Save money by making this DIY homemade Quest bar recipe. These low carb all natural coconut cashew protein bars are quick and easy to make.
My first attempt at making gluten free protein bars was somewhat of a failure since the protein per serving was too low. But, I’m happy to declare victory on my second try with these DIY Quest bars. Looking back, I have to admit that I spent way too much money on protein bars.
The reason is because there are very few choices when it comes to all natural low carb protein bars. My favorite are Quest Nutrition bars and they are very expensive. And, not all of the Quest bar flavors are all natural either.
The current flavors of low carb Quest bars that are all natural are Strawberry Cheesecake, Lemon Cream Pie, Coconut Cashew, Cinnamon Roll, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. The cost of these bars can really add up.
So, I came up with a homemade Quest bar recipe that results in bars that cost less. Unfortunately, to get the nice chewy texture, you need one essential ingredient that probably isn’t available at your local store.
The magical ingredient needed to make homemade Quest bars is VitaFiber Syrup which is a soluble dietary fiber, a prebiotic and a low-calorie sweetener. BioNeutra is the company that manufactures the syrup. I bought the large 5 kgs size of Syrup which came in a plastic bottle that looks exactly like a one gallon vinegar bottle.
The sweetener used in VitaFiber Syrup is isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) which is a mixture of short-chain carbohydrates that are digestion-resistant. In addition to the syrup, a powdered form of this sweetener is available and I purchased a bag of that to experiment with as well.
I tested out the homemade Quest bar recipe as a copycat of the Coconut Cashew flavor. It was the first flavor I tried and it soon became one of my favorite low carb protein bars. To make my own version of this flavor, I used a nut chopper to finely chop a quarter cup of roasted and lightly salted cashews.
I recently purchased this nut chopper and I absolutely love it because it makes chopping nuts so easy. Just turn the crank clockwise for coarsely chopped nuts and counterclockwise for finely chopped nuts.
It can even be used upside down to chop nuts further without opening. The best part is it doesn’t create any fine nut dust like a food processor or hand chopper.
There are two basic ingredients to make the homemade Quest bar recipe. You’ll need protein powder and VitaFiber Syrup. I found that it is best to weigh the ingredients with a food scale because volume type measurements aren’t very accurate, especially when it comes to dry ingredients like protein powder.
For each protein bar, you want to use about 35 grams of VitaFiber and 25 grams of protein powder. I used 23 grams of protein powder for each of these bars because that is the listed serving size on my bottle of natural whey protein which contains 18 grams of protein.
The VitaFiber Syrup needs to be heated up so that it is easier to combine with the other ingredients. I used a wooden spatula to combine the ingredients together by hand.
The syrup sweetener holds the dry ingredients together as well as creating a chewy texture unlike the dry crumbly bars made with powdered sweetener. The mixture should be pressed out into a rectangle on a non-stick surface.
I used a round silicone cake pan because it was a good size to stick in the refrigerator. You could use a silicone mat, parchment paper, or even plastic wrap.
Putting the mixture in the refrigerator hardens the bars up so it is easier to cut them. The mixture will be slightly warm after mixing since the VitaFiber syrup was heated.
Once cut, they should be wrapped up to stay fresh. There is no need to store them in the refrigerator unless you like your bars cold. None of the ingredients in these protein bars require refrigeration so it’s fine to store them at room temperature.
This homemade Quest bar recipe does not not produce bars that taste exactly like a Coconut Cashew Quest Bar, but it comes very close. The all natural Quest bars are also sweetened with erythritol, stevia, and lo han guo.
I may add a bit of these additional sweeteners next time to see if the taste will more closely resemble that of a Quest bar. Combining sweeteners does have a synergistic effect which more closely resembles sugar. However, the main sweetener for Quest bars is isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO) which is the VitaFiber sweetener.
I will be experimenting more with VitaFiber and trying to come up with different flavors of homemade Quest bars. This is going to save me tons of money by making my own delicious all natural low carb protein bars at home.
These low carb coconut cashew protein bars are extremely filling. In fact, I was full after eating only a half a bar. They would make a great meal replacement for those who are cutting calories to lose weight.
DIY Homemade Quest Bar Recipe – Coconut Cashew Flavor
DIY Homemade Quest Bars - Coconut Cashew
Ingredients
- 140 grams VitaFiber syrup or other IMO Oligosaccharide Syrup, adjust amount as needed
- 92 grams unflavored whey protein 4 scoops, adjust amount as needed
- 32 grams roasted & lightly salted cashews finely chopped, 1/4 cup
- 15 grams unsweetened flaked coconut 1/4 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Heat VitaFiber syrup just until bubbles begin to form (about 30-40 seconds in microwave).
- Mix in remaining ingredients.
- Form mixture into a rectangular shape on non-stick surface.
- Cool in refrigerator about 1-2 hours.
- Cut into four equal size bars and individually wrap.
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Info
- Net Carbs 8.3g
- % Carbs: 17.7%
- % Protein: 41.6%
- % Fat: 40.8%
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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Liz says
January 21, 2017 at 8:02 amHi Lisa, the latest research shows that IMO is in fact a carb, even quest changed their source of fiber on the contents of the bars after the research, as other protein bars manufacturers.
Lisa says
January 21, 2017 at 9:52 amThis was posted before there was evidence. I am aware that IMO acts like a carb after consumed.
TimsDanni says
September 27, 2016 at 10:12 pmOMG this is incredible!!! THANK YOU for sharing this!
I used premier vanilla protien powder and used butter nut flavor (from Krogers spice section)
subbed lightly salted peanuts (that is what I had)
I also weighed each ingredient carefully and got a good consistency each time- I had tried a few other similar recipes with less exact measurements and less great results
I laid wax paper on my sushi roller and placed half the recipe on it and squished it into a log – repeated with the other half and then chilled. Cut the logs into 6 bites each for easy transport in a small plastic box in my purse
Lisa says
September 28, 2016 at 6:04 amYou’re welcome! 🙂
Bruce Ward says
June 6, 2016 at 2:00 pmI have been making homemade Quest Bars for a few months now. I too buy Vitafiber in bulk!
Like you, the main part of my bars is protein powder and imo syrup. I then use combinations of these to flavor:
PB2 powder
sugar free chocolate
cocoa
dried fruit
instant coffee granules
various flavor extracts
cashews
It’s fun coming up with new flavor combos, and having bars at half the price!
Lisa says
June 7, 2016 at 5:40 amI don’t make them that often, but I’ve got a huge bottle of VF I need to use up. I’ll have to try some of these ideas. Thanks!
Anita Gandolfo says
April 3, 2016 at 5:26 pmI have made these with just the syrup (heated) and protein powder and shaped them in a silicon ‘bar’ pan.
Can they be frozen?
Lisa says
April 4, 2016 at 5:56 amI’ve never put them in the freezer, but I don’t see why they couldn’t be frozen.
Jake says
February 5, 2016 at 5:56 pmI made this recipe and it yielded a big glob of (sweet– and protein packed) goo. In the future I would halve the amount of syrup or double the protein powder; the ratios seem way off for the consistency I anticipated.
Lisa says
February 5, 2016 at 6:11 pmIt may vary depending on protein powder used. It is a recipe that needs to be adjusted to get the right consistency. Will add a note to the recipe. Thanks!