Everyone’s had oats in a bowl, oats in a jar and even oats in a convenient snack bar. What makes these whole grain treasures a cut above is the crunchy chocolate crust. Made with chocolate protein powder and superfood cacao, nutrients are stacked high in this recipe. The natural sweetness of banana and a few mini chocolate chips to top it off make for a much more flavorful post-workout treat – bar none!
Choco-Nana Protein Oat Bars
Makes 8 servings
Macros per serving without chocolate chips:
125 calories | 6.4 g protein | 12 g carbs | 6.5 g fat | 2.4 g fiber | 2.2 g sugar
Chocolate crust:
½ scoop Giant Sports Delicious Chocolate Shake Protein Powder
½ cup almond meal flour
2 tsp. cacao powder
1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp. xylitol or stevia
1.5 Tbsp. water
Banana Oats:
½ scoop Giant Sports Delicious Banana Shake Protein Powder
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 Tbsp. stevia or xylitol
1 small banana, mashed
3 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
Topping: Mini chocolate chips, if desired
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Line a mini baking pan (I used 8”x5” dish) with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine all chocolate crust ingredients together and stir until a pastry mixture forms.
- Pour crust mixture into prepared baking pan and press down with your fingers to mold to the bottom of the pan. (Note: this process is less sticky if you wet your hands first.)
- Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool while you make the oat layer.
- In another medium bowl, combine banana-oat ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Spoon banana-oat mixture on top of chocolate crust and smooth down evenly. Sprinkle if chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 36-40 minutes. Let cool in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Slice into 8 squares and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy
Substitution tips:
- You can swap the cacao powder for unsweetened cocoa powder or additional chocolate protein powder.
- You can also sub the coconut oil for light butter.