True Power Bars: Hemp Protein Bars

Hempseeds are an awesome little superfood to add into your diet. They’ve got good proteins, minerals, and lots of good healthy fats. And they taste awesome and nutty and sweet in these hemp protein bars.

In addition to eating hempseeds on the daily in my chia pudding, on salads or in granola, or blended into fruit milk, hemp seeds and hemp protein can be mashed into yummy healthy treats, like this simple chocolate hemp bar adapted from Green Kitchen Stories.

These hemp protein bars features a variety of other plant-based protein sources for a well-rounded fat and protein profile. We’ve got some pumpkin seeds (also high in zinc and iron), coconut (good, healthy medium-chain fatty acids to give you energy), and chia seeds (loaded with calcium and fiber).

These bars are nutrition bombs, but most importantly they taste great for quick breakfasts on the go, or little afternoon snacks. I was listening to a podcast about healthy hormones, and the nutritionist recommend reaching for healthy fats during that late-afternoon crash instead of caffeine and sugar. The healthy fats help support hormone production and keep to full until dinner.

This hemp protein bar recipe is adapted from Green Kitchen Stories, one of my favorite blogs. You can read a review of their cookbook, Vegetarian Everyday, here.

Hemp Protein Bars

1 cup pumpkin seeds + 2 Tablespoons for garnish
¾ cup dried shredded coconut
½ cup hempseeds
½ cup hemp protein powder or more hempseeds
¼ cup chia seeds
Pinch sea salt
15 Medjool dates, pitted
⅓ cup coconut oil
¼ cup raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon ground vanilla

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse pumpkin seeds, coconut, hempseeds, hemp powder, chia seeds and salt until ground but still slightly chunky.
2. Add dates, coconut oil, cacao powder and vanilla to processer blend until smooth. Mixture should be slightly tacky.
3. Press the batter evenly into an 8×8 inch baking dish, using a measuring cup to press evenly. Sprinkle on remaining 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds and press into mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then cut into bars or squares. Wrap them in parchment or waxed paper and store in an air-tight container. Bars will keep around a week in the fridge.

Yield: 8-12 bars

Hempseeds seeds and powder image from Shutterstock; other images from me