These coconut protein bars are filled with healthy fats, easy to digest fiber and gut-healing gelatin (collagen). This recipe is gluten and dairy free. (2024)

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These coconut protein bars are filled with healthy fats, easy to digest fiber and gut-healing gelatin (collagen). This recipe is gluten and dairy free. (1)Coconut Protein Bars? Yes, please! This delicious recipe is shared by Sheeva ofHealth Wanderer. Sheeva shares herhealthy grain free recipes on her site so make sure to check them out!

Hi there! First off, I would like to thank Tiffany for giving me the opportunity to guest post here. Her blog has been a saviour for me since starting to heal my gut and her inventive uses and recipes for coconut products are amazing!

A little background on myself: I’m a 27 year old just-started-out health blogger at healthwanderer.com. I am passionate about all things related to physical, emotional, and spiritual health. A year ago I was diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome after years of unexplained health issues including migraines, eczema, hair loss, and digestive distress. When I visited a functional medicine doctor and he told me that he had a hunch that all of my symptoms were connected to my gut health I was both happy to finally have an explanation for what had been going on my whole life and also a little anxious because I knew I would have to make some serious dietary changes to reverse the damage. At the time I didn’t think I could make myself delicious snacks that would satisfy my sweet-tooth cravings and also provide nourishment to my gut and health, but it turns out I can, which brings me to this recipe…

Growing up, I loved the promax brand of protein bars, especially the cookies ‘n cream flavor. It was like eating a giant Oreo. The center was a soft and chewy cookie-like texture and it was enveloped in a white cream coating. I wanted to replicate this protein bar using collagen hydrolysate powder as the protein source, and that’s exactly what I did! If you want some information on the healing benefits of collagen, please see Tiffany’s post here.

These no-bake, grain and dairy-free coconut protein bars are super easy to make and you might be surprised to find that you have many of the ingredients necessary already in your kitchen! They are suitable for anyone on the GAPS diet (by using honey as the sweetener) and can be made AIP-friendly if you sub toasted carob powder for the cocoa. I hope you enjoy these nutritious treats as much as I do!

Free E-Book: Coconut FlourRecipes!Learn how to bake with coconut flour with my new e-book, Coconut Flour Recipes. I’ll teach you how to bake coconut flour bread, pancakes, cookies and much more!You can download it for free here.

Coconut Protein Bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup coconut flour
  • ½ Cup collagen hydrolysate (a.k.a. collagen peptides)
  • ½ Cup Dutch-processed cocoa (can sub any cocoa powder or cacao here, but dutch-processed gives the Oreo flavor the most)
  • ¼ Cup + 1-2 Tablespoons (to taste) maple syrup or raw honey
  • ¼ Cup-1 Cup coconut milk (I used full-fat, canned coconut milk)
  • ½ Cup coconut butter (a.k.a. coconut cream or coconut manna)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (more, if using homemade coconut butter that doesn’t have much oil separation)
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • Pinch vanilla bean powder or ¼ Teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the coconut flour, collagen, and cocoa well.
  2. Add in the maple syrup or honey and stir well. At this stage it will be clumpy and still very dry.
  3. Add coconut milk in, starting with ¼ cup at first. Mix well and assess how much more coconut milk it needs. Add coconut milk gradually until a very thick and dense dough is formed. I like to switch to using my hands to mix it up once I add the first ¼ cup of coconut milk and knead it like I would with pizza dough until it’s all mixed up. That way I can really feel when the dough is dense enough and ready to go.
  4. Press the dough into a small baking dish (I used an 8×8 pan) until it is completely flat and uniform in thickness. If you want a thicker protein bar, don’t use up the whole pan and just mold it into your desired shape and thickness.
  5. Place the pan in the fridge while you prepare the cream layer.
  6. Over very low heat, melt your coconut butter and coconut oil together until fully incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup and vanilla (if using). If your coconut butter and oil are in a melted state already, as mine were, you can just stir all of the cream ingredients together in a bowl.
  7. Remove pan from fridge, spread the cream in an even layer on top of the cookie portion using the back of a metal spoon, and place back in fridge for 30-45 minutes until the cream and cookie have hardened.
  8. Remove the coconut protein bars from fridge, cut into desired bars (I cut mine into 6 bars). Store bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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These coconut protein bars are filled with healthy fats, easy to digest fiber and gut-healing gelatin (collagen). This recipe is gluten and dairy free. (2)

Coconut Protein Bars (with cream topping)

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Health Wanderer

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup coconut flour
  • ½ Cup collagen hydrolysate (a.k.a. collagen peptides)
  • ½ Cup Dutch-processed cocoa (can sub any cocoa or cacao here, but dutch-processed gives the Oreo flavor the most)
  • ¼ Cup + 1-2 Tablespoons (to taste) maple syrup or honey
  • ¼ Cup-1 Cup coconut milk (I used full-fat, canned coconut milk)
  • ½ Cup coconut butter (a.k.a. coconut cream or coconut manna)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (more, if using homemade coconut butter that doesn’t have much oil separation)
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • Pinch Vanilla Bean Powder or ¼ Teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the coconut flour, collagen, and cocoa well.
  2. Add in the maple syrup or honey and stir well. At this stage it will be clumpy and still very dry.
  3. Add coconut milk in, starting with ¼ cup at first. Mix well and assess how much more coconut milk it needs. Add coconut milk gradually until a very thick and dense dough is formed. I like to switch to using my hands to mix it up once I add the first ¼ cup of coconut milk and knead it like I would with pizza dough until it’s all mixed up. That way I can really feel when the dough is dense enough and ready to go.
  4. Press the dough into a small baking dish (I used an 8×8) until it is completely flat and uniform in thickness. If you want a thicker protein bar, don’t use up the whole pan and just mold it into your desired shape and thickness.
  5. Place the pan in the fridge while you prepare the cream layer.
  6. Over very low heat, melt your coconut butter and coconut oil together until fully incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup and vanilla (if using). If your coconut butter and oil are in a melted state already, as mine were, you can just stir all of the cream ingredients together in a bowl.
  7. Remove pan from fridge, spread the cream in an even layer on top of the cookie portion using the back of a metal spoon, and place back in fridge for 30-45 minutes until the cream and cookie have hardened.
  8. Remove the coconut protein bars from fridge, cut into desired bars (I cut mine into 6 bars). Store bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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These coconut protein bars are filled with healthy fats, easy to digest fiber and gut-healing gelatin (collagen). This recipe is gluten and dairy free. (6)

About Tiffany Pelkey

Tiffany is the founder of the wellness website Coconut Mama where she spent over a decade creating coconut-inspired recipes and tutorials. Tiffany lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and works as a freelance writer, recipe creator, and photographer. She studies aromatherapy and herbalism and loves to cook plant-based meals. You can follow Tiffany on Instagram.

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These coconut protein bars are filled with healthy fats, easy to digest fiber and gut-healing gelatin (collagen). This recipe is gluten and dairy free. (2024)

FAQs

Are protein bars good for the gut? ›

Unfortunately, there are a handful of ingredients in protein bars that your gut might not love. “The isolated fibers and sugar alcohols added to many bars can be problematic because they can be digested or fermented by bacteria in the gut and cause bloating and gas,” says Kissane.

Is coconut protein good for you? ›

With its many health benefits, it is certainly worth including coconut in your diet and body care. Its properties also make it an excellent protein combination for those who like to eat healthily and be physically active.

Are Quest bars actually healthy? ›

Generally speaking, yes, Quest Protein Bars are healthy. They come with a very low sugar load (1g), reasonable calorie count (190), and fairly robust fiber content to boot (13g). It's a solid hold-me-over snack between meals, or right after a workout when your body is craving nourishment.

Is coconut safe to eat everyday? ›

One can consume about 40g coconut per day, and it is okay as long as it is uncooked. Its cholesterol content increases only when you grate it and extract milk and then boil it. The same goes for coconut dry kernel, certain foods taste better when coconut dry kernel is used, but it is not good for health.

Is coconut good for your stomach? ›

Fiber: Each cup of coconut meat contains almost 25% of the recommended DV of fiber. Most of the fiber in coconut meat is insoluble, which is the kind of fiber that can help improve a number of different gastrointestinal issues and promote overall gut health.

Is it OK to eat coconut everyday? ›

Rich in fiber and MCTs, it may offer a number of benefits, including improved heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Yet, it's high in calories and saturated fat, so you should eat it in moderation. Overall, unsweetened coconut meat makes a great addition to a balanced diet.

Do protein bars affect your stomach? ›

"Many protein bars can be high in sugars or sugar alcohols, which can irritate some people and lead to gastrointestinal distress and discomfort," cautions Schlichter. "Make sure to look at the ingredient list to identify total sugars and sugar alcohols, which will be listed under total sugars.

What do protein bars do to your stomach? ›

Protein bars often contain compounds called sugar alcohols, which are lower in calories than traditional sugars. Sugar alcohols are associated with multiple gastrointestinal side effects including abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.

Do protein bars affect digestion? ›

These bars are often marketed as healthy snacks, but they can be calorie-dense. Eating too many at once can overwhelm your digestive system, leading to bloating and gas.

Do protein bars affect bowel movements? ›

Sugar alcohols.

Xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol and other sugar alcohols are often used to sweeten sugar-free foods, including sports and protein bars. For some people, these sugars can cause intestinal gas, leading to irritable bowel symptoms such as intestinal pain, constipation or diarrhea.

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