No-Bake Protein Bar

I ran out of Quest Bars the other day, and wanted to bring a quick and easy snack with me to work. I've always baked my protein bars in the past, but I really didn't have the time. It took seconds to prepare, and I left it in the freezer to firm up while I showered and got ready. You can also just eat this as soon as it's prepared- it tastes like cookie dough!

I used Cellucor protein in the Cake Batter flavor, but any of your favorite whey protein powders will work fine. I highly recommend Cellucor though :)

No-Bake Protein Bar

Ingredients:

3/4 scoop whey protein (~20 grams)
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoon unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon almond butter (or peanut butter)
8 drops liquid stevia 
Almond milk as needed

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except the almond milk in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Gradually add almond milk in small amounts until you form a thick dough.
2. Form the mixture into a bar shape. Freeze or refrigerate until set. Or, enjoy as is!

Nutrition Information: 185 calories, 5 grams Fat, 15 grams CHO, 20 g Protein

Lemon Cake PrOATein Bars

These came out SUPER moist and cake-like. Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice make these bars burst with clean, delicious, lemon flavor. Perfect to take on-the-go or to add to your protein fro-yo :)

Lemon Cake PrOATein Bars

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons powdered stevia (or to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar-free lemon pudding mix
Zest of one medium lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cottage cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
3. Pour batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
5. Let cool, then cut into four pieces.

If you'd like to add "frosting", just mix together 1 tablespoon greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon vanilla whey. If you want to get real fancy, throw some more zest on top.

Macros: 1 g Fat, 6.8 g CHO, 11.3 g Protein

*Macros will vary depending on the the protein powder you choose. I used MRM Vanilla for this recipe. 

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Protein Blondies

My original Peanut Butter Protein Blondies are fabulous. But, I created the recipe before I ever tried Cellucor protein powder. So, I made an updated version using Cellucor's Peanut Butter Marshmallow whey protein. Totally kicks the peanut butter flavor up a notch! Literally tastes like you are eating a soft bar of peanut butter. YUM. Crumbled one into my protein fro-yo today. Happy tummy : )

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Protein Blondies

Ingredients:

1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 scoop Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow
1/4 cup stevia (or to taste)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Eat some of the batter because it taste like cookie dough. Just kidding . . . kinda.
4. Spray a non-stick 8" square pan or bread loaf pan depending on what shape you'd like your bars to be. Pour batter into the pan.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until your knife comes out clean.
6. Place on a cooling rack. Cut into 6-8 slices- or whatever serving size you prefer!

Tofu Protein Bars

Do not let the title of this post scare you. I was originally going to call it "Banana Protein Bars" since tofu tends to scare people away. Maybe it's because most people are unfamiliar with tofu, or they only know it as the "mushy stuff" in their miso soup? Well, it shouldn't be that way. Tofu is so versatile and takes on the flavor of whatever it's made with. Not too many protein foods have that talent. Tofu shouldn't be the "secret" or "hidden" ingredient in a recipe. I know in the past I wouldn't tell anyone that I made something with tofu in fear that they might not try it. Take it or leave it. These protein bars were made with TOFU and they are freaking delish.

I decided to use tofu because I had some leftover after I made my miso dressing a few days back. I figured it would be a great replacement for something like pumpkin, squash, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc., for a protein bar. After some initial research, I found a random forum that posted a tofu protein bar recipe. They claimed they found it on www.bodybuilding.com, but I couldn't find it on the site. I modified the recipe a bit and came up with this winner:

Tofu Banana Protein Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (6 oz) Light Silken Tofu (I used Naysoya, doesn't have to be "light")
1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond)
3 T sugar free banana pudding mix (called for 1 package, but I already used 1 T so I just used what was left)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325. Put everything into a blender and mix really well. Spray a small loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour your batter in.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes.

I let the loaf sit and cool, then sliced it into 4 bars.

Nutrition Facts (One Bar): 111 Calories, 11.5 g CHO, 1.1 g Fiber, 1.8 g Fat, 12.7 g Pro, 0.3 g Sugar

Added Bonus: This bar packs 24% Vitamin A, 28% Calcium, and 17% Iron!!! (Based on the RDA for a 2,000 calorie diet)

And here's my chocolate version:

Chocolate Tofu Protein Bars: Substitute with sugar-free chocolate pudding mix and chocolate protein powder.

The variations are endless!


Random last thought- I've been loving image quotes lately. Short, sweet, and inspirational quotes that are also pretty to look at. Image quote for today:

Pumpkin Protein Bars

So, I'm pretty much obsessed with pumpkin. Not only is it delish, but its only 80 calories for one cup and its amazing in soups, pancakes, breads, or just as a side dish. YUM. Anyway, I decided I wanted to make a protein/snack bar using pumpkin. I had a few standards in mind as I searched:

1. Easy to make
2. Low in carbohydrates
3. Less than 150 calories
4. Yummy and satisfying

After searching and trying different recipes I finally found this one from this blog (adapted slightly):

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup egg whites (from carton)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
4 Tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Truvia packet
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix wet ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Whisk dry ingredients and wet ingredients together with an electric mixer.
4. Spray a 8X8 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour mixture into it. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into 8 squares.

Nutrition:
86 CAL, 6.7 g CHO, 11.6 g PRO, 1.4 g FAT

Side Note: These freeze well. I wrap them individually in saran wrap. They either defrost in my lunchbox or you can microwave or toast them up! I like to slice mine and spread half of a Laughing Cow wedge in Cinnamon Roll flavor OR 1-2 T PB2 :)