Dark Chocolate Raspberry Protein Bars

By Jackie618

Ingredients

• 2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
• water
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (sweetened will just give up a sweeter end product, yogurt will work too)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil melted or butter
• 3/4 cup liquid honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup organic spelt flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used a no sugar added, but you decide)
• 1 cup pecans (or any other nut you like)
• 1 cup sunflower seed butter (almond butter or any other unsweetened nut butter)
• 2 cups frozen raspberries

Details

Adapted from beyondthepeel.net

Preparation

Step 1

Take 2 cups of rolled oats and place in a 4 cup measuring bowl. Fill with water until the oats are completely covered. This should fill the measuring cup to about 2 3/4 cups. Allow the oats to sit for an hour or more. Drain off any extra liquid.

Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 F once the oats have sufficiently soaked.

Blend the eggs and apple sauce until well blended. Add the melted coconut oil and liquid honey. I warm mine up so the coconut oil stays melted as well or you could bring the eggs and apple sauce to room temperature. This step is unnecessary if using melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Add all other ingredients to the bowl, except the raspberries, and blend until well combined. I used a Kitchen Aid mixer and it took about 30 seconds. If doing it by hand, it might take a little longer for the nut butter to be well mixed through out. Fold in the raspberries. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 40 minutes or until set. They may seem mushy at first but the coconut oil will help these bars stiffen once cooled to room temperature.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight before cutting into individual pieces. Wrap and freeze.