Peach Jam Protein Bars

Nicolette Stramara

by | Updated: December 4th, 2016

Not sure the difference between a cobbler, a crumble and a crisp? You’re not alone. The obvious common denominator is fruit. But there’s one other thing: they’re all a hot mess. Literally bubbling over with warm, gooey peaches, apples or cherries, these southern favorites fall apart the moment your fork dives in. If it matters, though, a crisp is the only one with an oat topping. To complicate things even more, this recipe turns a peach crisp into a protein bar. So what are you really eating? Something so good, it doesn’t matter.

Peach Cobbler Protein Bars

Peach Jam Protein Bars

Makes 16 bars
Macros per bar: 101 calories | 5.2 g protein | 15.6 g carbs | 2.1 g fat | 8.4 g sugar | 1 g fiber

Ingredients

Bottom layer

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg whites
2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (or ground rolled oats)
2 scoops ARO Vanilla Whey Protein Complex PLUS
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt

Jam layer

2 cups frozen peaches, thawed (or fresh, sliced peaches)
¼ cup Vitacost Certified Organic Coconut Sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. ARO Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

Crumble topping

¼ cup gluten-free oat flour
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 Tbsp. Vitacost Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, melted

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat an 8” x 8” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, vanilla and egg whites until smooth.
  3. To the bowl, add oat flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt and stir until mixture is well combined.
  4. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, using a spoon to smooth down. Bake 25-28 minutes. While this is baking, prepare jam layer.
  5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add peaches, coconut sugar and lemon juice. Stir together and bring mixture to a slow simmer. Let simmer 8-10 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water. Add to saucepan and stir vigorously.
  7. Once mixed together, pour mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.
  8. Add protein powder and pulse until well combined. Set aside while you prepare topping.
  9. In a medium bowl, add all topping ingredients and stir until mixture becomes crumbly.
  10. Pour peach jam over baked base layer. Sprinkle crumble topping over jam and bake an additional 20-22 minutes.
  11. Let cool in fridge for at least 3 hours before cutting into 16 even squares.