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Home » Adventure Friendly Snacks

High-Protein, Dairy-Free Snack Ideas and Recipes

Updated: Sep 29, 2023 · Published: Sep 15, 2023 by Danika Vanderpyl · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Whether you are lactose intolerant, allergic to dairy, or eating a plant-based diet, here are the best high-protein, dairy-free snack ideas and easy recipes for you!

Through my schooling in holistic nutrition, I learned about eating protein from whole food ingredients in my everyday diet. I have eaten dairy-free for many periods of my life, even years at a time. Let me spill the tea with my favorite dairy-free snacks that are also high in protein!

Chocolate energy protein balls on wood platterwith seeds in them.
Jump to:
  • Quick high-protein snacks without dairy
  • High-protein foods that don't have dairy in them
  • Store-bought, dairy-free protein bars
  • 26 High-protein dairy-free snack recipes
  • Savoury recipes without protein powder
  • High-protein, non-dairy snack recipes with protein powder
  • Danika's nutrition insight on protein at snack time

Quick high-protein snacks without dairy

Plant-based protein snacks:

  • Tortilla Bites: Spread with nut butter, topped with banana and chopped nuts, rolled up and cut like sushi
  • Banana or apple slices topped with nut butter and sprinkled with hemp hearts
  • Almond butter and Medjool dates
  • Almond flour crackers
  • Roasted crunchy chickpeas
  • Hummus with fresh vegetables
  • Trail Mix
  • Whole grain toast with nut butter and hemp hearts
  • Plant-based yogurt or plant-based ice cream

Animal-based high protein snack:

  • Lunch meat and seed crackers
  • Jerky or meat sticks
  • Boiled eggs
  • Scrambled eggs on whole-grain bread
  • Bell pepper filled with tuna salad

Tip: Have a sandwich for a snack! Sliver Hills the Big 16 bread has 12 grams of protein per 2 slices! The reason that Sliver Hills bread is so high in protein is that it uses grains that are whole and sprouted. Avocado toast with hemp hearts is one of my go-to whole-food snacks - now that is an easy way to eat a great source of protein!

High-protein foods that don't have dairy in them

  • Nuts and Nut Butter: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, peanuts (actually a legume).
  • Almond Flour: Use this high-protein flour in muffins, bars, cookies, and crackers!
  • Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.
  • Legumes: Chickpeas (hummus), black beans, edamame, kidney beans, white beans.
  • Soy: Tofu, soy milk.
  • Eggs: They can be boiled, fried, scrambled, or baked into muffin cups.
  • Meat: Jerky, lunch meat, meat cubes, leftover dinner meat.
  • Tuna: Fill a wrap, fresh bell pepper, or piece of toast with flakey tuna - a great source of protein!
  • Grains: Rolled oats, whole grain bread, sprouted grains.
  • Quinoa: This grain contains all the essential amino acids! Make a smoothie with it or high-protein egg bites.
  • Plant-based yogurt: There are some dairy-free yogurts that are high in protein.

Add hemp hearts to get a wholefood protein boost

Special shout out to hemp hearts. I eat them every day; it's been an easy way to increase my protein. 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts is 9.4 grams of protein - that's excellent!

Add them to:

  • hummus
  • cereal or granola
  • smoothies
  • muffins
  • homemade protein bars
  • cookie dough
  • guacamole
  • avocado toast

Store-bought, dairy-free protein bars

These bars contain a variety of protein sources such as nuts, seeds, hemp, pea protein, and dried eggs, making them all dairy-free snack bars. Find these wholesome dairy-free snacks at your local grocery store. Listed in order of highest grams of protein for each bar:

  • Clif Builders (about 20 grams of protein each)
  • RXBAR (about 12 grams of protein each)
  • Go Macro ( 6-11 grams of protein depending on the flavor)
  • Hungry Buddha Keto Bars (10 grams of protein each)
  • Simply Protein (about 8 grams of protein each)
  • KIND Bars (5-8 grams protein each)
  • Hemp Yeah! Protein Super Seed Bars (6-7 grams protein each)
  • Larabars (about 4-5 grams protein each)

26 High-protein dairy-free snack recipes

These snack recipes have at least 5 grams of protein per serving (but usually more).

1. No Bake Protein Bars with Almond Butter

Why I love these: Soft and nutty, they can be made with almond butter, peanut butter, or seed butter. Almonds are what make this high in plant-based protein!

Protein bars on platter.

2. Quinoa Smoothie

Why I love this smoothie: The flavor of bananas, tahini, cinnamon, ice cubes, and sweet dates is incredible and creamy, then add cooked quinoa and blend it together making a 17 gram smoothie.

A light brown smoothie with tahini swirled into it with a sprinkle of cinnamon of top.

3. Chocolate Berry Protein Smoothie (without Protein Powder)

Why I love these: This creamy smoothie is bursting with flavor! Hemp hearts and almond butter increase the protein and it calls for a non-dairy milk like almond milk.

A dark purple smoothie with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cocoa powder on top.

4. Homemade RX Bars

Why I love these: Chocolate sea salt protein bars are easy to make at home. You will need a food processor or blender for this recipe. They are high in protein (9 grams each) from the hemp hearts, almonds, and cashews.

Stacked Homemade RX Bars

5. Pineapple Smoothie with Quinoa

Why I love this smoothie: Tropical flavors meet high protein that gives you an energy-boosting, dairy-free smoothie. The cooked quinoa that's added boosts the protein to 11 grams per smoothie - a filling snack.

Two orange yellow smoothie in jars.

6. Protein Balls with Dates and Ginger

Why I love these: These taste like gingerbread cookie dough, made with almonds, oats, and hemp hearts. Simple to make in a food processor or high-power blender.

ginger-protein-balls-on-tray

7. Easy Lemon Chia Seed Pudding

Why I love these: Creamy and heavenly, these lemon puddings are made with coconut milk (a dairy alternative) and fresh lemon juice. Meal prep this chia pudding in jars - 10 grams of protein each.

Lemon zest on coconut cream on dairy free chia pudding in a jar with a wooden spoon.

8. Healthy Blackberry Muffins

Why I love these: The base of these muffins is ground up oats instead of flour! You can use whatever berries you have if it's not blackberry season, and then add the optional hemp hearts to boost the protein!

Pale brown muffins in a bowl with red blackberries.

9. Quinoa Bars (fruit and nut)

These quinoa bars are packed with dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and coconut. A high-energy snack with healthy whole-food ingredients.

Light brown square, cute into pieces with flecks of orange and green in bars.

10. Raspberry Protein Balls

Maybe my favorite energy ball recipe - the combo of sweet chocolate and dates mixed with tangy raspberries is delicious. 4 grams of protein for each energy bite.

Dark chocolate colored energy balls with little pieces of raspberry poking out, all on a cookie sheet.

11. Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

These 3-ingredient almond flour, peanut butter cookies are vegan, gluten-free, and healthy. They are naturally sweetened with maple syrup to give them a moist and soft texture with no egg or butter.

Light brown cookies with fork criss cross marks on the top, cookies scattered on the table.

12. Chickpea Blondies

Soft, fudgy, sweet yet wholesome. This recipe uses more maple syrup and nut butter than most chickpea blondie recipes so it minimizes any possible chickpea flavor. A delicious snack with whole food ingredients.

Close up of light brown bars with chocolate chips on top.

14. Easy Energy Balls

Why I love these: The nuts, seeds, and coconut are toasted together and then mixed with nut butter, chocolate chips, and honey - a delicious treat, high in healthy fats. It's a rare energy ball where no dates are needed.

Easy energy seed balls on platter.

15. Banana Protein Bars with Walnuts & Chocolate

Why I love these: A no-bake recipe made out of nuts and hemp hearts for high protein. Dehydrated banana chips and walnuts make this incredible flavor!! It's a copycat RX bar recipe.

A brown protein bar with chocolate chips.

Savoury recipes without protein powder

16. Homemade Beef Jerky

Instructions for make beef jerky in a dehydrator or a convection oven are included so you can easily make this protein-rich snack at home.

Beef Jerky In a jar.

17. High Protein Hummus

This creamy, delightful, high-protein hummus is made with hemp hearts to give a double boost of protein. Made with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, and cumin.

18. Crispy Air Fryer Edamame

Crispy air fryer frozen edamame is an awesome healthy and high protein vegan snack.

Green edamame beans with brown flakes on them in a white bowl.

19. Pumpkin Seed Hummus

Made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds, this bright yellow hummus is delicious!

A close up of yellow hummus with chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, paprika, and sea salt.

20. Quinoa Egg Bites

A super easy recipe to make with cooked quinoa, eggs, and greens baked into a muffin pan for a delicious savoury snack. Use dairy-free cheese like vio life or skip the cheese to make sure these are dairy free.

A colorful quinoa and egg muffins with a banana pepper on top and kale beside it.

21. Crispy Sriracha Maple Chickpeas (Air Fryer) 

Crispy chickpeas made in the air fryer! There is something about the crunchy salty flavor of them - yum. Perfect for a high-protein snack that doesn't contain dairy!

Dark orange colored chickpeas in a bowl with a spoon full of chickpeas.

High-protein, non-dairy snack recipes with protein powder

Protein powder is added to these recipes increasing the protein to at least 10 grams per serving.

22. Protein Cookies

Chewy, soft, and sweet, these vegan protein cookies will be your next favorite snack! Each cookie has 10g of protein and under 150 calories.

Brown cookies with oatmeal and chocolate chips on cooling rack.

23. Homemade Protein Gummies

These protein gummies are sugar-free and can be made in just minutes with gelatin and clear protein powder!

pink-dino-gummies-on-white-plate

24. Homemade Perfect Bars

This is a copycat recipe for the high-protein Perfect Bars. Made with peanut butter, honey, vanilla, protein powder, oat flour, salt, and of course, chocolate chips.

protein-bar-with-chocolate-chips-on-white-plates

25. Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

These muffins are a perfect high-protein breakfast recipe. It's made with simple and clean ingredients.

Brown muffins with chocolate chips in a bowl with a white napkin and baby's breath.

26. Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Chocolate banana smoothie recipe has all the flavor of a classic shake, but packs protein, healthy fats, and fiber too!

Brown smoothie in cup with peanut butter and chocolate and banana on top.

What dairy-free protein powder options are there?

I recommend looking for a whole food option, with a short list of ingredients such as pea protein, hemp protein, soy protein, pumpkin seed powder, or this coconut, brown rice, quinoa mix.

A photo of a wooden cutting board with lemon slices and pale white energy balls on it with a pink background.

High Protein Snack Recipes e-book

Sign up for this free e-book with all my favorite snack recipes that are gonna keep you powered on active days!

Yay! Check your inbox!

You will get the high protein snack e-book.

Danika's nutrition insight on protein at snack time

Instead of having something for snacktime that is high in sugar, or high in carbohydrates, it's important to have something alongside that which contains protein, here's why:

  • Eating protein supports your blood sugar levels as part of your snack will slowly release energy into your body instead of giving a burst of energy and then a crash.
  • Protein will satisfy you, and keeping you full longer. Snacks that's are protein-rich supply the nutrition you need until the next time you eat.
  • Consuming protein helps weight loss or maintaining weight as your body will be able to process the proteins more efficiently. High protein snacks also reduce the urge to reach for more snacks because you are more satisfied with this snack.

I hope you found some new favorite high-protein, dairy-free snacks! Let me know in the comments down below what you are going to make and eat next!

If you want more healthy snack recipes that are simple, stick around - that's what I share here! Or come hang out on Instagram!

Xx, Danika C.H.N. (Certified in Holistic Nutrition)

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Danika-vanderpyl-hiking-with-mountains

Hey hey! I'm Danika.

I'm certified in holistic nutrition and I create snack recipes! Because unprocessed, wholesome, nutrient-dense snacks are hard to find but I want everyone to know they are easy to make!

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