Hemp protein superfood ‘candy’ bars
I wouldn’t want
to mislead you in any way with the wording on this title…but these bars are
like ‘candy’!
For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.
I don’t mean the
synthetic sugar rush induced by candy, but
instead I mean 'popping candy' which is exactly what the little hemp seeds
in these bars reminded me of as they ‘pop’ when you bite into them…such a fun
texture, why have I not played around with hemp seeds before!
I have made a few
versions of these bars now, modifying the proportions of hemp protein each time
to try and achieve the optimum taste vs highest protein content, after all
these bars were originnaly conceived as
a high protein hit so this ratio was important to me.
I’ve think I’ve nailed it with this
recipe….but of course everyone is different, so if you find it a little too
‘hempy’ for your taste simple reduce the protein powder content accordingly or
add more of the other ingredients into the mixing bowl to reach your desired
effect.
These bars are
also a superfood bar infused with chia seeds and maca powder…my perfect
training buddies. I have recently read Thrive Fitness by Brendan Brazier,
and even though I’d be aware of Maca before I wasn’t so aware of it ability to
assist the body in post workout recovery and ‘adrenal fatigue’. Feel free to
add any of your own superfood supplements if you fancy, just make sure you
watch the balance of wet to dry ingredients since these bars will become very
crumbly if the dry ratio is too high. I also experimented with adding a
teaspoon of greens powder, but for me that tasted to green- some more
experimentation needed I think!
I originally made
these bars as a way to consume protein in a
non-smoothie form (not a huge fan in smoothies), so taste wasn’t the
main factor for me…but these surpassed my expectations on that front, even my
family agreed they were a great all round snack bar. A perfect alternative to
my usual smoosh bars.
Recipe: Hemp protein ‘candy’ bars
Makes 8 x 45g bars (approx.)
Ingredients
1/2 cup (80g) pumpkin seeds
½ cup (50g) shredded coconut
¼ cup (40g) hemp seeds
¼ cup (50g) hemp protein
2 tbs chia seeds (15g)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs cacao powder
1 tbs maca powder
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup packed raisins (or 10
dates)
3 tbs melted coconut oil
3 tbs oats or quinoa flakes
Method
Pulse the dry ingredients
(other than oats/quinoa) together in a food processor so there are still coarse
pieces remaining. Set aside whilst blending the dates/raisins with the coconut
oil. Add dry ingredients and pulse to achieve a slightly crunchy sticky mixture.
Mix through the oats/quinoa flakes last.
Press the mixture into the bottoms of a small loaf tin or
form into balls. Chill for at least 1 hour before carefully slicing onto bars.
Store the bars in the fridge.
For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.