Today’s Foodie Friday recipe comes to you from Amy Darcy, the blogger behind Eat Pray Workout. I was lucky enough to meet Amy on a blogger trip to Dubai a few years ago. This busy mum, lawyer and Army wife is studying to be a personal trainer. She wants to help women be the healthiest, happiest version of themselves.
Over to you, Amy…
Let me introduce you to one of my favourite new recipes, my mocha protein bars! These bars are a delicious, healthy post-workout treat. They are dense and satisfying and feel a bit like an indulgent brownie. I love them because they use the perfect flavour pairing of chocolate and coffee – my favourite! I also love them because they are so simple to make – I don’t even have to turn on the oven. They are so quick that I’ve even whipped these up in my smoothie maker while I’ve been making my breakfast.
For me, a perfect snack needs to be small and easily portable, and these meet the brief. I’m often out and about, eating on the run and the space in my handbag or backpack is at a premium. I’ve packed these bars in my bag and taken them on some hikes or just snacked on them as I’m running between the gym and my next appointment. If you’re a road warrior, the bars can easily be slipped into the back pocket of your cycling jersey when you are heading out for a ride. But most of all, I want my snacks to be healthy and nourishing for my body. When I eat these bars, I know that they are good for me!
The bars will last for a week in an airtight container in the fridge but I freeze my bars so that they last longer. I find that I like them best when they have been out of the freezer for at least 15 minutes as this gives them a softer, fudgier mouthfeel.
If like me, you already have enough caffeine in your diet, you can always substitute regular coffee for a decaf coffee alternative. For my recipe I use Fair Trade coffee pods. These have a great flavour and are a quick and simple way to make a cup of coffee for use in the recipe. I let my coffee cool for at least 10 minutes before I pop it in the food processor.
Also, most protein powders absorb moisture differently. I have used Healthyroo Coconut protein powder in my recipe and it works really well. If you find that your bars are too crumbly with the powder that you use try reducing the quantity in the recipe.
That’s it! Let me know how you go! If you like these why not try my Espresso Almond Raw Cookies, my Coconut Butter Choc Fudge (vegan, paleo), or the Raw Brownies that I made with Rachel Finch?
Ingredients
- 90g vanilla protein powder (healthyroo coconut protein powder)
- 1 cup cold coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup oats (put 2/3 cup in at start and reserve 1/3 cup in for a final blitz)
- ¼ cup cacao
- 3 tbsp rice malt syrup
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup almonds
- 2 tbsp flaxseed
Method
Line a 10cm x 20cm baking tin with grease proof paper.
Place all ingredients (except the reserved 1/3 cup of oats) into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the remaining 1/3 cup of oats and pulse 3-4 times (this gives some texture to the final product).
Pour mixture into lined baking tin.
Smooth with spatula and freeze for 4-6 hrs or until solid.
Remove from tin and slice into 6-8 serves. Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer until required.