Perfecting apple pie is a true art form. The lattice crust takes work. And the filling? It has to remain balanced with a thick syrup-y sauce even when it’s chock full of apple chunks. At the very least, it’s a time-consuming dessert. Your next best choice: Cinnamon Apple Protein Bars. This recipe won’t take any more than 35 minutes from start to finish. When it’s done, you won’t spend even a second marveling at your masterpiece. Something as beautiful and delicious as these protein bars shouldn’t go to waste.
Cinnamon Apple Protein Bars
Makes 9 servings
Macros per serving: 98.5 calories | 11.8 g protein | 6.8 g net carbs
Bars
¼ cup coconut flour
2 scoops Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
1 cup Granny Smith apples, chopped
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup liquid egg whites
1 egg
Cream cheese frosting
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 scoop Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
1 Tbsp. sugar-free cheesecake instant pudding mix
1/3 cup erythritol
10 drops French vanilla stevia
½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 9” x 9” baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix all bar ingredients together until well-combined and smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, add almond milk, cream cheese and cottage cheese to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until liquefied.
- Add remaining frosting ingredients and blend until thick and smooth. Move to fridge to cool and thicken more.
- Once frosting has set, cut bars into 9 even squares and top each square with 1 tablespoon of frosting. Store leftover frosting in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Enjoy!