Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Clean Protein Bars

Obviously, my goal was to come up with the longest name possible for these bars. Mission accomplished!

But I digress. These are delicious. These are easy. These are loved by my entire family. Yep, husband, kid, toddler, and my mom all approved. These are chewy and filling and full of protein. Plus, I know every ingredient since, well, I made them.

I’ve recently discovered–and become obsessed with–Luna bars. As a woman attempting to blend eating clean and following the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan and nursing/pumping for a five month old, I’ve had to find ways to consume healthy fats and complex carbs throughout my day. Enter the Luna bar and various nuts and seeds and avocado in my ShakeO, salads, and overnight oats. I keep one or two Luna bars in my bag at all times, though, so if hunger strikes and I’ve gone through all my snacks, I know I have something healthy and full of real food to nosh on. Two flavors are my faves: chocolate covered almond and chocolate chip cookie dough. Delicious, dessert-like, and perfect for my macros and hunger pangs.

This weekend, I began prepping for an upcoming clean eating group, Clean Eating with Kids. I have almost 40 participants already and want to make sure this 5-day push is helpful, healthful, and happy for all involved. My goal for the group is to educate moms–stay-at-home, working, single, etc–in the ease of clean eating and in the basic ins and outs of an 80/20 lifestyle. I will share a clean menu for all meals of the day, I will provide meal planning and prep tips and strategies, and I will provide motivation and accountability for the participants who wish to “cook along.” Most importantly, though, I want to free these moms, to help them gain more confidence in letting their kids get involved in the choices and cooling that take place in the kitchen. My experience is that the more my kids are involved in creating meals or snacks, the more likely they are to eat these foods. I was going over some of my menu ideas for the clean eating group with my 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son and told them I was considering making our own protein bars. “Yes!” Kayden exclaimed. “Let’s do that now!” So, with no forethought and no new ingredients, we set out to plan our own recipe. The kids checked the cupboards and I read through a few recipes I’ve pinned for granola bars and protein bars and energy bites and, with my two Luna fave flavors in mind, this is what we came up with!

Our recipe can be gluten free, but we did use peanut butter. You can easily substitute another nut butter if there is a peanut allergy. You can even leave out the almonds and/or add in something else–like shakes coconut or dried cranberries or chopped walnuts or whatever!

Almond Chocolate Cookie Dough Protein Bars

• Time: 45min
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Filling and yummy and gluten free if needed!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats, roasted (certified gluten free if you need)
• 1 cup all-natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup all-natural apple sauce
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Shakeology)
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Shakeology)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life dairy, soy, and gluten free morsels and chopped them roughly)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (I also chopped these roughly)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick coconut oil spray and sprinkle the oats on top. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. (This brings out the flavor and texture of the oats!).
2. Let the oats cool, then combine all the ingredients, folding in the chocolate chips and almonds last. Your dough may become thick. We mixed a little by hand.
3. Regrease your cookie sheet and shape the dough about 1/4 inch thick. It may not fill the whole sheet. A half sheet may work perfectly!
4. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 3 or so minutes before cutting into bars.
5. Store in an air-tight container. Enjoy within 5 days.

Let me me know how they turn out. If you tweak the recipe at all, I’d love to hear that as well!

Want to try Shakeology to make this recipe? You can purchase it here or fill in the “contact me” below and I can send you a sample! 🙂

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

 

Raspberry “Biscotti” Overnight Oats

I have recently started a journey to a healthier me and a healthier family, and part of that journey includes clean eating.  Clean eating means eating whole foods while avoiding as many processed foods as possible. As part of my journey towards health, I am focusing on eating more lean protein as well.   These two new eating habits have impacted one part of my day the most: breakfast.

I love breakfast.  Oddly, though, I don’t like many breakfast foods that don’t come in a box and get smothered in milk.  Not only do I think cereal is just delicious, but I prefer cold meals to warm and am not an egg-lover.  My morning routine is quickly changing as I explore the possibilities of clean eating.  I have discovered overnight oats as a way to jump-start my metabolism with a protein-filled, yummy breakfast.  Plus, I make it ahead so it is ready to go in the morning and I am less tempted to throw something crunchy and packed with sugar into a bowl of skim. You can find many overnight oats recipes online or play around with your own.  This recipe is one I created that I enjoy cold right out of the fridge.

I am a mom of three–5 and under–and am finding great joy in Sunday meal prep.  I plan our weekly menu Saturday night, my husband grocery shops Sunday morning, and I spend the afternoon putting together as many meals as possible.  For some, I can cook or bake completely.  For others, I prep and freeze.  For still a few more, I just get some chopping or portioning done.  Whatever prep I can manage makes my week easier and my family’s meals healthier.  My husband or I used to make a jumbo batch of pancakes or french toast to have on-hand for reheat-and-eat on the go in car seats heading to school.  Overnight oats provide for a more balanced quick breakfast option even kids will enjoy.

I call these raspberry “biscotti” overnight oats because of one special ingredient: Anise extract.  My Italian grandfather loved biscotti with his morning coffee. A small dash of the extract gives the blander main ingredients a nostalgic flavor I love.  I know my grandpa would love this recipe, too.  If you are not a fan of Anise, you can sub in an extract of your choice, or even toss in a little brown sugar if you want a special treat.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup organic old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (add a little more if you like your oatmeal runny)

1/3 cup nonfat plain organic Greek yogurt

a sprinkle of Chia seeds

a splash of Anise extract

7-10 raspberries, halved

Place the first five ingredients in an air-tight container (mason jars work well). Combine with either a spoon or by sealing the lid and giving it all a good shake. Top the oat mixture with raspberry halves, seal back up, and refrigerate.  Feel free to make enough portions for the week.

Good substitutes or add-ins include strawberries, blueberries, or slivered almonds.

As is, this recipe packs 13 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fiber. I enjoy mine cold right out of the fridge, but you could warm it up slightly in the microwave or leave it on the counter for a bit.