Copycat Barbell Protein Bars

GF V NF SF Mar 20, 2025

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My go to protein bar is a Quest Bar, which I've already recreated to great success. But Vic prefers Barbell Protein Bars, so today I'm making my own version. This protein bar has a chewy, nougat-like protein filling, coated with melted chocolate. We end up with a sugar free protein bar with 200 calories, 20 g of protein, and no junk ingredients you've never heard of. Plus, it's less half the price, just $1.04 per bar instead of $8.98 for a measly box of 4. If you enjoy copycat protein bar recipes, also see my Copycat Quest Protein Bars and Copycat Chocolate RX Bars

FILLING - DRY
- 3 scoop (90 g) Whey protein powder, unflavored
- 1/4 cup (48 g) Granulated monk fruit
- 5 tbsp (37.5 g) Coconut flour
- 1 tsp (3 g) Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) Salt

FILLING - WET
- 1 tsp (5 g) Vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp (90 g) Water

CHOCOLATE COATING
- 1/3 cup (60 g) Sugar free chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) Extra virgin coconut oil

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for the filling - whey, coconut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the vanilla, and thin out little by little with water until you have a sticky dough

2. Line a small container with parchment paper (I'm using a glass meal prep container, which is 6.2 x 4.5"). Evenly press the dough into all sides of the pan. Freeze for 2 hours to harden

3. Cut into 4 protein bars. In a small bowl, microwave your chocolate chips and coconut oil for about 30 seconds, and stir until smooth. Coat the protein bars in chocolate, and add to a parchment lined plate. Freeze for 30 minutes to harden, wrap each bar in parchment paper, and store in an airtight bag in the fridge or freezer

4. Oat or almond flour will also work in place of coconut flour. Just cut down the water to 1/4 cup (60 g), and keep the flour the same. Coconut flour absorbs much more water, so you will need less water if you swap it out

5. Instead of sugar free chocolate chips, you can choose to make your own homemade chocolate with 2 tbsp (28 g) melted coconut oil and 6 tbsp (30 g) cocoa powder. Add sweetener to taste; I'm good with 100% (unsweetened) chocolate, but you can add 1-2 tbsp of any sweetener you like

6. If you don't mind all the added sugar, you can also make these with sugar and standard chocolate chips instead of monk fruit and sugar free chocolate chips for a higher protein candy bar

https://www.poormanprotein.com/recipes/copycat-barbell

Description

Time

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Rest Time:

2 hours

Total Time:

2 hours 15 minutes

Cost

Total Cost:

Cost per Serving:

$1.04

Ingredients

Serving(s)

Filling - Dry

3 scoop Whey protein powder, unflavored

1/4 cup Granulated monk fruit

5 tbsp Coconut flour

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt

Filling - Wet

1 tsp Vanilla extract

6 tbsp Water

Chocolate Coating

1/3 cup Sugar free chocolate chips

1/2 tsp Extra virgin coconut oil

Instructions

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In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for the filling - whey, coconut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the vanilla, and thin out little by little with water until you have a sticky dough

Line a small container with parchment paper (I'm using a glass meal prep container, which is 6.2 x 4.5"). Evenly press the dough into all sides of the pan. Freeze for 2 hours to harden

Cut into 4 protein bars. In a small bowl, microwave your chocolate chips and coconut oil for about 30 seconds, and stir until smooth. Coat the protein bars in chocolate, and add to a parchment lined plate. Freeze for 30 minutes to harden, wrap each bar in parchment paper, and store in an airtight bag in the fridge or freezer

Oat or almond flour will also work in place of coconut flour. Just cut down the water to 1/4 cup (60 g), and keep the flour the same. Coconut flour absorbs much more water, so you will need less water if you swap it out

Instead of sugar free chocolate chips, you can choose to make your own homemade chocolate with 2 tbsp (28 g) melted coconut oil and 6 tbsp (30 g) cocoa powder. Add sweetener to taste; I'm good with 100% (unsweetened) chocolate, but you can add 1-2 tbsp of any sweetener you like

If you don't mind all the added sugar, you can also make these with sugar and standard chocolate chips instead of monk fruit and sugar free chocolate chips for a higher protein candy bar

Nutrient	As Written Above	Homemade Chocolate	Sugar Version	Oat Flour	Almond Flour
Calories	200	208	267	195	215
Protein	19.7 g	20.4 g	19.7 g	19.0 g	19.7 g
Fat	8.6 g	11.1	8.6 g	8.0 g	12.0 g
Net Carbs	4.3 g	5.1 g	24.2 g	6.9 g	2.5 g
Fiber	8.2 g	6.2 g	4.5 g	5.9 g	6.0 g
Added Sugar	0.0 g	0.0 g	19.8 g	0.0 g	0.0 g
Cost	$1.04	$0.91	$0.79	$1.00	$1.09

Nutrition Facts

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Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 200

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Total Fat: 8.6g (11 %)
Saturated Fat: 5.6g (28 %)
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 52mg (17 %)
Sodium: 192mg (8 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 27.5g (10 %)
Fiber: 8.2g (29 %)
Net Carbs: 4.3g
Total Sugar: 3.3g
Added Sugar: 0.0g (0 %)
Sugar Alcohol: 15.0g
Protein: 19.7g (39 %)

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Vitamin B12: 0.58mcg (24 %)
Vitamin D: 0.0mcg (0 %)
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Calcium: 147mg (11 %)
Iron: 2.04mg (11 %)
Magnesium: 67mg (16 %)
Potassium: 359mg (8 %)

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Glycemic Index:

18.0

Glycemic Load:

4.9