Recipe: Healthy Nutella Fudge Protein Bars (sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan)

(Source: http://dessertswithbenefits.com/healthy-nutella-fudge-protein-bars/)

Healthy Nutella Fudge Protein Bars (sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan)

Need a quick breakfast/snack on the go?  Make these (secretly) Healthy Nutella Fudge Protein Bars!  They’re no-bake, easy to make, and super fudgy and sweet.  You’d never know they’re sugar free, low fat, whole grain, gluten free and vegan!

My Healthy Homemade Nutella makes these super decadent protein bars as guilt-free as possible so you can feel good about eating them.  You can have all the taste of storebought Nutella but without all the nasty ingredients.

These are for serious chocolate lovers only!

Print

Healthy Nutella Fudge Protein Bars (sugar free, gluten free, dairy free and vegan!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 10 protein bars

Serving Size: 1 protein bar

Calories per serving: 130 calories (vs. 500 in original recipe)

Fat per serving: 4.5g (vs. 21g in original recipe)

The healthiest protein bars in the world -- sugar free, low fat and all natural… no corn syrup or trans fats whatsoever. And the best part? They taste like candy bars!

Ingredients

• 130g (1/2 cup) Healthy Homemade Nutella
• 1 cup + 2 tbs Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 tsp Vanilla-Flavored Stevia Extract
• 1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
• 189g (9 scoops) Chocolate Brown Rice Protein Powder (I used SunWarrior - do not use whey!)
• 60g (1/2 cup) Oat Flour (can increase this to 2/3 for a firmer bar)

Instructions

1. Line an 8" brownie pan with parchment paper both ways.
2. In a stand mixer bowl with beater attachment, add the nutella, milk, stevia and salt. Mix on low.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the protein powder and oat flour. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixing stand mixer. Mix until mixture is even (it should look like cookie dough). Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
4. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press/flatten. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Slice the next day and serve! Store covered in the fridge.

Notes

When I wanted to bring these protein bars with me to class I put them in a sandwich bag and froze them for a couple hours before leaving. This way they held their shape and didn't get smushed in my purse!

This recipe is: no bake, gluten free, vegan, sugar free, low fat, high fiber and high protein!

You could also serve these protein bars as little cubes of fudge, just slice each protein bar into three or four.  Kind of like what I did with my Red Velvet Fudge:

I decided to compare the nutrition label of my Healthy Nutella Fudge Protein Bars with the nutrition label of a typical Nutella Fudge recipe found online:
  
Oh. My. God.
My super-fudgy-chocolatey-rich-and-oh-so-freakin-good Nutella Fudge has 370 less calories and 16.5g less fat??  Not to mention, no added sugar?  For the same amount of fudge, the other recipe has 73g of sugar…  that’s a little over 6 TABLESPOONS (more than 1/3 cup).  That’s inssaaaane.
So, onto my Nutella Fudge — super healthy, packed with healthy fats, fiber, complex carbs and high-quality protein.  Yeah, I’ll take twenty.
*whistles and looks away*

LOOK AT THE FUDGINESSSSSS  

You must make these protein bars as soon as you step foot inside your kitchen!  You will have quick and easy snacks all ready for you for the entire week!  If they last that long…

All by myself, these lasted me three days (there is NO such thing as taking things slowly).  I took them to school with me to snack in between classes.  So glad I did, they brought a huge smile to my face

One protein bar for before my exam (for concentration, fuel and energy…  and a reward for all that studying!) and a protein bar for after my exam (as a post-exam reward, duhhh)

These protein bars keep very well in the fridge, but I wonder how long this chocolate-hazelnut goodness will last in YOUR home…

Not long, I’m sure.  Not long at all  

.

---

.
Like this recipe?  Then you’ll LOVE the DIY Protein Bars Cookbook!  With 48 dessert-like protein bar recipes, full-color pages and photos for every recipe, you’ll never think twice about buying protein bars from the store again.  See this page for more information on the book, including the Table of Contents, some sneak peaks and sample images.