Vegan Homemade Protein Bars with Hidden Veggies {Gluten Free}

These homemade protein bars are packed with tons of veggies, but you would never know they are secretly healthy and vegan friendly! Perfect for an afternoon snack or easy, portable breakfast!

3 kinds of veggies in ONE BAR. AND, on a FRIDAY.

Like T-H-R-EE. 2+1. All hidden inside of one protein-packed and super chewy snackety-snack that even your kidlets will MUCH down without even worrying that they’re actually eating, dare I say it, VEGETABLES.

Just don’t actually tell them that there’s cauliflower up in there. The munchin’ down MIIIIGHT not happen then. Just sayin’.

Speaking of cauliflower. You thought I was over it didn’t you. You’ve seen the ridiculous amount of cauliflower rice, cauliflower Alfredo and even CAULIFLOWER TATER TOT recipes that we’ve shoved, stuffed and CRAMMED into our faces and you THOUGHT I couldn’t wiggle it into ANY other kind of recipe.

Until I made it snack-able and SO perfect for your mid-afternoon-feed-me-now-mouths to bring to work because PORTABLE CAULIFLOWER HELLO.

And carrots. And spinach. Pretty much making your muscles big and strong, and your eyeballs super clear and see-able, all while you’re sitting at your computer uselessly scrolling through Facebook whenever your boss isn’t around.

I mean, that’s hypothetical right? You would NEVER do such things while ON THE CLOCK would you? <— Your secret is SAFE WITH ME.

And the rest of the internet world, that is.

ANYWAY. VEGAN bars with crunchy-crisp fresh veggies and HEMP hearts. Which I am not even quite sure what those are? Who would have thought that those super-trendy little bracelets that I used to spend ALL the time making as a tween were actually 1. Edible and 2. Had <3 <3 <3’s.

The things you learn when you mix a bunch of ingredients that don’t make any sense together WHATSOEVER, until they hit your taste buds and it all becomes CLEAR.

Like these protein bars. I don’t know how cauliflower rice, crunchy carrots, superfood spinach and creamy-dreamy-gimme-it-all-RIGHT-NOW almond butter make sense when you mix it with sweet vanilla protein powder and smooth maple syrup, but it JUST DOES. So I didn’t question it.

Although the Hubonana told me that the bars “reminded him of something from his childhood and they took him to his happy place”

I did sort of question him after that. What kind of kid’s happy place involves hidden VEGETABLES?

Whatevs. Just like when he devoured ALL the veggies in the form of summer rolls, I didn’t question it. Well, I did. Just not for TOO LONG. You get it.

Let’s talk quick facts about this recipe. Really, just one fact. DO NOT cut these bars until they are the temperature of the room. IE: cold. IE: NOT WARM AT ALL. RESISTRESISTRESIST. If you do not heed my CAPITAL LETTERS warning, your bars will crumble.

And so will the hopes and dreams of your children actually EATING veggies for SNACK AND growing up with big strong muscles and 30/20 vision. <– Not a real thing.

That might be a little dramatic. But it’s actually not.

PLUS, once you’ve used up all of that super-strength-will-power to do so, you won’t have ANY left. Which means you get to devour not 1, BUT 4 of these bars. Like, at ONCE.

Bar –> Mouth –> Munch –> REPEAT x 4. LIKE THAT.

See, I wouldn’t leave you without a silver lining at the end.

I GOT YOU.

Recipe

Vegan Coconut Almond Homemade Protein Bars with Hidden Veggies

5 from 5 votes

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Serves: 12

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Quick-cooking Oatmeal
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut flakes
• 1/2 Cup Carrot sliced (about 1 large carrot)
• 1 Cup Cauliflower cut into florets
• 1 Cup Spinach packed
• 2 TbspCoconut sugar
• 3/4 Cup Vanilla Plant Protein Powder (Mine is a blend of quinoa brown rice and hemp)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Hemp hearts
• 3 Tbsp Almond butter
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 2 TbspCoconut oil measured at room temperature (the consistency of softened butter)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and run an 8x8 inch baking pan with coconut oil.
• Spread the oats onto a largebaking sheetevenly and bake in the oven until lightly golden brown, about 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle the coconut evenly on top of the oats and place back into the oven until golden brown, just about 1 minute. The coconut cooks VERY quickly, so watch closely. Remove from oven and let cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees.
• In a large food processor, process the carrots until they resemble small peas. Add in the cauliflower and process until it is broken down and looks like rice. Finally, add in the spinach and process until broken down into small pieces.
• Transfer the vegetable mixture into a large bowl and add in the coconut sugar, protein powder, salt, hemp hearts and toasted oatmeal and coconut. Stir until well combined
• In a medium, micro-wave safe bowl, place the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut oil. Microwave until liquid and bubbling, about 1-2 minutes.
• Whisk the wet ingredients together until the almond butter is smooth, and then pour into the dry ingredients.
• Stir until the mixture forms a crumbly, wet dough and then use your hands to bring it all together until it is evenly mixed.
• Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Pack it into the pan as hard as you can.
• Bake until the top turns light golden brown and a little bit crispy, 30-35 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature and then place into the refrigerator to cool completely.
• Slice into bars and DEVOUR.

Tips & Notes:

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: FoodFaithFitness

Course:Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine:American

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Want more protein bars?

Paleo Almond Homemade Protein Bars

Tropical Chickpea Quinoa Homemade Protein Bars

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Vegan protein bars from around the web:

No Bake Double Chocolate Fudge Protein Bars  – Running With Spoons

No Bake Banana Nut Vegan Protein Bars – Healthy Helper

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