Apple Protein Bars (V, GF, No Bake)
Make a batch of vegan, gluten-free apple protein bars! They require no baking and boast 10.4 grams of protein per bar.
Servings: 5 bars
Equipment
- standard size muffin tin (12-count)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
- 1/3 cup vanilla rice protein powder (or vegan vanilla protein power of your choice)
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (see notes for options)
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons almond butter (see notes for options)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (see notes for options)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Optional: a few oats a sprinkle of raw (Turbinado) sugar
Instructions
- Line 5 cups of a standard size muffin tin (I like to use silicone muffin cup liners. Paper liners or foil liners will also work).
- In a food processor, process the oats into a fine powder. Add the protein powder, coconut flour, spice and salt; pulse to combine.
- Add the applesauce, almond butter, maple syrup, and lemon juice; pulse until completely blended, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Divide dough into 5 equal portions; roll each into a ball. Press 1 ball into each prepared cup, tamping down with a measuring cup to flatten.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set. If desired, sprinkle tops with a few oats and/or raw sugar.
Notes
Storage: Tightly wrap the bars and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 6 months.
- What can I use in place of the maple syrup? Use an equal amount of another sweetener, such as agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or coconut sugar (plus 2 teaspoons water) can be used in place of the maple syrup.
- What can I use in place of the coconut flour? You can replace the coconut flour with an extra 2/3 cup of oats. Process the extra oats along with the 1/2 cup oats in step two (so that all of the oats are a fine powder).
- Can I use oat flour in place of the grinding the rolled oats? Yes! You will need an equal weight (50 grams) of oat flour as rolled oats, which is 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oat flour. You can skip using a food processor and combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
- Can I make the apple protein bars without a food processor? Yes. You will need to use oats that are already ground (see note above about using oat flour). Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Alternatively, grind the oats in a blender. Mix the ground oats and remaining ingredients in a bowl.
- I am not vegan. Can I use whey protein powder? Yes, you can use vanilla whey protein or whey protein isolate powder. You will likely need to add a little bit more ground oats to the mix, as needed, to make a firm dough.
- Can I use other nut butters in place of the almond butter? Yes! Use an equal amount of peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini, pumpkin seed butter, or coconut butter (not coconut oil).
- Can I use other spices besides pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon? Yes! You can use cardamom, ginger, apple pie spice blend, allspice, a small amount of nutmeg, or a blend of several spices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 10.4g | Fat: 4.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 103mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 5.5g