No-Bake Tiramisu Crunch Bars (Protein Bars)
Making homemade protein bars is easy and economical! These tiramisu dessert-inspired bars have hints of chocolate, coffee, and cream with only 77 calories, 5g net carbs, and 10g protein.
Ingredients
- 1 cup 1% cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup stevia baking blend a cup-for-cup equivalent product
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅔ cup vanilla plant-based protein powder
- 3 tablespoons vanilla plant-based protein powder in addition to above
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 packet individual micronized instant coffee like Starbucks Via
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, water, and stevia to a blender and blend until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture into a bowl, then mix in the 2/3 cup protein powder and the coconut flour. Divide the mixture into half, putting each in 2 separate bowls. In one bowl, add the additional 3 tablespoons of protein powder and use clean hands to knead everything together into a dough ball. To the other half of the dough, add the instant coffee and cocoa powder, using your hands again to knead it into a dough ball. Roll out the dough onto sheets of waxed paper to about 1/4-inch thickness, trying to maintain a rectangle shape. Carefully place one dough layer on top of the other, trimming off the rough edges into a rectangle. Cut this stack in half and place the halves on top of each other to create 4 layers high. Cut into 9 bars. Use any dough remnants from the cut-off edges to create protein balls. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
A spatula will only get you so far when mixing in the final ingredients — knead with clean hands until combined with no more crumbles. The stevia can be omitted; the bars just won't be as sweet. For a vegan version, use a cottage cheese alternative. Add extra micronized instant coffee for a stronger coffee flavor, or knead in a spoonful of cacao nibs for a crunchy twist. Use any quality plant-based vanilla protein powder. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.