Homemade Chocolate Fudge Brownie Protein Bars

Have you noticed how popular protein bars have become in recent years? At Wegmans, there's a whole aisle devoted to different kinds. Luna, Pure Protein, LARABAR, Builder's Bars... we've come a long way from the gooey, chewy-yet-unchewable bar that is the original Power Bar. But still, I've found with the exception of the Luna Bar and LARABAR (which I think are both geared at women), most of them taste pretty crappy. Plus, if you look at the ingredients labels on any of them (except LARABAR), they're filled with all sorts of things that seem more appropriate in a chemistry lab than in my kitchen. Not to mention, they're really pricey--a box of protein bars can easily run you $10.

Priciness and odd ingredients aside, it's easy to see why they're popular. Protein bars are a convenient way to get a relatively nutritious snack in on the go. They're good to keep in your purse or car to snack on when the drive through is calling your name. So,  I thought, why not come up with a recipe for one that has lots of protein, ingredients you can pronounce, and tastes, well... great?

I thought it might not be possible, but today, my friends, I think I did it with my low sugar, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian chocolate fudge brownie protein bars. They're chewy, chocolatey, rich, and delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness. And best of all, they're super simple to whip up. You'll never want to buy a box of protein bars again.

Now, as you may already know, brownies are something very near and dear to my heart. So, it was really important to me that these taste as decadent as they are healthy. And the secret to this is using a very specific kind of cocoa powder. Feel free to substitute other ingredients, but please make sure you use the Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder. It's different from everything else out there and I strongly recommend using it.

Now, onto the recipe:

Kate's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Protein Bars


Ingredients:

2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder (I used Jarrow brand--it comes with a scooper, but it measures about 1/4 cup)
1 scoop of coconut flour (use the protein scoop or 1/4 cup)
2 tbs Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder

3 tbs natural peanut butter at room temperature (I use Whole Foods store brand natural peanut butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs canola oil
2 tbs real maple syrup
Unsweetened vanilla almond milk (about 1/4 cup)

Topping:
1 tbs unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbs chocolate chips

Instructions:
In a bowl, whisk together protein powder, coconut flour, and cocoa powder until well combined. Add in peanut butter, vanilla extract, canola oil, and maple syrup and stir with a spoon until the mixture looks like a crumbly gravel (sort of like shortbread dough). Then, add a splash of almond milk at a time, stirring to combine fully until the mixture comes together with a fudge-y consistency. You may or may not need all the almond milk.

Transfer the mixture to an 8x8 square pan or even a little square tupperware container and press it evenly around the pan (just like making shortbread). Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the topping, melt together the chocolate chips and the almond milk in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. If you've never melted chocolate in your microwave before, do this in 5 second increments.

Remove the brownie base from the fridge and evenly spread the melted chocolate on the top to the corners of the pan. Return to the fridge and chill of at least an hour.

Cut the bars into squares or rectangles and wrap individually in saran wrap. Store them in the fridge!