Hello, hello!
Happy Monday to you! Oh my goodness- I am so excited to share this incredible recipe with you today that I mentioned in yesterday's post!
I have a food confession to make to you first though. It's time I let my "food sin secret" out of the bag.
You see, for the last three years of this blog I've promoted eating clean, whole foods and while that's remained true in my own life, and is something I truly do advocate, there's been one little exception to that rule most of you don't know, so here goes nothing!
I have a HUGE fondness (or to be honest a complete love for) certain processed low-carb protein bars- specifically Atkins bars (because they're 100% sugar-free, don't taste fake, have tons of protein, and taste pretty darn incredible, regardless that they're a diet product).
I'm not kidding- I actually treat these bars as if they were candy bars I love them so much. Sometimes I have a breakfast bar flavor for breakfast, and when my sweet tooth really won't leave me alone, the Chocolate Coconut flavor is the closest sugar-free product you'll ever get to a Mounds bar- hands down. My mom even loves them and she hates the idea of sugar-free anything!
I specifically buy the bars without wheat on the label and thankfully none of them contain sugar like many other so called "sugar-free" bars out there. Yes, I know- they're all FILLED with artificial ingredients, GMO soy, conventional dairy, and who the heck knows what else. So if I die tomorrow you can laugh and say it was because of these bars, but I'll likely disagree with you:)
Joking aside though, you know what? This one simple and silly food I happen to love that most people use as a diet food is what has helped me combat orthorexia and obsessing with eating perfectly the last three years. So yes, I admit, I really and truly do love processed, artificially sweetened, completely GMO-filled Atkins bars. And now you all know:) And I won't die and go to "food sinner hell" because of it, nor do I eat them all day or eat more than one a day, if one a day at all. It sounds so silly and so "wrong" for a clean eater like myself, but it's completely true and I'm not changing my love for these bars anytime soon, nor do I feel the need to hide it.
And I'm sorry- but I just don't get the whole "Quest Bar" obsession, no matter how much "cleaner" those bars may be. Seriously, how do people love those so much!? If you're one of them, I'm sorry, but they taste like a salty, rubbery piece of raw cookie dough that's just a sad excuse for a protein bar. Oh well, call me the odd ball out, but I'm not hopping on that protein bar train anytime soon!
Plus, I have to say, that in a pinch, Atkins bars are one of the most filling, low-glycemic protein bars out there that don't contain an ounce of sugar to mess with my testy blood sugar levels. Think Thin brand of protein bars are also great too by the way, and they are technically non-GMO, gluten-free, and sugar-free if you need a cleaner processed food fix!:)
Okay, so now that you know my secret, I have the perfect recipe for all of you that's actually 100% clean and sugar-free without any of the processed ingredients whatsoever. I've always wanted to create my own healthy protein bar, but up until recently I just never had the urge. (Which I could shoot myself for now these are so delicious!)
There are loads of protein bar recipes out there so I'm not here to tell you which one is best for you but can I just say, this protein bar below has to be the best thing I've ever made here on The Soulful Spoon in a long time.
First things first though....
Need to Knows:
I can't promise that if you use other brands of ingredients than what I used that your results will be the same.
I've made these bars three times and they came out exactly the same, so be sure you follow the recipe exactly the same as I did if you want the same results.
These are under-baked because I like my bars very chewy and "dough-like" instead of crispy, but they can easily be baked longer for a crispier bar.
These taste slightly like a vanilla spice cake, which is how I prefer my protein bars to taste. I topped mine with additional coconut because I prefer as much coconut as possible, but you could definitely omit the shredded coconut on top and use this chocolate shell instead or leave them plain.
I store mine in the freezer because they get sweeter and can easily be pulled straight out without the need to thaw but you can also keep them in your fridge for a week or at room temperature for one day.
I used my absolute favorite ingredients to make these, which I dedicate their success to. The flavor combinations of these ingredients is one that is hard to beat so once again, if you use alternative ingredients, I can't promise you'll get the same results.
Nutritional Stats:
These bars contain NO sugar, NO gluten, NO grains, NO GMO ingredients, and they contain 14 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, and 9 grams of fiber per bar!
Did I mention they're also artificial sweetener-free? Maybe one day I'll get a patent on these bars and sell them alongside Atkins bars for you to buy. Since that's likely not happening anytime soon though, how about I just share them with you here for free instead?:)
Low-Carb Vanilla Cinnamon Protein Bars
Sugar-Free, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian with a Vegan Option
*My Healthy, Clean-Eating Version of Atkins Bars*
Makes: 8 bars ( 4.5"x 1" size bars)
Ingredients:
1 scoop Sunwarrior Raw Warrior Blend (vanilla flavor)
1 scoop About Time Whey Protein Isolate (vanilla) *or sub in more Sunwarrior for a vegan option*
4 teaspoons of chia meal (Do not use whole chia seeds, use milled chia or grind the chia seeds yourself first in a coffee grinder. Chia meal produces a much better binding effect than the whole seeds do and offers a better flavor)
1 tablespoon of maca for a creamy, cakey flavor and extra boost of energy (I used this Vanilla Spice Maca - my favorite)
1 tablespoon of dark cocoa powder (this adds just enough depth to bring out the other flavors more prominently without making them taste like chocolate - I used Hershey's Dark)
2/3 cup ground flax (not whole)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup shredded coconut (I used reduced fat for a lighter texture)
3 teaspoons NuNaturals pure stevia extract (not stevia powder) OR you may sub in 15 drops of liquid vanilla stevia
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional but highly recommended for a sweet, cookie-like flavor)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk ( I used Silk)
water to thicken
juice from one lemon (this just helps bring out the flavors of the other ingredients, it will not make your bars taste like lemon- I promise!)
Optional Topping: additional coconut for sprinkling
Directions:
*You will need a 8x8" glass baking pan at least 1.5" tall which you'll use to press your bar mixture into. It does not need to be coated but should be glass for the best effects instead of aluminum or heavy metal.*
* Preheat your oven to 350 degrees*
1. Next, get a large glass bowl and add the protein powders, coconut flour, stevia extract (if using the powdered form), shredded coconut, ground flax, chia meal, maca, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Sift with a fork to work out any clumps and toss well to combine. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the almond milk, liquid stevia if using that instead of the stevia extract, and the vanilla extract. Add the juice from one lemon.
3. Add the liquid ingredients slowly to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add at least 1 cup of water and stir very, very well to incorporate. The flax, coconut, chia, and protein powders will start to make the mixture very thick, very quickly.
4. At this point you'll need to add just enough water bit by bit to get it to the point of a thick dough. It should be very thick but should not have any powdery residue whatsoever. I find stirring with a fork makes this much easier and doesn't take more than 2-3 minutes.
5. When you have thick dough that forms a large ball, stop mixing.
6. Scoop the dough into the middle of your 8x8" glass pan and press it flat into a square, filling to the edges. Press your hands on top to flatten out completely even or use the back of a large metal spoon. If using the coconut topping, feel free to sprinkle it on top of your bars now.
7. Bake for 10 minutes just until the edges start to firm up. *If you want a crispier bar, bake 10 more minutes*
8. Turn off the oven and remove the bars to let them sit 10 minutes on a counter.
9. Cut the bars with a dull-edged knife into 4 even strips lengthwise, and then cut the 4 strips in half going the opposite direction to form 8 bars total.
10. Freeze for at least 1 hour uncovered to firm up.
11. Remove and gently use a fork or firm spatula to remove each bar to package them up separately. I wrapped all my bars in a napkin and then wrapped them completely in foil. Then, I placed all the wrapped bars in a large freezer safe Ziploc bag to store in my freezer. Again, you can keep these in the fridge if you want and keep them in plastic baggies if you want.
10. Enjoy anytime you need a protein-packed snack, a healthy breakfast alternative, or just a yummy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Note: I had all these ingredients on hand, so they were more economical to make than having to buy ingredients. If you do not have these ingredients, I will put coupon links below so you can pick some up for yourself!:) You can use the ingredients in a ton of my other recipes, so feel free to get your money's worth.
Here's a hint: Anytime you see the image below, that means you have access to my special coupon links through various websites. I'm currently working on a complete page dedicated to my favorite products with coupon codes, but for now, let this image be your guide that you're up for a nice little discount!
You can buy any of the ingredients I used in these healthy bars through the links below to save money and get further savings from each site. Have fun shopping!
Save $10 off your first order through Vitacost with this link (or if you're already a Vitacost customer, you can use this link with a different email and still get the savings)
You can also save $5-$10 through this link with iHerb or just enter coupon code TEZ763 at checkout.
Both websites offer fast free shipping and are two that I personally order from on a regular basis. I never buy health products in stores, where they can cost up to 50% more for retail costs when I can save money and buy them online and have them shipped straight to me.
If you have any questions about the ingredients, feel free to ask! I've been using all of them the last several years in many of my recipes and I love them so much they continue to be mainstays in my kitchen. They also all last a very long time which I think is important when your food budget for items like these is slim!
Now go make some of these healthy protein bars and get a nice little laugh about me next time you see a box of Atkins bars in the store:)
Do you have a food confession? Spill it!
What's your favorite protein bar flavor?
Have an awesome Monday!:)