In my monthly newsletter, I share a healthy new recipe every month to help you make some simple nutrition improvements and to inspire you to try some new things in the kitchen.
How silly of me to not share them here on my blog! Well, that’s going to change, starting now. Keep checking back for more great recipes and resources.
What better way to start off than by sharing a healthy treat. I love finding recipes for treats that taste great but are low on the guilt meter. I found this recipe from the Precision Nutrition Gourmet Nutrition book but I made a couple of modifications. I first changed it to use raw honey or coconut sugar. I also changed it to bake in a single pan to be cut up after baking, which is much less tedious than the original version of wrapping individual servings in foil and baking that way.
Next time I make them, I’m going to try omitting the graham crackers. I prefer not to eat processed foods and I’m not sure they add much to the flavor anyway, but I’ll report back and let you know how they turned out.
I personally think they taste more like a brownie than S’mores, as they are called in the book but no matter what you call them they are good. They got the stamp of approval from Erin, Shea, Scott and Mike after completing their 2 day, 150 mile Bike MS tour. It’s a perfect workout recovery snack, or any time you need a treat.
Your protein powder will make a big difference on how much applesauce you need. I use Thorne Research VegaLite protein powder, and one serving has more volume than one serving of whey protein. In my case, I ended up needing 2 cups of applesauce and I still had to add some water to get everything mixed! I used coconut sugar, but next time I will use raw honey because I think it will add more moisture and help offset the extra applesauce I needed to add.
S’mores Bars – 8 servings
8 servings chocolate protein powder
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used Pamela’s Gluten Free)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
1/3 cup coconut sugar or raw honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
In a dry blender, process 1 cup of the oats into flour. Add the oat flour to the remaining cup of rolled oats in a large bowl, and mix with the remaining dry ingredients. After the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together, add 1/2 cup of the applesauce and stir. If mixture is too dry, add more applesauce a little at a time. It will seem like there is not enough at first, but keep stirring – it will mix. Try to use as little applesauce as possible because it’s easy to make the mixture too runny.
Lightly cover the inside of a baking pan with coconut oil. Bake the bars in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15- 18 minutes. **Be sure not to overbake. It’s best to have them more moist than too dry.
Once cooled, I cut mine into 8 equal size bars and wrap individually in plastic wrap for grab-and-go convenience. Enjoy!