Apples and cinnamon.
One of the most delicious combination of flavors ever assembled.
Whoever thought of this was pure genius. Genius. I cannot get enough of this stuff.
Whether it be for breakfast, a dessert, or a cheat meal…damn, my mouth is just watering thinking about it right now!
When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my grandmother, or Lola, as we call her in Tagalog, would slice apples into smaller pieces for me and my sister. I remember coming inside the house after playing outside, and I would just gobble those up like they were cookies.
This is when I first fell in love with apples. My Lola introduced them to me at a young age and they became one of my all time favorite fruits to this day. Thanks Lola!
Also, growing up, Cinnamon Toast Crunch was my favorite cereal. This was one of the most addicting things for me as a kid, next to my video games lol. Forget the milk, I would just eat that stuff straight out of the package!
This brings me to one of my favorite cheat foods—-an apple fritter. These donuts are soooo friggin’ delicious! Nothing hits the spot better for me, than this glorious creation. Well, maybe gelato and nutella/banana crepes come in at a close second. And definitely pizookies—a giant, warm cookie….with ice cream. Man…..Oh, and pancakes. Pancakes for sure. Can’t forget those. But anyway…where was I, oh… apple fritters…they just have that right combination of apples, and cinnamon, and crunch that is so addicting, and keeps me coming back for more and more every time.
But dammit, we all know Cinnamon Toast Crunch and apple fritters, no matter how delicious they are, will destroy any gains made at the gym, add inches to your waistline, and wipe away any and all muscle definition and tone we all worked so hard to attain.
So…..what is a healthier alternative that marries this delectable combination of apples and cinnamon, has lower carbs, and adds muscle building power to the mix???
Enter my apple cinnamon oatmeal protein bars!!
Combining juicy red apples, aromatic cinnamon, whey protein, nutritious rolled oats—- all smothered in melted peanut butter—–you’ll never buy another protein bar from the store ever again!
Honeycrisp apples are my favorite type of apples, so naturally, I used them for this recipe. They are just more juicier, more tangier, more crisper—and their flavor packs that powerful punch more than all the rest, in my opinion. Sweet Tangos come in at a close second.
I used old fashioned rolled oats as the base for these bars. These type of oats, with this recipe, came out with the perfect moistness, the perfect chewiness, it held the flavors really well, and the final texture of it came out very visually appealing. I could have even added more protein powder to the mix and I feel it would still come out very moist and chewy.
I used one whole egg, and one egg white just to bind everything together, and the egg helps add the needed moisture to make these bars nice and chewy. The eggs also give them an added protein boost. The protein powder, the oats, the eggs, the peanut butter on top—-these bars are fully-loaded with protein!
The applesauce is another important element to this recipe. If you use an organic applesauce, this gives you even more extra moisture from an all–natural source. If the finished product doesn’t come out as moist as it should be, you definitely need to either use bigger eggs, add an extra egg white, or add more applesauce.
These two ingredients are key to the chewiness and moistness of these bars. Absolutely KEY.
As a bonus, more applesauce gives these bars more apple flavor!
I could have stopped there, but after creating these bars, I still felt there was something missing. My initial intention was to create these bars without using any peanut butter. But when I grabbed a spoon and scooped some on top of these bars and chowed it down, OMG—-what a difference the peanut butter made!!
THIS is what was missing!!
The added peanut butter made it ten times better!! I was geeking out over this!! It added a richness, a nuttiness, an added deliciousness to these already great-tasting bars that words cannot do it justice here! Many people would not think to add peanut butter to this combination, but I’m telling you right here, right now—this is the secret ingredient that makes this apple / cinnamon recipe stand out from all the rest!!
What a magical combination!!
If you’re opening a fresh jar of natural, real peanut butter, you probably won’t need to warm it up in the microwave, a nice stir would be all you would need. Because of organic or natural peanut butter’s oiliness and watery consistency, it should just pour right off of your spoon for easy drizzling. And it tastes so much better and fresher than the common store-bought brands.
I also experimented with steel cut oats for this recipe, but the finished product came out too dry and not very flavorful. The batter came out thicker, and I felt I had to limit the amount of protein I could add, and that is not what I wanted. However, I didn’t add as much applesauce when I tried it, or the extra egg, so that could have been a factor.
For best results, rolled oats is definitely the way to go with this recipe.
Here is a quick rundown of the nutritional benefits of each of the major ingredients:
Apples are high in vitamins and minerals, and is considered as one of the most nutritious fruits available on the planet. Studies show they are high in antioxidants which help fight cancer, they contain phytochemicals that help fight inflammation, they are high in fiber, which helps the digestive system run smoothly, and helps remove toxins from our bodies.
Cinnamon is another nutritional powerhouse, and one of the most healthful spices found in the world. According to Superfoodly’s ORAC scale, which measures a food’s antioxidant content, cinnamon has an ORAC value of 131420, which is 16th highest out of the 500 different foods measured. The antioxidants found in cinnamon are believed to help fight off disease, slow the aging process, protect our DNA from damage, and fight cancer.
Oats are very nutrient-dense, loaded with many vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin B1, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, protein, and fiber. Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is used by the body to transform food into energy. Manganese is used by the body to build strong bones and strengthen the immune system. Also, studies have shown the fiber in oats/oatmeal help to lower LDL cholesterol levels.
Peanut butter is high in protein (good for muscle-building), high in fiber (good for digestion), high in biotin (good for hair and nail growth), high in Vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant), and contain many other important nutrients. Peanuts are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which supports cell growth and brain function. These fats also can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Check out the texture of these bad boys…..
…..thick, chewy, and gooey nutrition in every bite!
Adding that melted peanut butter on top just takes these protein bars to a whole ‘nother level!
OK, here’s what you’ll need for these Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Protein Bars:
If you like these, then you need to check out my….
- Apple Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles
- Maple Apple Cinnamon Protein Donuts
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Apple Protein Pizookie
Alright then, let’s get to it!
| Prep Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 18-22 minutes |
| Servings |
square bars
|
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 3 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cinnamon (more if desired)
- 1/2 tsp stevia (optional, but recommended)
- dash sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 minced honeycrisp apple (med-large)
- 3/4 cup applesauce (more if desired)
- 1 whole egg (XL)
- 1 egg white (XL)
- 2 tbsp organic peanut butter (more if desired)
- dash cinnamon
Ingredients
dry ingredients
wet ingredients
toppings
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add all dry ingredients into mixing bowl and mix together.
- Mix in wet ingredients with dry ingredients and combine into a batter.
- Line baking dish with parchment paper and spray with olive oil. Add batter into dish and shape into even rectangular shape.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the center surface is set.
- Remove from oven and slice into even square pieces.
- Dust with more cinnamon. Melt peanut butter in microwave and drizzle on top. Enjoy!
-I used honeycrisp apples because these are the best tasting apples out of them all in my opinion. But feel free to customize to your liking.
-Apples come in different shapes and sizes, for best results, use the largest apple you can find! Or if not available, use 2 small apples.
-I also leave the skins on when I slice and dice them up. The skins have great nutritional value so I recommend not removing them!
-I used Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein powder for this recipe. One scoop will give you 24g protein. Other protein powders may vary in their scoop size and protein content, which may alter the final texture of these bars.
-I added Stevia for some extra sweetness. The finished product comes out just perfect. Experiment with or without it, but I recommend using it.
-If you can't find extra large eggs, just add an extra egg white to the mix.
-I mix the dry ingredients before the wet. When doing this, be sure to add the eggs last to the mixture.
-The batter mixes very easily, even with just a fork. No electric mixer needed here.
-The batter will be somewhat moist and watery after fully incorporating, but that is what you want. This will not end up like a dry cookie dough.
-Once you pull it out of the oven, dust it with more cinnamon on top for even more flavor.
-I recommend organic or natural peanut butter because the oily consistency makes for easier drizzling.
-Tastes amazing with almond butter too!
-Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Tastes great straight out of the fridge, or heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave. Add more peanut butter to enhance the flavor!
-If the final product is not moist or chewy enough, add more applesauce or an extra egg white next time.
**Nutritional information is an approximation using Nutrifox, information from Google, and my own calculations to the best of my knowledge. It is not the definitive values or guaranteed to be 100% accurate information. Use only as a reference.
