Vegan Protein Bars (Plant-Based + Dairy-Free)

Whether you’re running errands, heading to the gym, or just need a quick snack, vegan protein bars can be a super easy way to stay full and energized. They’re packed with plant-based protein, and many come with tasty extras like nuts, seeds, or chocolate. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about any dairy, eggs, or other animal products. Just grab one and go!

While there are endless plant-based sources of protein, protein powders, and protein drinks, vegan protein bars are one of the easiest answers. Having a few shelf-stable snacks packed with the vital plant-based nutrition you need to stay strong is handy and delicious. There’s no one-size-fits-all option, but this list will help you to narrow down which brand is best for you!

Ingredients To Avoid In Protein Bars

Energy bars as we know them today are a fully modern phenomenon. More like candy bars than emergency rations, these sweet treats off the convenience of grab-and-go nutrition in a dessert-like package. The term itself was first coined in the early 1950s, marketed exclusively to hardcore athletes.

The irony of it is that these earliest products contained more scraps than prime cuts, utilizing the leftover whey protein from processing cheese and other dairy products. Here are several things to avoid when shopping for vegan protein bars.

Be Aware of Non-Vegan Ingredients:

• Whey and Casein – Both of these proteins are derived from milk. Anyone with dairy allergies should also steer clear.
• Egg White Protein or Egg Albumin – Though ultra-fine and low in calories, egg white protein and any derivatives are almost guaranteed to be incredibly cruel. To produce enough quantity, factory farming is the only way to ensure efficiency.
• Honey – Companies looking for “natural” sweeteners often use honey as a crutch, despite evidence that honey may do more harm than good.
• Collagen – Found in skin, tendons, bones, and cartilage, this buzz worthy protein is touted as a veritable fountain of youth. Consuming it directly mean cutting other lives short though, and the research still indicates that it’s better to build your own through plant-based means.
• Gelatin – Made from the bones, hooves, and connective tissues from cows, horses, pigs, and sometimes fish, this thickener turns up in everything from candies to supplement capsules.
• Vitamin D3 – Vitamin D is good for you, right? Absolutely, but Vitamin D3 specifically can be derived from an animal source, such as sheep’s wool. There are certainly vegan Vitamin D sources, but unless explicitly stated as vegan, it’s safer to assume that it’s not.
• Milk Fat or Butterfat – Chocolate coatings are often anything but, using cheap carrier oils and defatted cocoa powder to replicate the mouthfeel. Dairy products are sometimes added back in as a cheap way to create a creamier texture.
• Novelty Proteins – You’ll know right away by call-outs on the label tout an unusual animal source. Cricket protein and bone broth powder are just the start.

Vegan Protein Bar Brands

Looking for a tasty way to boost your energy and stay full on the go? These vegan protein bar brands have you covered with simple ingredients and plenty of plant-based protein.

GoMacro

For an environmentally friendly snack, you can do no better than GoMacro. Defined by clean ingredients made from 100% renewable energy and a 100% carbon-neutral factory. Even the wrappers are recyclable, and caddies are compostable! Naturally, it helps that they taste great, and come in smaller kids’ versions as well.

Send Bars

Designed for active lifestyles, SEND Bars deliver plant-based protein in a simple, wholesome package. Made with real ingredients and no unnecessary fillers, these bars are a convenient way to fuel workouts, outdoor adventures, or busy days on the go. They’re chewy, satisfying, and proof that clean nutrition doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor.

Bhu Bars

Protein bars by Bhu are a tasty, convenient way to get a little extra plant-based protein throughout the day. They come in fun flavors and make an easy snack when you need something quick and satisfying.

Glove Crafted

A different kind of protein bar, Glove Crafted packs 14–15g of plant protein into every bar without nuts, dairy, gluten, soy, stevia, or sugar alcohols. It’s free from the Top 9 allergens, making it an easy grab-and-go option when you want solid protein without a long list of ingredients to decode.

IQ Bars

IQBAR makes tasty plant-based protein bars with 12g of protein, fiber, and healthy fats in every bar. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and made with nuts, seeds, and plant protein, making them an easy grab-and-go snack when you want something filling!

Nu:tropic Bars

These energy bars from Performance Lab are made with clean recognizable ingredients, plus added vitamins to help optimize health. The bars come in four flavors and include wellness-inspired ingredients like: Norwegian Black Oats, flaxseeds, dates, nuts, and coconut oil. These energy bars actually do not contain added protein. There is plenty of protein already in the whole food ingredients—and the bar is intentionally filled with complex carbs as an energy source to fuel the brain.

Larabar

Made from only fruits and nuts, there’s nothing to hide on these short ingredient lists. LARABARs have the added benefit of widespread mainstream distribution, so you have an equally good chance of finding these in your neighborhood boutique corner store as a random gas station off the highway. They aren’t messy to eat, don’t melt, in come in over two dozen flavors, making them a godsend to weary travelers everywhere.

Clif Bar/Builder Bar

Original Clif Bars have more in common with soft baked cookies, while Builder Bars are classic layered protein bars in extra-large proportions. Both are easily found in most stores, including Trader Joe’s, for very affordable prices.

good! Snacks

Each of these eight flavors is inspired by cakes and cookies, but there’s no sugar rush to follow each serving. Instead, you’ll get 15 grams of protein, 11 to 13 grams of dietary fiber, and only 10 grams of sugar in every bar. Now that’s truly good, inside and out!

Mid-Day Squares

With 6g of plant protein and a good source of fiber per square, these refrigerated snacks are made for satisfying afternoon cravings without a long list of fillers. Choose from fun flavors like Peanut Butta, Brownie Batter, Cookie Dough, Crunchy Peanut, Almond Crunch, or PB&J Strawberry and Grape, all made with ingredients like pea and fava bean protein, real chocolate, nuts, and gluten-free oats.

NuGo

If you wish protein bars tasted more like candy bars, you’re in luck. NuGo makes chocolate-dipped puffed rice protein bars that you’ll want to eat for dessert. The Chocolate Pretzel flavor is a crowd favorite!

ALOHA

Say goodbye to chalky, highly processed snacks and ALOHA to premium, organic, all-natural ingredients. Delicious flavors (both in full-size and mini bars) span from tropical coconut almond to cozy chocolate fudge brownie, and everything in between. (The Chocolate Mint flavor tastes like a Girl Scouts’ Thin Mint cookie!) If you still want to play with your food, there’s a wealth of recipe ideas for dressing up your favorites, too.

Zing Bars

Made and backed by nutritionists, you can rest assured that these are no glorified candy bars. There are specific varieties developed for keto diets and a separate line of minis to accommodate smaller appetites. Whether you prefer yours “choco covered” or “nekkid,” there’s a chewy, subtly crunchy treat for you in store here.

No Cow

Packing in a whopping 16 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein on average, these dessert-inspired bars may sound like lightweights, but they don’t mess around. Birthday cake, complete with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chip-studded cookie dough, and chocolate-dipped mint are bestsellers for obvious reasons.

Raw Rev Glo Bars

Emphasizing good fats from high-quality whole food sources, these keto-friendly treats are made from a base of cashews, peanuts, almonds, coconut oil, pea protein, chia, and flax seeds. There are 4-6 flavors to make you feel radiant from the inside out.

Luna Bar

Equal parts crispy, crunchy, and chewy, these bars are made up of puffed soy crisps bound together by a light icing glaze. Once marketed as “nutrition bars for women,” they double down on the four key nutrients missing from most diets: calcium, vitamin D, iron, and folic acid. That said, they’re delicious and an excellent addition to anyone’s diet, regardless of gender.

More Brands with Vegan Protein Bar Options

There are even more brands out there making tasty vegan protein bars worth trying. Here are a few extra options to keep on your radar when you’re ready to mix things up:

• Barbells
• Bhu Fit
• Bobo’s
• B.T.R. Nation
• Core Bar
• Evolve
• Fody Snack Bars
• Garden of Life Sport
• Grab the Gold
• Huel
• JAMBAR
• Laird Superfoods
• Mezcla
• Misfits
• Mooski
• Mosh
• Nature’s Bakery
• Rise
• RyD Right
• Skout Organic
• Tahoe Trailbar
• The Only Bar
• That’s It
• Thunderbird
• Tosi
• Whoa!
• Yumi

Hungry for more plant-powered protein? There are dozens of vegan protein powder brands and a wide range of vegan protein shakes and drinks that are very widely accessible. And don’t forget—all plants have protein, too!

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