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Lemon Blueberry Protein Bars
⏱ 20 min💪 16g protein per bar🔥 ~195 cal🍽 10 bars
Almost every protein bar recipe is chocolate or peanut butter. This one is neither. Lemon zest and freeze-dried blueberries cut straight through the chalkiness that vanilla protein powder brings, and the result tastes closer to a lemon bar than a supplement.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 3 scoops (about 90g) vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment.
- Lightly crush the freeze-dried blueberries with your hands so you get a mix of whole berries and small pieces.
- Mix the almond flour, protein powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Stir in the cashew butter, honey, and lemon juice until a stiff dough forms, then fold in the blueberries.
- Press very firmly into the pan and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Lift out and cut into 10 bars. Keep refrigerated.
Tips
- Use freeze-dried blueberries, not fresh or frozen. Fresh berries release water and turn the bars into paste.
- Zest the lemons directly over the bowl so the citrus oils land in the mix.
- A tablespoon of coconut oil in the dough makes the bars firmer straight from the fridge.
FAQ
- Where do I find freeze-dried blueberries?
- Most grocery stores carry them in the dried fruit aisle, and Trader Joe's stocks them cheaply. Freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries work identically.
- Can I use lemon extract instead of zest?
- You can use 1/2 teaspoon, but real zest tastes noticeably better and is what keeps these from tasting artificial.
- Are these gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Almond flour replaces oats entirely, so there is no gluten in the recipe.
