Apple Pie Protein Bars

 
For the Memorial Day holiday weekend, my dad and I traveled south to San Diego to spend time with my grandparents. En route, I received a snap (are you following me on Snapchat? I’m @AmyBakesHealthy over there!) from one of my best friends from middle school.  

His picture captured a clear plastic tray holding 32 miniature ice cream cones, each classic cake-style cone about as tall as your thumb with a small 1” sphere of ice cream perched on top, every one in a different color and flavor. I had never seen such adorable itty bitty cones before, so I immediately wrote him to ask where he found them.

He sent me the name of the ice cream shop, located just a short drive away from my grandparents’ house (ironically enough!), and when I found out my grandparents had never been, let alone even heard of the store, we decided to go the following afternoon.
 

 
While Grandpa laid down for a nap, Dad and I drove to Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream, circling the busy streets until we found a parking spot a few blocks away, and walked into the cute storefront. Since Grandpa always rates every ice cream store by the quality of their vanilla ice cream, we ordered him a small scoop of that to go, along with a bit of chocolate too, but Dad and I stared at the huge tubs in the display case for a while before making our own decision!

Along with traditional flavors like the ones we bought for Grandpa, we saw salted caramel, brown sugar, chocolate peanut butter Oreo, nutmeg cream, orange dreamsicle, lychee cream, Thai tea, ginger cream, lavender, and peanut butter with guava jelly. And those weren’t even all of the options!
 

 
Since everyone enjoyed their scoops so much, and since their Tahitian vanilla passed Grandpa’s ratings with flying colors, we all agreed that we needed to go back a second time the next day. We ordered different flavors on that next trip, including the more “exotic” ones for Grandpa (his request!) of toasted coconut and banana storm (strawberries and crushed Oreos folded into banana ice cream), as well as a pint of Tahitian vanilla for his freezer at home.

Yum.
 

 
When the holiday weekend ended, I knew I probably shouldn’t eat ice cream as an afternoon snack every single day, but… Those fun flavors were just so tempting! As a compromise, I decided to make my own healthy snacks in a flavor just as sweet and interesting, which resulted in these Apple Pie Protein Bars. They have the same familiar taste as a slice of the classic dessert, but have far fewer calories and 10g+ of protein!

I’d say that’s a pretty good compromise… Wouldn’t you?
 

 
To make these healthy protein bars, you’ll start with two key ingredients: coconut flour and soy protein powder. Coconut flour is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, so it’s the perfect base for these high-protein snack bars! I prefer this kind, and you can find it in many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online.

However, coconut flour is about 3 times as absorbent as any other flour, so it’s incredibly important that you measured the coconut flour correctly. Too much will immediately dry out your protein bars, which will make them crumbly and fall apart. Use either the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale—but I highly recommend the latter! This is the inexpensive one that I own, and it’s the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I use it every day, and it always ensures that my recipes turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time!
 

 
This is the soy protein powder (or isolate) that I use, and I always buy it online. It’s my favorite protein powder, and I make this strawberry smoothie with it every single day! I love it because it only has one ingredient—soy protein—whereas many other protein powders out there also come with a plethora of other ingredients, some even including artificial sweeteners. My favorite soy protein powder is virtually flavorless, so it’s perfect for protein bars and smoothies where you want the other flavors to shine!

Note: This recipe was specifically designed for soy protein powder. It’s possible to substitute other plant-based protein powders with minimal adjustments to the amounts of other ingredients. However, do NOT substitute whey-based protein powders. The protein bars will not set if made with whey, and you’ll end up with a sticky, gooey mess.
 

 
For that irresistible dessert flavor, you’ll use diced apples and cinnamon. Cinnamon just might be my favorite part of apple pie! (I’m a self-declared cinnamonaholic… I go through humongous jars in a shockingly short amount of time. ?)

Before adding the fruit to the bowl, you’ll briefly sauté the apples. This softens the apples, so they’re not quite so crunchy when you bite into the protein bars! It also helps prevent the typical browning that you see after slicing apples and letting them sit for a while. For the best results, remember to dice your apple finely, in pieces about the same size as miniature chocolate chips.
 

 
Time for ice cream a healthy snack! And when you make these, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! ?) I’d love to see your protein bars and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!

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