Cake is my favorite.
It’s my Achilles heel. And wine.
I can pass on candies all day long. I don’t like process packaged “treats.” I’m not crazy for chocolates (though those are tasty). Baked goods – homemade cakes and cookies – get me every time.
My favorite cake is Carrot Cake – which is why I had to make a healthy protein microwave version. I did the same for my beloved Chocolate Cake. That chocolate cake was the last meal I ate before the pre-surgery fast:
With melted cherries, peanut butter, and cacao nibs
The last on my list of cake “favorites” to re-create would be red velvet. Kammie must have been in my head, because her guest post today does just that!
I’m really excited Kammie volunterred to post. Every time I read her blog I am inspired. I don’t know how she comes up with post after post of healthy food porn! Read on for Kammie’s latest tasty, protein-rich cake creation.
Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars
Hey Everyone! I am so glad to be here posting for the lovely Laura! I’ve been following Laura’s blog ever since I started my own so this is a huge honor. Thank you, Laura! Hope you are feeling better!
Let me introduce myself – my name is Kammie and I am the blogger behind Sensual Appeal. I have gone through many ups and downs in my life and finally I have adapted the Intuitive Eating approach in the last couple of months. It has allowed me to finally begin accepting myself for who I am and learning to trust and love my body. I gave up on dieting in March and I haven’t looked back since. My blog and life mantra ever since has been that everything in life should be: Delicious, Mindful, and Happy!
If you do know me as a blogger, you know I’ve always had a slight infatuation with using protein powder in my recipes. I had a phase where I used protein powder ALL the darn time.
I don’t use it as much anymore but it does find its way into my meals here and there. For example, my guilt-free Pumpkin Carob Chip Donuts, Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake, Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Pancakes, or my favorite Double Chocolate Microwave Mug Cake!
If you are confused by all of the varieties of protein powders that are out there – check out this handy guide I created Protein Powders 101: Which is the best Protein Powder for you?
Anyway, I knew right away that a protein-rich recipe would be perfect for Laura and Laura’s readers! So a protein-rich recipe it is!
I realized I haven’t ever actually made protein bars but I do eat them frequently. So I bring you this easy, no-bake, VEGAN and full of protein snack.
The reason why this is red (and called Red Velvet) is because I used Cocoa Cardio instead of cocoa powder – it’s basically cocoa powder with dehydrated beet juice for extra nutrients. You can use regular cocoa powder to make this a regular chocolate protein bar instead. I am not affiliated with Cocoa Cardio, btw. It’s just a cool product I found recently.
Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy!
Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars
- ¼ C vanilla protein powder
- 2 T + 2 T coconut flour, separated
- 2 T almond flour
- 2 T Cocoa Cardio* (or cocoa powder)
- ½ C almond milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ C dark chocolate chips
Add the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add almond milk by 1/4 cupful and mix. Add the rest of the milk and vanilla in the bowl and mix still. If the batter is still too liquid-y add the other Tbsp of coconut flour. The batter is supposed to be thick enough to mold into shapes.
Take a little bit of the thick batter and shape into balls. Once you’ve formed them into balls, press and mold them into the shape of bars and put on parchment paper. Put the bars in the fridge for a couple of minutes to harden.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or on the stove and once it’s melted dip the bars into the chocolate to coat.
Scoop the rest of the melted chocolate onto the bars with a spoon. Put in the fridge for at least an hour.
Remove from fridge and enjoy!
*I order my Cocoa Cardio from iHerb.com. Use my discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!
So what do you think? Easy enough?
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to check out my blog for more recipes, healthy living musings and other posts over at Sensual Appeal Blog. Show me some love by liking my Facebook page and subscribing to my YouTube channel!
xo, Kammie
***
I read this post when Kammie sent it and almost begged her to deliver.
Do you like candies or baked goods better? What can’t you turn down?
What is your favorite health-ified treat?
Shut the front door, these look amazing!
I love Kammie’s blog and all her amazing photography and recipes. Definitely planning to make these asap!
I know! I envy her photo skills/patience.
Yes, these look fantastic. Thanks for the recipe. Hope you’re feeling good Laura!
GROSSSS!!!!
*Ah ha ha ha ah! Just kidding. Just wanted to say something different than everyone else!! You are genius when it comes to concocting some scrumptious looking treats 🙂
You are a unique little snowflake. 😉
Baked goods over candy any day! What is it about a muffin or cake type goodie that just cannot be topped? Hmm. Cake…. Your blog posts show up here in Alaska about 9pm & I swear I have to read them, step away from the iPad & not go to the kitchen! They have a strange hungry effect on me 🙂 I’m going to change my nightly carrot cake protein “muffins” from cinnamon powder & shredded carrots to chocolate powder & shredded beets tomorrow- thanks for the great ideas & yet another blog to add to my reading list!
Sorry… midnight snack? 🙂
How did the muffins turn out? Sounds amazing!
I wish I’d enjoy cooking more looking at these photos.
Except.
I don’t. SIGH. Where can I buy these? 🙂
Well thankfully these don’t require any cooking or baking skills and can be done in a couple of minutes 😉
xo
these look seriously AMAZING!! and easy!! love it!
You had me at red velvet. I adore baked goods, especially if they’re slightly healthified. Doughy goodness trumps candy any day, but I have to admit there are those times where only gummy bears will do.
holy moly… I might have peed a little with excitement. MUST MAKE or better yet…. BALL flavor?!
p.s. Kammie- youre genius
<3 <3 🙂
These look so amazing!!! I want to make these ASAP!
These sound amazing! But is there any possible substitute for the almond flour? It’s the only ingredient I don’t have on hand.
You could use extra coconut flour but less than what is called for almond flour since coconut absorbs more liquid than almond. I have not tried this with that substitution though. Let me know how it turns out if you make it with that!
You might be able to increase the protein powder instead too? I’d be interested to know what you try, Jordan!
I have never had red velvet cake or cupcakes. Is that crazy?
Whaaaat?! You gotta try it.
This looks delicious. Where did you buy the cocoa cardio?
I bought the Cocoa Cardio on iHerb but I think Vitacost or Amazon would have it too
baked goods yes indeed, but not like a bear claw or anything nope usually just cookies…though chocolate has been my big time craving lately. Love finding options that satisfy and make me feel good!
I’m the same way. There’s nothing better than a cookie fresh from the oven. 🙂
Oh my goodness. I just about drooled. No wait. I did. Looks incredible.
Piiiiiiiiiinnnning.
I like *CaNdY* of course 😉 hehe
LOL! I should have guessed. 🙂
First Laura, I am with you – Baked goods – homemade cakes and cookies – get me every time. 🙂 I also hope you are feeling better & better every day!
Now for the guest post – OMG – I NEED NOW!!!!! I have to check out the rest of the links later – THX!
Cookies, right? 😉
Holy wow those look good! I’ve been thinking lately that I need to start making my own protein bars again, so I just may have my first recipe 😉 I’m also going to check out that chocolate mug cake now!
Candy I can usually turn down, baked goods – it depends on the day…but I’m terrible at turning down chocolates. Chocolate bar, truffles or chocolate covered nuts or raisins? Sign me up. I also have issues turning down ice cream or froyo 😉
That mug cake is life changing. I swear. 😉
Chocolate covered nuts on ice cream with bananas = perfection.
wow!! those look amazing!!!
These look and sound sinfully delicious!! And seriously..the fact that they can be made vegan? Now that is awesome!
Thank you so much for having me guest post, Laura and the kind words! You rock, as always <3
Thank YOU! I’m on a hunt for cocoa cardio. I had some from iHerb, but I feel like Whoel Foods may have it…
oh yessss, this looks good!! Cocoa cardio sounds awesome, I’m sure it could be made easily with raw cacao and beet powder… I can see red velvet chia pudding in my future too! 🙂
Where do you find beet powder? I need to get my hand on that!
I don’t usually go gaga over baked goods, but these look fabulous!!
They are actually no-bake! 🙂
I love cocoa cardio, I love red velvet, I love these and YOU. *runs to kitchen*
Carrot cake will always be my favorite… but I’ll take red velvet any time!!! Hope you’re doing well and healing, Laura! I’m thinking about you and sending (gentle) virtual hugs your way!
Carrot cake and red velvet cake were the “specialties” of each of my grandmothers. Love the classics. 🙂
I’m all over the microwave cakes! I’ve also been loving on some protein soft serve lately as my night time treat.
Those look really delicious!
Oh these sound great! I haven’t heard of this kind of cocoa before but I love the idea of the added nutrients. I love cookies! I think my favorite desserts revolve around healthified cookies.
Same here! You can never gro wrong with cookies. 🙂
Red velvet protein bars? Genius!
Perfect 😀
Cheers
CCU
Awesome post! When you start dumping protein powder up in stuff, then you got me hooked totally 🙂
I am all about the baked goods and I can’t resist a carrot cake, not at all lol!
LOL! I’m the SAME way… with the powder and the carrot cake. 😉
these look amazing, definitely trying this weekend!! can you let me know how many bars the recipe is supposed to make?
That’s the beauty – you can adjust to your liking! If you want smaller servings try making them as balls. 🙂
Amaze-balls is the only word that comes to mind. Question…how many bars and any substitute for the coconut flour? I absolutely hate the smell,texture,taste etc of coconut and no matter how many ppl/blogs claim you can’t taste the coconut in the flour- I can. I’ve read, dependending on the recipe, that you can use the flour…perhaps wheat Bran since it absorbs liquid similarly coconut flour? …I’m desperate to try something so I can make these bars.
You can adjust serving to your liking. I’d probably try adding more protein powder or almond flout in place of the coconut flour. Just remember to reduce the liquid becasue coconut flour is more absorbant.
But…will they not taste red velvety without the Cocoa Cardio? I like red velvet…maybe butter extract for a cakey flavor?
It just won’t be red. Red velvet cake is just cocoa with red food coloring. 🙂
Kammie, there are amazing! I cannot wait to try them 🙂
so what makes them red>? I need to make these!
It’s the cocoa cardio – it has beet powder in it!
Just wondering, i just made these, for one i had to triple the recipe as i ended up with about 3 tablespoons of mixture with the recipe stated, then i had to add tonnes of almond flour because the tiny 1/4 cup of liquid i put in made it so runny, then it only made about 7 tiny tiny bars, i put the recipe into a calorie counter and for the tiny tiny bars they are like 400 calories!!! what did i do wrong!?
The additional almond flour probably added the calories… I’d suggest trying to add the liquid a bit at a time. Flours can have different absorbency levels depending on granule size and age.
im in the middle east and im sure the ‘flour’ i got seems more like granules than actual powder so thats probably the issue, ill try again cause the mix did taste delicious 😛
Hey guys just to clarify, this is 2 TBSP + 2 TBSP coconut flour!
Thanks 🙂
I need this in my life!! I am going to try it ASAP
Let me know what you think! I can’t believe I waited so long.
They were SO good! Also, I used almost ALL protein powder. I will post the recipe soon. I loved the results!
i definitely want to try these! what type of protein powder did you use?
I use my favorite – Growing Naturals Rice Protein – but I think anything would work. The type matters more in baking.
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Has no one noticed the instructions don’t say when to add the vanilla extract. I tried this six ways from Sunday with the exception if actually basking the goop that firms when ingredients are mixed. It yields small balls not bars. Looks nothing like the picture. I added extra coconut, extra protein. Added goji berries to get red color– none of the variations worked. A recipe should tell exactly how many servings it makes. Instructions should include steps for all listed lngredients. I’m sure the more protein or coconut powder, the higher the calories, nit just the protein.
Hi! Thanks for checking to the recipe. When I made the bars, I made a total of 6 small bars. You can adjust the serving size to you preference though! Add the vanilla when you add the milk. Thanks for pointing that out – I’ll adjust the reps. Hope you enjoy! Great idea with the gojis!
What are the macros please?
It will vary based on how many you make. You can calculate them pretty easily online with something like My Fitness Pal.
Where can I get cocoa cardio?
I order mind on iherb.com. Use my discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order. 🙂
Anyone know how many calories are in this? They’re way too delicious haha
Any nutrition stats on these? Calories, carbs, protein, fats?
No, but you can calculate it pretty easily on something like MyFitnessPal. It will depend on how many you make!