Protein Ice Cream Bars

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Looking for an easy and healthy treat this summer? These Protein Ice Cream Bars are creamy, delicious and packed with 16 grams of protein per pop making them a favorite for kids and adults.

Tray of chocolate covered peanut butter protein ice cream bars.

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What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Possible Substitutions
Protein Powder Tips
Equipment Needed
How to Make Protein Ice Cream bars
Commonly Asked Questions
Dietitian Notes
Recipe Tips
Try These Other Great High-Protein Recipes
Other Great Recipes
📖 Recipe

This Protein Ice Cream Bars are one of my favorite treats to make and have on hand all summer long. They are cold, creamy, and satisfy your sweet tooth while still helping you meet your protein goals. I love having them as a post gym snack or a sneaky treat before bed.

These bars are made with coconut milk, protein powder, peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter), and sweetened with a little maple syrup for the perfect high protein treat. They are so simple to make and the recipe can easily be adjusted to make paleo, low-carb, or dairy-free.

Need other great healthier treats? Try these Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, the Chewy Collagen Protein Cookies (12 grams of protein per cookie!), or this Peanut Butter Apple Crisp.

What I Love About This Recipe

These ice cream bars are my absolute favorite summer treat. Here is why I am always making them:

✔ Satisfying & Healthy - These ice cream bars satisfy your sweet craving, but are made from healthy ingredients and contain 16 grams of protein per bar.

✔ Versatile - As written, this recipe is made with peanut butter and whey protein, but I have tested a variety of options so that you can make these ice cream bars paleo-friendly, low-carb, dairy-free, and nut-free.

✔ Simple to Make - Throw the ingredients into a blender and then transfer to a silicone mold, and all you have to do is wait for these protein ice cream bars to freeze!

Need another high-protein treat? Try these High-Protein Healthy Peanut Butter Eggs (10 grams of protein each!).

Ingredients

Full Fat Coconut Milk – I highly recommend using Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk. I purchase it at Costco for a great price and it will make the creamiest ice cream bars. Using this brand, the cream and liquid portion separate even at room temperature, so it easy to measure out 1.5 cup of mostly cream and drain the excess liquid. You will use almost one full 13.5 oz can in this recipe. Other brands of full fat coconut milk will work, but avoid lite coconut milk or the cartons of coconut milk in the refrigerated section as they will make the bars too icy.

Protein Powder – The protein powder you use can change the thickness of this recipe pretty significantly. If you opt for sweetened protein powder, you can reduce or omit the added sweetener. Flavored protein powders work too if complementary flavors! Please read Protein Powder Tips below for brands I have tested and tips for success.

Peanut Butter – To avoid the recipe becoming overly sweet, I recommend using an unsweetened peanut butter.

See the full ingredient list and measurements in the recipe card below.

Possible Substitutions

Maple syrup can be replaced with another liquid sweetener like honey or agave.
Almond butter or sunflower seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter.
Flavored whey protein (like caramel or vanilla) can be used in place of unflavored whey. Reduce the sweeter as needed.

If you try any modifications, let us know what works by leaving a comment!

Protein Powder Tips

Choosing the right protein powder is key to getting creamy ice cream bars. Protein powders ingredients can vary significantly. Use a protein powder that has a great taste and no chalkiness.

Protein powders that I have tested:

Isopure Zero Carb Unflavored - Worked great! Creamy and easy to pour.
Iconic Protein Grass-Fed Whey in Vanilla - Another great option. Slightly sweeter using this protein and I omitted the vanilla extract.
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides - Tasty and paleo-friendly option when paired with sunflower butter. Slightly lower melting point, so they can't be left out of the freezer for too long. Dairy-free.
Truvani Plant-Based Protein in Vanilla - I don't recommend using this option. It was really thick and way too chalky. I have never had success using this protein powder in recipes. I like the ingredients, but it tastes chalky, almost grassy.
Orgain Simple Plant Protein Powder in Vanilla - This is a great vegan option! It tastes great, not chalky, but a little sweet.
Legion Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate in Salted Caramel -

Additional Tips

Dense/heavy protein powders may absorb a lot of the moisture in the ice cream mixture and make it very thick. If this happens, you can try adding some additional coconut milk until you have a pourable consistency (this will change the nutrition information and the number of bars that the recipe will yield).
If using vanilla flavored protein powder you can omit the vanilla extract.
If using sweetened protein powder you can reduce or omit the maple syrup. Using a no-carb sweetened protein powder sweetened with stevia or monk fruit makes for great low-carb ice cream bars.

Equipment Needed

This recipe is so simple to make, but you will need a few items to make it happen. Here is what you need:

Blender - I have a Vitamix, but you don't need one for this recipe. As long as you have a blender that can, well, blend, then you will be good! Nothing needs to be chopped in this recipe, it just needs to be mixed and incorporated. If using a Vitamix, you will not be able to halve this recipe because it will be below the minimum volume threshold for this blender.
Silicone Mold - I used 2 3-count ice cream bar molds that produce bars about the size of a Yasso bar (is that a standard unit of measurement?). Smaller or larger molds will work, but the recipe will yield a different number of bars.
Popsicle Sticks
Quarter Sheet Pan - This will allow you to transfer the bars to the freezer without spilling. A larger size sheet pan will work fine, but the small ones fit better in the freezer.

How to Make Protein Ice Cream bars

Ingredients for protein ice cream bars in blender, unmixed.

Step 1: Place the coconut milk, protein powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth.

Unfrozen protein ice cream bars in silicone mold.

Step 2: Lay silicone molds on a sheet pan. Carefully divide the mixture between the wells.

Step 3: Insert popsicle sticks into the holes in the mold.

Peanut butter protein ice cream bars laid on a tray of ice.

Step 4: Cover the molds with the silicone cover and place the sheet pan with the molds in the freezer making sure they are level. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Remove the frozen ice cream bars from the molds and place in a resealable freezer bag until ready to eat or dip in chocolate.

Dipping frozen protein ice cream bars in chocolate.

Step 5: For chocolate coating - Fill a short large-mouth glass with the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Remove the glass and stir, and return to microwave to microwave for 15 seconds increments until the chocolate is fully melted, stirring each time.

Once the chocolate is melted, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Begin dipping the bars, holding the bars upside down to allow excess chocolate to drain off and then placing the bars flat side down on the parchment paper lined pan.

Step 6: Once all the bars have been dipped. Place the sheet pan back into the freezer and allow the chocolate to harden for 15 minutes before enjoying.

Hand holding chocolate covered peanut butter protein ice cream bar.

Commonly Asked Questions

How to store these protein ice cream bars?

These bars store well in the freezer for up to 1 month. Once fully frozen, you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place in a gallon-sized resealable freezer bag. Honestly, I just remove them from the molds and toss them into a freezer bag all together. If they are completely frozen, they won't stick together.

Can I make this recipe low-carb?

Omit the maple syrup and used a protein powder sweetened with monk fruit or stevia for creamy, high-protein low carb ice cream bars.

Can I make these dairy-free?

Dairy-free protein powder can work great but make sure it isn't chalky. See my recommended vegan brand in 'Protein Powder Tips'.

Dietitian Notes

These sweet and satisfying bars contain 16 grams of protein per serving! I am all for a sweet treat that helps meet your protein goals.
Make this recipe paleo-friendly by using sunflower seed butter and a paleo protein powder (I like collagen peptides).
For low-carb options, use a protein powder sweetened with monk fruit or stevia and omit the maple syrup.

Want some other high-protein recipes? Try these Protein Pancakes without Protein Powder or this Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing and Dip (50 Calories per Serving!)

Recipe Tips

Choose a protein powder that is creamy when mixed into a smoothie and/or something you have baked with. Whey and collagen are my favorites. See Protein Powder Tips for more information on protein powders and tested options.
If your coconut milk has separated, try to use mostly the cream portion draining off the excess watery liquid. You will need just under 1 standard 13.5 oz can for this recipe.
Use a sheet pan under the silicone molds to make transferring to the freezer a breeze. Make sure the pan is on a flat and level surface in the freezer.
If dipping in chocolate, you will not use the full cup of chocolate chips on the bars. Using more chocolate and a wide mouth glass will allow you to have deep enough melted chocolate to dip the bars. If you want to spoon the chocolate over the bars, you can use ½ cup of chocolate chips + ½ tablespoon coconut oil in a regular bowl.