I love protein bars as they offer my getting a healthy sweet along with fiber in one setting. But the bars I like can be very expensive. One day while trolling IG, I found a post where the influencer spoke about making homemade protein bars.
The influencer offered the ingredients: chick peas, peanut butter, vanilla, baking powder, honey and chocolate nibs. While this is right up my alley as I have been on a clean eating journey for the past two years, his recipe didn’t hold together as the picture indicated.
Therefore, I made the recipe my own by adding 1/2 cup spelt flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking powder, two cans of chick peas, 1-2 tbs agave, 1/2 cup nondairy milk chocolate nibs and 1/2 jar organic applesauce. The result is what you see above. I found the spelt flour and the applesauce not only held the ‘bars’ together but added a moisture and sweetness to them. I added the mixture to a black skillet, laced with aluminum foil and vegan butter. While not ‘bars’, the ‘cake’ turned out beautifully. I baked it in a 420 degree oven for roughly 30-40 minutes ensuring it was cooked in the middle. I let it sit for about an hour,then cut into it. SWEET.
You can place the cake in the fridge overnight. This will add to the firmness of it. I placed a slice in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. This cake is a good source of fiber due to the chick peas, keeping you fuller longer throughout the day. And, most importantly, my ‘cake’ is much less expensive than the store bought protein bars. By homemaking the cake, I have control over the ingredients, using what I have already in my pantry.
By Judi Jones
