Name: Vegan Hemp Protein Bars
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: snack
Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats; ¼ cup hemp seeds; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/8 tsp tsp sea salt plus some for topping; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice; ½ tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp nutmeg; ¼ cup almond butter or peanut butter; ½ cup pumpkin puree; ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ½ cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life to keep them vegan)

Vegan Hemp Protein Bars

April 1, 2021
Last Updated: May 2, 2023
42 Comments
Recipes

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These easy vegan hemp protein bars are the perfect on-the-go snack. With no refined sugars, this hemp bars recipe is gluten free and great for the whole family.

Stacked Vegan Hemp Protein Barsth oats in background

Original Recipe from October, 2016. Photos and text updated in March, 2021.

All you snack lovers (like myself) can rejoice with today’s vegan hemp bars, that happen to be vegan and gluten free.

And you pumpkin lovers can rejoice too. Because these vegan hemp seed bars use a secret pumpkin ingredient. Let’s normalize eating pumpkin year round, shall we?

I, for one, can’t stop eating them. For a randomly tested homemade hemp protein bars recipe (with pumpkin), I’m convinced I don’t need to buy evo hemp protein bars anymore.

These are one of my favorite food ideas for a road trip.

Ingredients For Vegan Hemp Protein Bars

To make these hemp hearts granola bars, let’s turn to our favorite pantry staples.

Hemp Seeds
Oats (*make sure to use certified gluten free if you need to)
Pumpkin Seeds
Nut Butter
Pumpkin Puree
Maple Syrup (my favorite grade A syrup)
Spices – I used cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt
Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life are vegan)

These wholesome ingredients come together nicely to make these gluten free pumpkin bars.

These vegan pumpkin bars can and should be made year round, though, like my favorite Pumpkin Peanut Butter Granola.

It’s also important to me to introduce my girls to a variety of nutritious ingredients, flavors and textures.

Which is why this vegan pumpkin bars recipe is a great option for snack time (because we don’t need to make any more toddler muffins, we’ve aced those time and time again).

Say the word “peanut butter” and Camryn will eat anything that comes after it.

Pan of Homemade Hemp Protein Bars with oats and pumpkin

For another fun twist on healthy homemade granola bars, make sure to give my vegan trail mix bars a try!

Make Vegan Pumpkin Bars

To make these pumpkin protein bars with hemp seeds, mix everything together in one bowl.

One bowl recipes are the best and easiest recipes, aren’t they? You don’t even need a food processor.

And since these hemp protein granola bars are egg-free, feel free to lick the batter as you go along.

Ingredients for homemade hemp protein bars mixed in a bowl

Then, you’ll transfer the batter to your baking sheet and press down firmly. Bake for 20 minutes.

This is a high protein bar recipe without protein powder, we’re relying on the power of plant proteins, nuts and seeds. Similar to these high protein overnight oats without protein powder.

While I love a chewy Quaker granola bar, it doesn’t provide much protein at all.

It’s great for carbohydrates and quick energy, but not so great for keeping me satiated (like when I have constant nursing hunger), which is why I rely on fillers, like hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds often.

My 3 favorite seeds – I use them often to boost the protein in a recipe, like in my homemade protein granola too.

FAQs

Are Hemp Seeds High in Protein? Yes! Three tablespoons of hemp seeds provides about 10 grams of plant protein (one of my favorite vegetarian protein sources).

What I love about these vegan hemp bars is that each hemp protein bar offers nearly 7 grams of protein. You could even add chia seeds or flax seeds if you wanted to up the protein content even more. Hempchia bars sound delicious!

Are These Vegan Hemp Bars Overly Sweet? Maple syrup provides natural sweetness, but these bars aren’t overly sweet. If you like your pumpkin bars sweeter, you can add more maple syrup, or substitute with coconut sugar.
What is the Texture Like? These hemp hearts granola bars are a little tougher and chewier than your typical granola or hemp seed bar.

I hope you enjoy these vegan pumpkin bars as much as we did. I will warn you that the smell of the dough itself is breathtakingly awesome. And then, prepare for the smell of baked pumpkin to dominate your kitchen.

Gluten free pumpkin bars overhead shot in baking pan

Yield: 10

Vegan Hemp Protein Bars

These homemade pumpkin hemp bars are the perfect flavorful, on-the-go vegan and gluten-free snack. With no refined sugars, these hemp bars are perfect for before or after a workout and a great family-friendly, kid-friendly snack!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
¼ cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8 tsp tsp sea salt plus some for topping
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup almond butter or peanut butter
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life to keep them vegan)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 8x8 pan or line with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, seeds, salt, spices, almond butter, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips last.
Transfer dough to baking pan and spread evenly over the pan. Press down firmly so it is flat.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until edges turn brown.
Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before cutting into bars. These will harden slightly upon cooling.
Top with sea salt and enjoy!

Make This?

Tag @BucketListTummy on social media and Rate the Recipe

Now that you know how easy it is to make your own homemade protein bars, I hope these will be a staple in your future meal prep.

Pumpkin Granola Bars with text overlay | Bucket List Tummy

You’ll Also Love These Vegan Snack Recipes!

Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites (substitute maple syrup for the honey to keep them vegan)
Nut Free Protein Bars
Vegan Trail Mix
Vegan Pumpkin Blondies
Carrot Cake Energy Bites
Chocolate Coconut Cream Pudding
3 Ingredient Vegan Banana Cookies

What was your favorite granola bar growing up?

Sarah Schlichter is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s in Public Health Nutrition. She specializes in family nutrition, sports nutrition and intuitive eating. She also co-hosts the podcast, Nail Your Nutrition.