Blueberry Almond Protein Cake Bars

As I was shopping in the grocery store earlier this week, I saw these beautiful plump blueberries were on sale so I snagged a couple of containers with the idea of making a protein treat with one of them. I wasn't sure what I was going to make but knew I had to take advantage of them since they are in season. I scrolled through some of my older recipes and stumbled upon my blueberry cake protein donuts. YES! I wanted cake! I typed up this recipe keeping my fingers crossed that they would turn out just as good as the donuts. Success!!! They are light and sweet with the perfect cake texture. They aren't overly sweet, which is another thing I love about them! These can be enjoyed at breakfast with a cup of coffee, as a snack, or dessert (maybe with some vanilla ice-cream?) Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 egg whites

¼ cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup blueberries, divided

½ cup all-natural almond butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter extract

1½ scoops Lean Body For Her vanilla whey protein powder

1 cup almond meal flour

1 cup oat flour

½ cup xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9x9” baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Combine egg whites, yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, almond butter, and extracts in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.

3. Add protein powder, almond meal flour, oat flour, xylitol, and baking powder to a mixing bowl. Stir together.

4. Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in remainder ½ cup of blueberries into batter.

5. Pour batter into baking dish and smooth down with a spoon.

6. Bake in the oven for 22-26 minutes, or until center is cooked. Slice into 16 squares and serve immediately.

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 square

Macros for 1 serving

157 calories, 8.2g protein, 16.2g carbs, 8.4g fat, 2.2g sugar, 2.8g fiber

Chocolate Chip Protein Brownie Pie

Brownie, Chocolate, Pie, OH MY! Two of the best desserts collide to make one decadent and rich protein treat. If you're a fan of chocolate, you really must try this! It is my very first brownie pie I have ever made and I was very pleased with the results. Making anything into a pie is fun to me. Making a brownie into a pie. Fun and delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ scoop ARO chocolate protein powder

½ cup coconut flour

½ cup almond meal flour

3 tablespoons Vitacost cacao powder

1/3 cup Vitacost xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate chips

3 egg whites

¾ cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites and almond milk.

3. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to the mixing bowl and stir together until well combined.

4. Spoon batter into pie pan and spread out/flat down with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

5. Bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan.

6. Slice into 8 even pieces. Enjoy!

*I topped mine with Vitacost’s powdered peanut butter mixed with water.

Makes 8 servings

1 serving is 1 slice

Macros for 1 serving

124 calories, 7.5g protein, 16.6g carbs, 5.3g fat, 1g sugar, 4.5g fiber

Nicolette’s Notes

* Once the brownie pie has cooled, you can either slice it while it’s still in the pan or invert it onto a flat serving dish.

* You may substitute coconut flour with ½ cup oat flour. If you do, decrease the almond milk to ½ cup.

Strawberry Cashew Protein Bread

Have you ever baked with cashew butter? It is my favorite nut butter to bake with because it's already more buttery than the other kinds and it's so silky and smooth. All of that yumminess transfers to the treat you're making. Yes, please! This protein bread was certainly no exception! You'll love the texture and flavor of this bread. And strawberries are just so damn good! Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 egg whites

½ cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup strawberries, chopped

1/3 cup all-natural cashew butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ scoops Lean BodyFor Her vanilla whey protein powder

¾ cup almond meal flour

1 cup oat flour (or whole-wheat flour)

½ cup xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar-free strawberry gelatin mix

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray loaf pan with non-stick spray.

2. Combine egg whites, yogurt, ½ cup diced strawberries, cashew butter, and extract in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.

3. Add protein powder, almond meal flour, oat flour, xylitol, baking powder, and gelatin mix to a mixing bowl. Stir together.

4. Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in remainder ½ cup of diced strawberries into batter.

5. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth down with a spoon.

6. Bake in the oven for 42-44 minutes, or until center is cooked. Let cool for 30 minutes then slice into 16 slices. Enjoy!

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 slice

Macros for 1 serving

134 calories, 7.5g protein, 15.2g carbs, 6.3g fat, 1.7g sugar, 2g fiber

Chocolate Caramel Protein Energy Bites

One word: Obsessed! I can't stop eating them. I can't stop drooling. They're good right out of the fridge, right out of the freezer, or right off the counter. They do no wrong. I did add some melted sugar free chocolate and some chopped cashews. You don't have to, but why not?! These are really great to put in the freezer, too, so you have an extra stash for the future (if they last that long). I will have to make more of these soon! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Vitacost unsalted cashews

1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted (about 6)

2 tablespoons Vitacost maple syrup (or sugar-free maple syrup)

2 tablespoons almond milk

¼ cup coconut flour (or 1/3 whole-wheat flour)

1 scoop ARO chocolate whey protein powder

1 tablespoon Vitacost cocoa powder

1 cup Vitacost rolled oats

Optional Toppings: melted sugar-free chocolate and crushed cashews

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. 

2. Soak dates in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and drain.

3. Pulse cashews in a food processor until a fine crumble forms.

4. Add dates, syrup, and almond milk to food processor and blend until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the coconut flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, and oats. Keep stirring together until well combined (batter will be very thick)

7. Roll about 3 tablespoons of batter into a ball. Repeat until 12 balls are made and place each one on the baking sheet.

8. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven, add chocolate if desired, and serve. 

Makes 12 servings

1 serving is 1 energy bite (without extra toppings)

Macros for 1 serving

100 calories, 4g protein, 17.4g carbs, 2.2g fat, 9.4g sugar, 2.7g fiber

Nicolette’s Tips

* I wet my hands slightly when rolling the batter into balls. This helps prevent them from sticking to your fingers and palms.

* For a lower sugar option, substitute maple syrup with sugar-free maple syrup.
*You can also eliminate the baking step. They are just as delicious as a no-bake treat.