Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars (Vegan)

These pumpkin chocolate chip protein bars have a chewy pumpkin base that's topped with a rich chocolate fudge. These bars hold together well, but melt in your mouth. They're vegan, gluten free and paleo friendly - great for a satisfying snack or healthy dessert.

Pumpkin and chocolate - the perfect pairing! And what could be better than combining the two in a healthy, easy protein bar recipe?

These pumpkin chocolate chip protein bars have a chewy pumpkin base that's made with plant based protein and pumpkin puree. They're filled with miniature dark chocolate chips and then finished with a creamy chocolate topping.

These bars are no bake, vegan and paleo friendly. They're perfect for a healthy dessert or satisfying afternoon snack.

Why You'll Love these Vegan Pumpkin Protein Bars

• vegan and paleo friendly - no gluten, grains or dairy
• packed with protein
• low in added sugar - sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup
• no bake
• easy to make

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip protein bars:

• organic pumpkin puree - just pureed pumpkin (homemade or store bought)
• almond butter - just dry roasted almonds (no sugar, oil or salt). You'll need almond butter for the base and the topping.
• coconut oil (melted)
• maple syrup (or whatever liquid sweetener you prefer)
• vanilla extract
• plant based protein (I recommend a vanilla pea protein)
• cinnamon (or pumpkin spice)
• salt
• dark chocolate - I used miniature dark chocolate chips, but you could use regular sized chips or chop up a dark chocolate bar. You'll need chocolate for both the base and topping.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Since these pumpkin protein bars are no bake, they take just minutes to make. The hardest part is waiting for the bars to set so that they can be cut!

Here's what you need to do:

First, line an 8" x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside and make the base for the protein bars.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the base. This includes the pumpkin puree, almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix with a spatula until well combined.

Add in the dry base ingredients: protein powder, cinnamon and salt. The texture should be thick with a playdough-like texture.

Fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

Firmly press the base into your lined loaf pan. Place the pan in your freezer while you make the chocolate topping.

For the topping, melt the dark chocolate in a small saucepan, over low heat. Or you can melt the chocolate in the microwave at 20 second intervals. Once melted, mix in the almond butter.

Grab the base from the freezer and pour the chocolate topping over the crust. Smooth out so that the chocolate topping touches all sides of the pan.

Place the bars in your fridge to set. I recommend letting the bars chill for at least an hour before cutting, but overnight is best. In the fridge, the coconut oil in the base will harden, making the bars a lot easier to cut.

Once the bars have chilled, remove them from the loaf pan and cut to desired size. (I cut them into 12 bars.)

Storage

These vegan pumpkin protein bars are best stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Here, they keep their soft, chewy texture. They will last well up to 10 days.

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