm and gives them a melt-in-your-mouth feel. Coconut oil, almond butter, or extra chocolate chips can work, but the texture will be softer.
- Sugar-free Dark Chocolate Chips – Totally optional, but I like to melt and drizzle a little on top. It makes the bars feel more like a treat while still keeping them low sugar.
- Sea Salt
How To Make Protein Bars
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Grind the hazelnuts. Add them to a food processor and pulse until they’re broken down into a fine, meal-like texture.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, sweetener, and salt. Pulse just until everything’s combined, then scrape down the sides and pulse again.
- Add wet ingredients. Pour in the almond butter and melted cocoa butter. Process until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides and feels firm but slightly tacky. If it looks uneven, I scrape and blend a little more.
- Press and top. Press the dough firmly into a baking dish (I used a square 8×8 pan). Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and drizzle with melted chocolate.
- Chill and cut. Pop the protein bars into the fridge until they’re firm.
My Recipe Tips For The Perfect Snack
- Blanched hazelnuts make the texture smoother. If yours have skins, just roast them until toasty, then rub them in a kitchen towel to remove the skins before using.
- Scrape the food processor often. The dough can get stuck around the edges, so pausing to scrape it down helps everything mix evenly without over-processing.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. I like to clip the edges to the pan so it doesn’t slide around when pressing in the dough. It makes the whole process way easier.
- Check the dough texture before pressing. It should look firm and shiny and feel solid when you press it, not runny or crumbly.
- Let the bars fully chill before slicing. If they’re too soft, they’ll fall apart when you cut them. I always wait until they feel really firm to the touch.
- I use a large chef’s knife and cut straight down or with a gentle rocking motion. If you use a see-saw motion, the bars can crumble.
Protein Bars (Low Carb & Sugar Free)
My low carb protein bars recipe is made with nuts, collagen, and cocoa. They're easy, no bake, and the perfect sweet snack.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over at least 2 sides.
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Place 1 cup hazelnuts into a food processor. Pulse until you get a fine meal-like consistency.
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Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, Besti, and sea salt. Pulse a few times, just until mixed. Scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse again.
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Add the almond butter and melted cocoa butter. Process continuously until a dough forms, pulls away from the center, feels firm to the touch, and leaves a fingerprint when pressed. It should be firm and shiny, not runny or crumbly. If it’s not uniform, you may need to manually stir and scrape the sides, then process more.
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Press the protein bar dough tightly and evenly into the lined pan. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts and press into the top. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate (optional).
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Place the pan in the fridge and chill for at least 1-2 hours, or until very firm. Run a knife along the edges of the pan if any part of the bars are touching the pan directly and not the parchment paper. Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper, slide onto a cutting board, and cut into 12 bars, using a large chef’s knife with a straight down motion or rocking motion (do not see-saw, or bars may crumble).
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Store bars in the fridge, between layers of parchment paper.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, or 1/12 of the recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right texture, slice clean bars, and make this protein bars recipe come out just right.
- Store: Keep low carb protein bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like to layer them with parchment so they don’t stick.
- Meal prep: If you’re taking them on the go, wrap each bar in parchment, pack them in a small container, and add a mini ice pack to keep them cool.
- Freeze: You can also freeze these bars for longer storage. Just wrap them individually and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Protein Bars
More High Protein Recipes
If you loved this protein bars recipe, check out some of my other high protein recipes — they make the perfect filling snack any time of day:
57 Comments
Gloria
0I make these almost every week. They are an awesome chocolate “treat” after dinner that I enjoy nightly 🙂 I shared some with my family (none of them eat keto/low carb) and they were a huge hit! They could not believe the bars were keto! They all want the recipe so I am sending them the link to your site. Thanks for developing another awesome recipe, Maya!!
Amy M.
0These are fabulous (and EASY). I hardly ever see hazelnuts, but pecans (or a mixture of walnuts and pecans) work great. I have also substituted hazelnut butter for the almond butter on occasion. These are great to throw in my hubby’s lunch box.
Rosa Toledo
0ABSOLUTELY loved them!!!
Thanks for such an amazing recipe.
Louise
0This are amazing! Even the rest of the family can’t keep their hands off them! I will be making more this week. One of my favourite keto recipes!
Cheryl
0I can’t have chocolate of any kind. Can these be made without the cocoa powder and the chips. What can I use instead?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cheryl, I suggest the low carb granola bars where. You can omit the chocolate chips.
aidan
0Hi, I don’t have collagen powder but I have flavoured and unflavoured protein powder and only have almonds. Could you tell me if the nutrition information would be the same using these please.
Thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Aidan, All protein powder has different nutritional information so I can’t say for sure how it would change the macros.
Margaret
0Hi, Maya! These look amazing! Does it matter whether we use regular (oil) roasted or dry-roasted blanched hazelnuts? Also, is the optional chocolate drizzle excluded from the nutrition data?
Thanks very much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Margaret, Whichever hazelnuts you prefer will work well and the chocolate drizzle is included in the nutritional facts.
Michael Cor
0Love these! I’ve made them about 10 times I double up on the cocao butter, gives them a bit more of a firmer texture! I also save some of the hazelnuts and mix them in whole, adding some nice texture and crunch.
Sandra
0Have you made these with other nuts besides hazelnuts? I love all other nuts just not a fan of hazelnuts….
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sandra, You can make this recipe with almonds or pecans if you like. Enjoy!
David
0Made these yesterday…and they bombed. Can’t get used to the taste. Though I’ve liked pretty much everything I’ve made from your recipes, these are an exception.
Adriana
0Love this recipe! Soooo good. The first time I made it, I just mixed it in a bowl and had to add tons of almond butter to make it stick. Still delicious. Now I make it properly, in a food processor and it’s fantasic as written. Everyone wants me to make them some at work 🙂
sylvia
0HI. I have all the ingredients listed but hazelnus. Can I use other nuts other than the other 2 suggested in other comments? Where I am, it is difficult to find hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans. I have easy access to almonds, peanuts and pistacchios. What would be the best please?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sylvia, You can make this recipe with almonds or pecans if you can’t get hazelnuts. Enjoy!
Victoria Carroll
0Can substitute unflavored whey powder for us collagen. I don’t want to spend extra money for the collagen when I have plenty of whey power.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Victoria, The whey powder will give your bars a different texture, but the recipe will still work.
Scott Evans
0Hello There! Out of the initial $130.00 investment in ingredients, how many total bars can I expect to yield before all the ingredients are used up? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Scott, Each recipe makes 12 servings. Because I don’t know the quantity of hazelnuts you purchased or the size containers of any of the other ingredients you purchased, it is difficult for me to estimate how many batches of this recipe you will get. Based on a single bag of Wholesome Yum Almond Flour, you can make 4 batches per bag (48 bars). I hope this is helpful.
Scott Evans
0Great, thank you!
Miriam Schrock
0Have you ever made these or any other Low carb bars to be High in Fiber? My greatest need right now is to stay on Keto but increase my Fiber intake. Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mariam, In general, you can add avocados, flax seeds, chia seeds, and almonds to your diet to increase fiber intake. For this recipe, you can hydrate 1-2 tbsps of chia seeds and then blend them into the recipe. It may add a slight texture to your bars, but it will give you some additional fiber.
Roberta
0You may also consider 1 tbs of pure acacia fiber (no flavor and if not clumpy doesn’t affect texture, many powdered protein supplements contain this ingredient and it just makes them creamier and acts like carrier instead of maltodextrin for instance) and if you tolerate it you could add also a bit of inulin adjusting sweetener to taste since it is already lightly sweet by nature itself. Hope it helps, even if I’m not sure this could work in this specific recipe but I can say that when I used this combo in my homemade bars it worked pretty well and anyway surely didn’t ruin a good recipe.
Merle Cuthbert
0Love the taste but the dough was too runny. What did I do wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Merle, Did you let the bar base set in the fridge for a few hours? The bars should harden enough to slice and pick up. If it’s still too loose to pick up you may want to add more almond flour and cocoa butter to get the desired result.
Heather
0These look great! If I use erythritol as the sweetener instead, do you think I’ll need to change anything else? (I know erythritol can dry out dough sometimes.)
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Heather, There shouldn’t be any changes needed if you use erythritol instead of allulose. Be sure to use the powdered version.
Kayla Strandness
0Hi Maya, is there any way these can be made with more protein? Like more towards the 15-20g area? Would I just add more protein powder or is there another way to get more protein in there? TIA
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kayla, Protein powder or collagen is the easiest way to add more protein while maintaining the right texture. You may need to add a little more melted cocoa butter to maintain the right consistency.
Dee
0It was great but the view was not large enough to view printed ingredients… But with printed ingredients list viewing multiple times… could grasp… have yet to make…grocery shopping is only a bi-monthly happenstance with the current issues will let you know…
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dee, You can find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card. If you cannot see the recipe card, you may need to turn off your browser’s ‘Reader Mode.’ I hope this helps you build your shopping list. Best wishes!
Jaime
0Hi! Can I used “Hazelnut Flour” in place of the blanched hazelnuts? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jamie, I have not tested this recipe with hazelnut flour. Blanched hazelnuts ensure a smooth texture in your bars. If you do make the protein bars with hazelnut flour let me know how it turns out.
Myron
0I had to add to sticks of butter and went over board with almond butter just to get enough moisture to make dough. My recipe was awesome.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Myron, Did you use a food processor? The hazelnuts and almonds have enough fat in them to turn into nut butter on their own if processed enough, it should not have needed butter to form a dough. I am glad you were able to make this work for you, but I think you could have gotten there without the extra ingredients.
Liezel Boonzaier-Lacquaye
0Looks amazing. Please help, can I use peanut butter instead of almond butter? and what can I use instead of cocoa butter? Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Liezel, Yes you can use peanut butter in place of almond butter. Cocoa butter can be substituted with coconut oil, but your bars will need to be refrigerated then.
Ashtyn
0These sound so yum! I am a vegan, any suggestions on substitute I can use for collagen protein that won’t alter the nutritional value?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ashtyn, I think you can sub any flavorless vegan protein powder into the recipe, as long as it dissolves well and doesn’t remain powdery.
Deanna
0I don’t have any protein powder, and I don’t do shopping online…any ideas?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deanna, You can add an additional 1/4 cup of almond flour to replace the bulk from the protein powder. This will change the nutrition for the recipe, but it should still taste the same. Enjoy!
Noel
0I don’t have a food processor so I tried to to use a wisk and spatula to make these. Any tips on an alternative method? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Noel, A high powdered blender is probably the second best option. If you already have hazelnut butter then you can make them with a stand or hand mixer.
Danielle
0I can’t seem to find hazelnuts in the store and I don’t like doing shopping online. May I use a different nut? Obviously it would change taste and carb count. But I thought perhaps any nut could work here???
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Danielle, Yes, you can swap out a different nut. Although I have not tested this recipe with other types of nuts, I think it would be good with pecans or walnuts too!
Dottie
0Can these be made with walnuts?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dottie, I think that should work fine.
jenna
0Love the hazelnuts in here! These are perfect for traveling. The added protein boost is great too
Amy Chung
0oh yum! When a snack is also a treat……it’s a no brainer in my cook! Great recipe. My daughter would love these in her school lunch box!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
0These protein bars look absolutely delicious! I love that they’re keto and low carb too!
Granee
0I don’t have the protein but I have collagen. Will plain collagen work??
Love your recipes.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Granee, I suggest using collagen peptides powder in this recipe.
Kelly Anthony
0What a great sweet treat bar that will save me some serious money. With this recipe, I can make my own and save some money.
Jessica Formicola
0These bars look so incredible! And I love that they have minimal ingredients. Can’t wait to try!
Heidy M
0These low carb keto protein bars were awesome and I wish I had made a double batch.