A Spoonful of Sunshine

Saturdays are for baking.  There is nothing I enjoy more on a cloudy Saturday morning than sipping some coffee while perusing food blogs to draw some inspiration for a recipe.  Enter Coconut Protein Squares…

I tried to  make these little guys a couple of weeks ago but there were some texture issues going on.  So today I had the perfect excuse to attempt the recipe again.  My sister is going on a LONG road trip so I wanted to send her off with a little snack!  With a few alterations I think I finally got the texture problem worked, the bars are definitely dense, but packed with protein and the coconut flour gives them that extra sweetness!  Also they are gluten-free!

Coconut Protein Squares

Ingredients

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 scoops vanilla protein powder*

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup mashed bananas

1/3 cup egg whites

1/3 cup soy milk**

15 drops liquid stevia

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Notes:

*There is some inconsistency as to what a “scoop” of protein powder.  I used a scoop that was (134 grams)

**Almond Milk worked for me as well so I would assume another non-dairy milk would work.

Directions

1.  Combine both flours, protein powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. ***Be sure to thoroughly combine the flours because coconut flour tends to clump together.

2.  In another large mixing bowl combine the bananas, egg whites, soy milk, and stevia.

3.  Pour the wet into the dry.  Be sure to give it a REALLY good mix. (This a gluten-free recipe so there is no worry of working the bread too much and making it tough.)

4.  Mix in the shredded coconut.

5.  Pour into a 8×8 baking pan lined with wax paper AND cover the paper with non-stick spray.  Smooth out batter to ensure even baking.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

I personally LOVE these bars with a smear of Almond Butter.  I have been eating store-bought protein bars WAYY to often as a quick snack, but those bars definitely starting adding up and hurting your wallet.  These are a great alternative and really simple to make!