These Matcha Latte Protein Bites are a delicious way to add a little caffeine + protein to my dessert or afternoon snack. I also love having a few alongside a breakfast smoothie. They are keto, Paleo, AIP, and Whole30 friendly!
I've made quite a few nut free, dairy free, AIP friendly protein bar recipes (see all the tasty variations of these bars here!) since last Spring, and let me tell you… these are hands down my all time favorite protein bar/bite EVER. That includes all the flavors I've previously made (yes, including the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle flavor), and it includes all store-bought protein bars as well.
I'm not a fan of the texture of any store-bought protein bars that I've tried. These Matcha Latte Protein Bites are creamy instead of gritty, and they don't stick to your teeth the way many of the store-bought protein bars do.
Aside from texture, you might be wondering why a busy mom wouldn't want to just buy her protein bars. Why go through the hassle of making them? First of all, AIP, real food protein bars are hard to come by.
It’s pretty much impossible to find a store bought protein bar that is dairy, nut, and grain free.
Even going the homemade route, I quickly realized how few recipes were A. dairy free, B. nut free, and C. oat free. It seemed every recipe I saw on Pinterest included one or more of those three ingredients. And so the drive was born to create something of my own that was free of all three (and tasted delicious to boot).
Let's look at the ingredients in these Matcha Latte Protein Bites.
In this recipe, the combination of collagen protein, coconut butter, and coconut cream makes a seriously delicious protein bite. Just like my first collagen protein bar recipe, these are so delicious, I swear they could pass as dessert.
The Protein Component: Collagen
Although I was once an avid plant-based protein kinda girl, the protein powder I swear by these days is a form of protein called collagen hydrolysate, aka collagen peptides.
Collagen is one of the most structural substances in your body, responsible for healthy tissue repair, joint flexibility, bone and skin renewal, and reducing inflammation. If one of your goals is to help put your autoimmune disease into remission, collagen is your golden ticket.
I used the Collagen Protein from Perfect Supplements for this recipe, but I've also tested it with Great Lakes and Vital Proteins. All work wonderfully, but the Perfect Supplements option is at a really great price! I also love their mission statement.
The Creamy Component: Coconut
Confession: I’m not a fan of coconut butter. It’s dry, crumbly, and not easy to snack on since it solidifies at room temp. It is however key to the success of this recipe, and once all the ingredients come together, the coconut butter is a non-issue for me. These bars are anything but dry or crumbly, and they’re a perfect snack.
Coconut butter on it’s own has plenty of merit as well. It’s said that the fat from coconut butter can’t be stored as body fat since it’s so readily available for energy. This means that despite these bars being higher in fat, you don’t need to worry about your waist line when eating them. In fact, you can expect any of the following benefits from indulging in these coconut butter based bars:
- High in healthy medium chain triglycerides
- High in fiber
- Improved blood sugar control
- Reduced sugar cravings
Pretty insane, right? Let’s move on.
The Fun Component: Matcha Latte!
I’ve made these bars in so many combinations at this point: fresh berries, dried berries, no berries, with peppermint, pumpkin, and with gingerbread spices. These are definitely my year round favorite.
The matcha latte flavor comes from high quality matcha powder, and the latte comes in through the creamy coconut sweetness.
The Dessert Component: Dark and White Chocolate Icing
Full disclosure, I used 80% dark chocolate for dipping the bottoms of these protein bars, in place of the dark chocolate icing. If you tolerate chocolate without issue, I highly recommend using melted chocolate in place of the dark chocolate icing recipe listed below to make them really feel like a treat. Regardless of the chocolate option you choose (real dark chocolate or coconut oil ‘chocolate icing’), you won’t be disappointed.
If you're following the Whole 30 or on a keto diet, you'll want to omit the chocolate icing.
The ‘white chocolate drizzle' shown in these photographs was created using the exact recipe below. It's so easy – don't skip this step!
Matcha Latte Protein Bites
Ingredients
- Bites1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour3/4 cup Perfect Supplements Collagen Protein1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut butter melted2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce (can be replaced with 2 additional Tbsp coconut butter)1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (optional, omit for Whole 30)1/4 cup coconut cream1 tsp vanilla extract (swap with vanilla powder for AIP)1/2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp matcha powderDark Chocolate Icing (optional, omit for Whole 30)1/4 cup coconut oil2 Tbsp cacao powder, or carob powder for AIP1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrupWhite Chocolate Drizzle1.5 Tbsp coconut butter (melted)1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
Instructions
- For the BitesMix all bite ingredients together by hand in a bowl. It may take a bit of stirring before the dough comes together.Form into 24 equal bites. I used this inexpensive silicon mold (it makes the mini doughnut shapes!) to make my bites all the same size, but you can also use a greased glass baking dish. I do recommend using a mold or dish of some sort, as the texture of the dough is difficult to form by hand.Place the bites in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Once they're set, remove from the mold or baking dish. At this point, you can choose if you'd like to make the chocolate icing and drizzle (recipes below), or leave plain.For the Dark Chocolate Icing (omit for Whole 30)Melt the coconut oil and stir in cacao powder (or carob powder for AIP) and maple syrup.Dip bottom half of each bite in the chocolate icing.Place bites on parchment paper in the refrigerator to set.NOTE: You can also melt half a bar of dark chocolate instead of making the Dark Chocolate Icing if you're not following AIP or Whole 30.For the White Chocolate DrizzleMix together the melted coconut butter and melted coconut oil.Place bars on wire cooling rack. Use a piping bag or a ziploc with a small hole cut in the corner to drizzle on top of the bites. Place in the fridge to set.
Notes
- Omit the maple syrup in the bites and the Chocolate Icing for Whole 30.
- The bites have the best texture at room temperature, but you can also store in the fridge for a longer shelf-life.
Hi! This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it and some of your other protein bar recipes! It’s nice to have AIP convenience foods available for when they’re needed! Just wanted to let you know, it seems that this particular recipe didn’t format correctly, so the ingredients aren’t listed individually (like your other recipes), instead they all run together and it’s very hard to read.