Description
Healthy and delicious protein bars that taste like BROWNIES. They are packed with nutrient dense ingredients. Protein comes from collagen powder and nuts. Perfect healthy snack any time of the day!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw pecans*
- 1/2 cup unflavored collagen protein powder (I used Bulletproof, but use whatever you have or like)**
- 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or sub cacao powder for even more nutrtional benefits)
- Optional: 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- Optional : 1 tablespoon maca powder (good for energy and balancing hormones)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups dates, pitted
- Optional: 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (or sub 3 to 5 drops of food grade essential oil, such as doTERRA)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons filtered water
Instructions
- Pepare an 8X10 baking dish by lining it with foil or parchment paper and greasing the foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Dates: If your dates are dry and hard soak them in hot water for 5 mintues. For this recipe it’s best to find juicy, soft dates if you can.
- Blend Dry Ingredients: Add the cashews, pecans, collagen powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, maca powder, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the nuts have broken down, some chunks are okay, and everything is well combined.
- Add the dates: If soaking the dates, drain them. Add the dates to the food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and the dates have broken down.
- Add the water: While the food processor is running add the peppermint extract (if using) and the water 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the lid and check the dough in between each tablespoon of water added. If the dough sticks together when you squeeze it with your hand it’s ready, if it’s too crumbly then add more water. How much water you need will depend on how sticky your dates are.
- Press dough into pan: Transfer the dough into the prepared baking dish. Wet your hands a little and press the dough evenely into the pan. You want it to be really compact so everything sticks together.
- Freeze: Cobver the bars with plastic wrap. Freeze for 15 mintues or refrigerate for 30 mintues.
- Cut: Once chilled remove the bars from the pan and use a sharp knife to cut into as many bars as you like.
- Store: store the bars in an air tight container for up to 1 week. Or freeze for 6 months.***
Notes
*You can sub either of the nuts for almonds, or walnuts, or whatever you prefer. You need 2 cups total of raw nuts. Macadamia nuts might be really good! I just used what I had on hand.
**My original idea for these protein bars was to make them similar to RX bars. Rx bars uses egg white powder for the protein. I am curious to try egg white powder in this recipe and see if there is a difference in taste an texture. I used the collagen powder because that’s what I have on hand and I am trying to work more collagen into my diet. You could also try any other unflavored, and unsweetened protein powder you like. I am personally very picky about the taste of protein powders but I think the cocoa powder and dates did a good job of covering up the taste of the collagen powder, so I think it will do a nice job covering up other unflavored protein powders. Let me know in the comments if you give any other protein powders a try :).
*** If you want to make the bars portable try wrapping them in parchment paper and then plastic wrap. They are very sticky so I think the parchment paper would be necessary here. I haven’t tried this but I’m sure it would work. You could store them in the fridge or freezer this way and grab one for lunch or work or school or the car…or whatever on your way out the door. They should be okay at room temperature for 8 hours, they will soften up a bit the warmer they are. BUT I would keep them refrigerated when you can.:)
Recipe adapted from Fit Mitten Kitchen
