SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Gluten-Free Banana Protein Bars


These protein bars do not have any gluten or dairy.



This post is done in collaboration with Vegan Smart.  They provided me with the pea protein powder I used in this recipe.

When Vegan Smart reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to try their new pea protein powder flavors (French Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge) in my baking recipes I was psyched.  I am a big fan of their pea protein powder as you know if you have been following me on Instagram and my blog. 

The question then became, what can I make with these new flavors?  I thought about trying cereal bars!  If you have young kiddos too, you probably go through them like water.  What bothers me about them is that the gluten-free bars are very often just empty calories.  There's little to no protein in them so the kids will be hungry again within a short period of time.

I made these bars two ways.  I tried a school-friendly version with brown rice flour and another with almond flour.  I prefer the latter.  They are moister and just more flavorful.  However, my kiddos seemed to enjoy both.  

Here are the details you need to make these bars:
Ingredients:
  • 1.0 cups Bob's Red Mill almond flour
  • 1 cup mashed banana (preferably with brown spots)
  • 1 3/4  cup Ancient Harvest quinoa flakes
  • 1/4 cup Vegan Smart French Vanilla pea protein powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • seeds from 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
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Preheat the oven to 350F and line the bottom of an oven tray with parchment paper.  My tray is about 9 x 13.  Peel and mash the bananas.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients together.  Pour your mix on the oven tray and flatten the top with a spatula.  Bake the muffins at 350F for about 12 minutes.  Allow to cool and cut into bars.  I got 12 bars.  Store the bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  They will last a few days.  


I tried using both vanilla flavor and seeds from a bean for this recipe.  My goal was to try to amplify the vanilla flavor in the protein powder.  I definitely like the vanilla bean better.  I am going to try vanilla paste next to see how it compares.


These bars are soft, moist and just so flavorful.  They are filling too which is a plus.  Here are the nutrition facts:



I think they have a decent amount of protein in them and I like how they are low in sugar but have some fat in them.  My kiddos have really enjoyed these!

Do you make cereal bars at home too?  Let me know in the comments below!


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