Whether you have a lactose intolerance, are allergic to dairy, or eating a plant-based diet here are the best high-protein dairy-free snack ideas and easy recipes! These snacks will give you lasting energy and sustain you until your next meal.
Follow this guide to find your new favorite snack, yes, it will be dairy-free and high in protein! Check out my blog post for the best dairy-free snack ideas that include recipes as well as brands to look for at the grocery store.
Through my schooling in holistic nutrition, I learned how to eat protein from whole food ingredients in my everyday diet and add higher protein foods as needed. I have eaten dairy-free for many periods of my life, years even, here are my favourite dairy-free protein hacks for snack time.
Jump to:
- Why Should We Eat Protein at Snack Time?
- High Protein Foods that Don't have Dairy in them
- On-The-Go Dairy-Free High-Protein Bars
- Quick High-Protein Snacks Without Dairy
- High-Protein Dairy-Free Snack Recipes
- Savoury High Protein No Dairy Snack Recipes
- High-Protein Dairy-Free Snack Recipes with Protein Powder
- FAQ
Why Should We Eat Protein at Snack Time?
- Supports your blood sugar levels, as eating protein as a part of your snack will slowly release energy into your body instead of giving a burst of energy and then a crash.
- Satisfying you, and keeping you full longer, a protein-rich snack will supply the nutrition you need until your next snack.
- Weight loss or maintaining weight will be supported through eating snacks with protein 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 fully satisfied with this snack.
High Protein Foods that Don't have Dairy in them
I have eaten a dairy-free diet for some years due to some digestive reasons. When I was pregnant I specifically focused on dairy-free high-protein snacks. These are some of the foods I included in my diet, as well as some other great ideas!
- Nuts and Nut Butter: Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Peanuts,
- Almond Flour: Use this in muffins, cookies, and crackers!
- Seeds: Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Hearts, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds
- Legumes: Chickpeas, Black Beans, Edamame, White Beans
- Soy: Tofu, Soy Milk
- Eggs: Boiled, Fried, Baked, Scrambled
- Meat: Jerky, Lunch Meat, Meat Cubes, Leftover Dinner Meat
- Tuna: Fill a wrap or a fresh bell pepper with flakey tuna
- Grains: Rolled Oats, Whole Grain Bread, Sprouted Grains
- Quinoa: This grain contains all the essential amino acids!
- Plant-based yogurt
Add Hemp Hearts to Get a Whole Food Protein Boost
Special shout out to hemp hearts (or hemp seeds) - little white and green seeds - I eat them every day and I believe they are one of the best and easiest ways to include them into everyday foods to increase lasting energy! 3 tablespoon of hemp hearts is 9.4 grams of protein, that's excellent!
Add them too:
- salads
- cereal or granola
- avocado toast
- smoothies
- cookie dough
- muffins
- homemade protein bars
- guacamole
On-The-Go Dairy-Free High-Protein Bars
These bars contain a variety of sources of protein 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:
- Larabars
- RXBAR
- SimplyProtein
- Cliff Builders
- GoMacro Macrobar
- Hemp Yeah! Protein Super Seed Bars
- Hungry Buddha Keto Bars
- KIND Nut Bars
Quick High-Protein Snacks Without Dairy
Stay full with these no-prep or very simple prep snack ideas. The majority of these ideas are whole-food ingredients that are naturally higher in protein.
Plant-Based Protein Snacks
- Tortilla Bites: spread with nut butter, topped with banana, chopped nuts rolled up and cut like sushi
- Almond butter, Banana Slices and Hemp Hearts
- Almond butter and Medjool dates
- Peanut Butter, Apple and Hemp Hearts
- Nut or seed butter with fresh fruit
- Almond Flour Crackers
- Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas
- Hummus with Fresh Vegetables
- Trail Mix
- Almond Butter Toast with 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
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 and now that is an easy way to eat a great source of protein!
High-Protein Dairy-Free Snack Recipes
These healthy snack ideas are for those with gut or digestive issues, dairy sensitivity, dairy allergies, and vegans: anyone avoiding dairy. These snacks have at least 5 grams of protein per serving (but usually more).
1. No Bake Protein Bars with Almond Butter
Why I love these: These are dang tasty. Soft and nutty, they can be made with almond butter, peanut butter, or seed butter. No added sugar, as they are sweetened with maple syrup. Almonds are what make this high in plant-based protein! One of the best dairy-free snack recipes I eat!
2. Chocolate Berry Protein Smoothie
Why I love these: This creamy smoothie is bursting with flavor! The combination of berries with chocolate is the real thing! Then add hemp hearts and almond butter to increase the protein, wow! It calls for almond milk, a non-dairy milk.
3. Homemade RX Bars
Why I love these: These protein bars are easy to make at home with ingredients you can easily get at the grocery store. You will need a food processor or blender for this recipe. They are high in protein from the hemp hearts, almonds and cashews. You gotta try this homemade chocolate sea salt RX bar!
4. Pineapple Smoothie with Quinoa
Why I love this smoothie: Tropical flavors meet high protein making for an energy-boosting dairy-free smoothie. Cooked quinoa is a great way to eat more protein making one serving 11 grams of protein, a filling snack.
5. Healthy Protein Balls with Dates and Ginger
Why I love these: These taste like gingerbread cookie dough! They are super tasty and made with only healthy simple ingredients. A delicious snack to have ready to go in the fridge or freezer when a quick energy boost is needed.
6. Easy Lemon Chia Seed Pudding
Why I love these: Creamy, and practically heavenly these lemon puddings are made with coconut milk (a dairy alternative) and lemon juice. Meal prep this chia pudding in jars to have them as an on-the-go snack!
9. Healthy Blackberry Muffins
Why I love these: These berry muffins are brilliant, the base 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 of course!!
25. Pumpkin Brownies
Easy vegan pumpkin brownies that are fudgy, gooey, and delicious. Made without flour or butter, and instead use ingredients like ground almonds, almond butter, and warming pumpkin spices.
14. High Protein Chocolate Granola with Almond Butter
This High Protein Chocolate Granola is packed with almond butter, almonds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds making it over 20 grams of protein per serving! It's also naturally vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free. Serve with dairy free, or plant based milk, parfaits, puddings, smoothie bowls, or with fruit for breakfast or dessert!
24. 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. The best thing about 3-ingredient almond flour cookies is how easy they are to make, and how delicious they taste! Perfect for packing along to work or on road trips!
19. Protein Mug Cake
This divine chocolate mug cake is packed with plant-protein and takes less than 10 minutes to make! The secret ingredient? Oats! if you've never tried baked oats, this is your sign. Print this protein mug cake recipe and enjoy it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
17. No Bake Peanut Butter Bliss Balls
These peanut butter bliss balls are incredibly tasty and super easy homemade snacks. Healthy, delicious, and just 5 ingredients – and there’s no baking or food processing required! High in protein and no dairy needed!
26. 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.
27. 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. Chickpea blondies will never taste exactly like conventional blondies but the textures and flavors are similar!
8. Easy Energy Balls
Why I love these: These balls are great if you love that nutty flavor! 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. You're gonna love this healthy snack option!
Savoury High Protein No Dairy Snack Recipes
7. Healthy Trail Mix Ideas
Why I love these: Trail mix is filled with high-protein nuts, seeds, and even dried peas, or chickpeas! For a complete list of healthy ideas on how to make your own trail mix, look no further. You will find so many dairy free ideas for your next mix.
11. Roasted Chickpeas (extra spice & crispy)
The best recipe for roasted chickpeas that stay crunchy for days! Spiced roasted chickpeas are vegan protein-savory snacks that are healthy, crispy, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and incredibly tasty.
13. Homemade Beef Jerky
Instructions for making beef jerky using a dehydrator or a convection oven are included so you can easily make this protein-rich snack at home.
12. High Protein Hummus
Creamy delightful high-protein hummus is made with hemp hearts to give a double boost of protein. Made using a handful of simple pantry ingredients, including chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, and cumin. A perfect afternoon snack high plant based protein!
15. Crispy Air Fryer Edamame
Introducing Crispy Air Fryer Frozen Edamame - the best healthy and high protein vegan snack. This recipe is easy to make and healthy for you.
18. Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Make this delicious roasted red pepper hummus recipe! Flavorful and full of fiber & protein. Enjoy with pita chips, tortilla chips, carrot sticks or other vegetables for a healthy dairy-free snack.
16. Crispy Sriracha Maple Chickpeas (Air Fryer)
Crispy chickpeas are one of my favorite foods. There is something about the crunchy salty flavor of them, yum. I also love how you can customize the flavor. These Crispy Sriracha Maple Chickpeas (Air Fryer) are my latest chickpea recipe and they are so good! Perfect for a high protein snack that doesn't contain dairy!
High-Protein Dairy-Free Snack Recipes with Protein Powder
These recipes have 10 grams or more protein per serving. Protein powder is added to these recipes.
21. Protein Cookies
Chewy, soft, and sweet, these vegan protein cookies will be your next favorite snack! Each cookie has 10g of protein and just under 150 calories. This one-bowl recipe is also easy to make and ready in 20 minutes.
23. Mango Spinach Smoothie
This healthy mango spinach smoothie tastes like a refreshing, tropical treat but is secretly packed with protein and a generous serving of greens. Just 5 minutes and a handful of ingredients (fresh or frozen) are all you need to make this for breakfast or a quick snack anytime!
22. Homemade Protein Gummies
These homemade protein gummies are sugar free, super tasty... and work up in just minutes! All you need is gelatin and clear protein powder!
23. Protein Overnight Oats
These healthy protein overnight oats are a healthy and delicious plant-based breakfast that is perfect for meal prepping!
23. 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.
20. Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins
This Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffin recipe is the perfect high protein vegan breakfast recipe. It's made with simple and clean ingredients, and nobody would even be able to tell that they're high protein!
23. Chocolate Banana Smoothie
This easy chocolate banana smoothie recipe has all the flavor of a classic shake, but packs a punch of protein, healthy fats, and fiber too! No Dairy, yet high in protein!
FAQ
Nuts, nut butter, almond flour cookies, roasted chickpeas, black beans dip, egg bites, quinoa salad, and whole grain bread are all high in plant-based (dairy-free) protein, any of these would be a great snack!
Almond butter, Banana Slices and Hemp Hearts
Peanut Butter, Apple and Hemp Hearts
Almond Flour Crackers
Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas
Trail Mix
Almond Butter Toast with Hemp hearts
Soy Yogurt or Coconut Yogurt
These are all quick and easy vegan snacks with a good source of protein.
Whey and Casein are proteins in dairy products. Whey protein is 20% of the protein content in cow's milk. It's a high-quality, complete protein. It is a quickly digested protein, meaning it is fast to be broken down and absorbed by the body.
Casein protein is the remaining 80% of protein in cow's milk.
Casein is a slow-digesting protein that is released slowly into the bloodstream meaning the proteins will be a sustaining protein source.
For a dairy free protein powder (or plant-based protein powder) look for pea protein, hemp protein, soy protein, pumpkin seed powder. If you are looking for more daily protein for a normal lifestyle I encourage adding hemp hearts to cereal, smoothies, avocado toast, and salad, a holistic way to include protein intake!
I hope you found some new favorite high protein dairy-free snacks! Let me know in the comment 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
Looking for other fun & healthy snack recipes like this to try? Hang out here!
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