Protein Pumpkin Granola Bars

It's certainly sometimes easier to purchase foods like granola bars from the grocery store. I get it. But have you ever made your own? It's like comparing canned fruit to fresh fruit. Fresh fruit always wins, in my opinion. These granola bars taste so much better than store bought bars. I encourage you to try them out and see what I'm talking about. Plus, pumpkin and chocolate chips are a match made it heaven! 

Strawberry Limeade Protein Bars

A cold, refreshing glass of strawberry limeade is guaranteed to put me in a great mood! I wanted to recreate this summertime favorite drink into a treat that can be deliciously consumed. The sweet strawberry taste pairs perfectly with the tangy lime flavor! Not too sweet, not too sour - just right!

Blueberry Lemonade Protein Blondies

Mmmmmmm!! Blueberries, lemonade, blondies, Oh My! Perfectly soft and scrumptious blueberry blondies topped with a sweet and tangy lemon icing. Let's not forget that they are figure friendly, providing only 144 calories per serving! The deep blue/purple color of the blondie is from the REAL blueberries that are blended in the batter. To artificial coloring over here!

Lemon Cream Protein Bars

Oh man. Have you ever taken a picture of something and thought "well shoot, this pictures doesn't do that justice"? Totally my thoughts with this dish. There's nothing real magical with how these lemon bars look. Let's discuss how they taste then, shall we. First you've got a perfectly sweet, crunchy crust that almost melts in your mouth when you take a bite. Then you've got a smooth, tangy, and delightful lemon layer that sparks the inner foodie in you. How is this even possible, you ask yourself. NO SUGAR?!?! Only 106 calories?!?! Let me handle that part, since it is mind-blowing. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself a lemon cream protein bar! 

Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chunk Protein Blondies

I am pretty obsessed with how these turned out. The texture is absolutely perfect, the new organic chocolate chunks from Vitacost are seriously delicious, and the flavor of these blondies are so good! These don't have an overwhelming pumpkin flavor - just enough to give you a little taste! I could honestly eat this whole batch. Please make these :) and enjoy!

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 scoops Vitacost ARO vanilla whey protein powder

1 cup oat flour (or whole-wheat flour)

½ cup almond meal

¼ cup Vitacost xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

½ cup Vitacost organic dark chocolate chunks

Method

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

2. Combine egg yolks, milk, and canned pumpkin in a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.

3. Add protein powder, oat flour, almond meal, xylitol, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt to a separate mixing bowl. Stir together.

4. Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in ½ cup of chocolate chunks.

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

6. Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes, or until center is cooked. Let cool for about 20 minutes, slice into 16 squares, and serve immediately.

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 square

Macros for 1 serving

116 calories, 5.6g protein, 14g carbs, 5.1g fat, 4.6g sugar, 1.3g fiber

Nicolette’s Tips

* You can also use an 8x8” baking pan – increase the cooking time by 4 minutes.

Protein S’mores Bars

Who doesn't love S'mores during the cooler weather days? Hell. Who doesn't love S'mores at all times? I think they are pretty perfect - gooey melty chocolate and marshmallow eaten with graham crackers. These bars aren't crunchy like the typical graham cracker, but the flavor is there! But let's not forget there is added protein in my treats along with healthier ingredients used to get the final sweet dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Layer

2/3 cup oat flour

½ cup coconut flour

3 scoops Lean Body for Her vanilla whey concentrate protein powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

¼ cup xylitol

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup plain greek yogurt

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Top Layer

12 marshmallows, each cut/sliced in half

½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together syrup, yogurt, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Add remainder of the graham cracker layer ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until well combined.

4. Pour mixture into baking dish, evenly spread out and flatten to the bottom of pan, and bake in the oven for 24-28 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

5. Turn the oven broiler on. Top the cooked graham cracker layer with chocolate chips then marshmallows.

6. Cook bars again (under the broiler) until marshmallows are slightly browned on the top, about 2-3 minutes.

7. Slice into 16 even squares. Enjoy!

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 square

Macros for 1 serving

131 calories, 7.7g protein, 16.3g carbs, 3.4g fat, 5.6g sugar, 2.3g fiber

Nicolette’s Tips

* When slicing the squares, spray the knife with non-stick spray so the melted marshmallows do not stick.

* Eat and enjoy right when the bars are done baking! You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or oven.

No-Bake Chocolate Cashew Protein Squares

Super easy & delicious protein squares with a few ingredients and tons of flavor! You get all the good stuff with these - healthy protein, healthy fats, healthy carbs. So they're perfect for a pre-workout snack! They don't take long to make either since they are no-bake. Just blend, stir, spread, and drizzle :) Enjoy!

Ingredients

1¼ cup unsalted cashews

¾ cup old-fashioned oats

2 scoop Lean Body For Her vanilla whey protein powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon butter extract

½ cup sugar-free chocolate

Method

1. Line an 8x8” square pan with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. Place cashews and oats into a blender or food processor and pulse until mixture resembles flour. Pour into mixing bowl.

3. Add protein powder and salt to the mixing bowl and stir together.

4. Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and extract into the mixing bowl and stir together.

5. Using your hands, knead this mixture slightly until comes together. Spoon mixture into pan and press down with your hands making sure the entire bottom of pan is covered with mix.

6. Melt chocolate until smooth and drizzle on top of cashew mixture.

7. Place the dish in the fridge until chocolate hardens, about 1 hour. Remove from fridge, slice into 16 squares, and serve immediately.

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 protein square

Macros for 1 serving

169 calories, 6.3g protein, 13.7g carbs, 11g fat, 3.9g sugar, 1.9g fiber

Vanilla Blackberry Protein Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

4 egg whites

¼ cup plain greek yogurt

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¾ cup blackberries

¼ cup all-natural cashew butter (or almond butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ scoops vanilla protein powder

¾ cup almond meal flour

1¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or oat flour)

1/3 cup xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

2 teaspoons baking powder

Method

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

2. Combine egg whites, yogurt, milk, blackberries, cashew butter, & vanilla extract in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.

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

4. Pour liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

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

6. Bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Slice into 16 squares and serve immediately.

* I topped mine with some blackberry jam.

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 square

Macros for 1 serving

122 calories, 6.7g protein, 15.1g carbs, 5g fat, 1.1g sugar, 2.4g fiber

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

Maple Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Peanut butter. Oh peanut butter. How I love thee. You can almost bet that if a cake, cookie, candy, cracker, sandwich, or any other food has peanut butter in it, I will like it. Most of the time I will love it. It's weird because peanut butter isn't my favorite to just eat out of the jar. I much prefer almond butter or cashew butter. But peanut butter foods. Yes! And these are no exception. They are a bit thinner than a "blondie" or cake square and a little more dense also. There's also a subtle sweet maple flavor that adds a little something special to these. So if that sounds like something you would enjoy, these are a must try! They're dense and chewy peanut butter maple perfection bars. Enjoy!

Ingredients

¼ cup plain greek yogurt (or applesauce)

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup Vitacost all-natural peanut butter

3 tablespoons almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or oat flour)

½ cup Vitacost peanut powder

¼ cup Vitacost xylitol (or sweetener of choice)

1 scoop ARO vanilla whey protein powder

Optional: Peanut Butter Chips

Method

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

2. Whisk together yogurt, maple syrup, peanut butter, almond milk, and egg whites in a mixing bowl until smooth.

3. Add in the remainder of ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

4. Pour batter into baking dish and spread out evenly. Since these are bars, they will not be very thick. Add peanut butter chips on top, if desired.

5. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 16 even squares and enjoy!

Makes 16 servings

1 serving is 1 square

Macros for 1 serving

85 calories, 3.8g protein, 12.1g carbs, 3.2g fat, 4.3g sugar, 1.4g fiber

Nicolette’s Tips

* You can bake these in an 8x8” baking dish also. Just increase the cooking time slightly.