You gotta love that sweet flavor of maple syrup.
I used to love drenching my pancakes or french toast in maple syrup. I mean I would absolutely pour it on like no tomorrow.
It didn’t matter if they were buttermilk, cinnamon, or chocolate chip. Maple syrup went great with any type of pancake.
So for this next recipe, I wanted to combine that delicious maple flavor with some of my other favorite flavor combinations, boost it with some muscle-building protein, and create something super, duper tasty….
And I think I got some sensational results!
Without further adieu….
Enter…my Dark Chocolate Maple Almond Butter Protein Blondies!!
These protein blondies are bursting with the flavors of almond butter, maple, cinnamon, banana, loaded with dark chocolate chips….and finished off with a lovely 72% cacao dark chocolate drizzle…..
a super delicious combination of flavors….
sure to be one of your favorite go-to dessert or snack options!!
These protein blondies use a combination of almond flour and whey protein powder as its base.
Almond flour is loaded with fiber, nutrients, protein—-something all purpose flour does NOT provide. Almond flour is also WAAAY lower in carbs— 1/4 cup of your average almond flour contains 5g carbs, 3g fiber, while 1/4 cup all purpose flourcontains about 22g carbs, and less than 1g of fiber.
I use a natural sugar alternative called monk fruit sweetener to help sweeten these protein blondies.
Monk fruit is a small, round fruit found in southern China. To create the sweetener, the fruit is crushed, the juice is collected, and this becomes the monk fruit sweetener. It is similar in appearance to regular table sugar, but is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, and with ZERO calories.
But the main star of this recipe I would say, the other key ingredient in giving these blondies its unique flavor without overloading it with sugars is….maple extract.
Just a teaspoon of this extract provides that delicious maple flavor that is so complimentary to the almond butter and the dark chocolate, and you’ll taste it in every single bite.
The beauty of using the extract over pure, natural maple syrup is that we avoid the extra sugars, calories, and carbs that go along with it.
I love it! We get all that maple flavor without any of the bad stuff!
This is like the ultimate cheat code to a video game!
Ok, here are the nutritional benefits of the main ingredients in these Dark Chocolate Maple Almond Butter Protein Blondies...
Dark chocolate has been shown to contain high amounts of antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids—all of which are believed to help fight cancer, fight free radical damage, and fight disease. Certain research has shown dark chocolate to maybe help improve brain function, boost memory, and enhance focus. Studies have found flavonols in dark chocolate may help improve blood circulation to the heart and may help lower blood pressure.
Almonds which are basically ground up to create almond flour, contain exceptional amounts of protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, riboflavin, calcium. They contain a special kind of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol—studies show this antioxidant may be a powerful cancer-fighter. Almonds contain monounsaturated fatty acids, “healthy fats,” which studies have shown may help support the heart and may help to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Bananas are fully-loaded with potassium, a very important nutrient which has been shown to help support the body’s circulatory system, help move oxygen throughout our cells, and helps to lower high blood pressure. Bananas are high in fiber, which helps to keep our digestive system running smoothly and helps to remove toxins.
Cinnamon is widely-considered as the most antioxidant-rich natural spice available in the world. The antioxidants found in cinnamon are believed to maybe help fight cancer, slow the aging process, fight off disease, and protect cells from DNA damage. Studies have shown cinnamon may help lower blood pressure and help increase blood circulation.
Here’s what you’ll need…
Some quick notes before you get started…
-You can sub in 1/2 cup applesauce instead of a large banana.
-Feel free to use peanut butter instead of almond butter too.
-In a typical oven, this should be ready within that 9-12 minute time frame. When you shake the pan, there should be no jiggle, the surface should appear to be set, and when you insert a toothpick down near the center, it should come out with no wet batter, but crumbs would be ok.
-If the toothpick down around the middle comes out completely clean and dry—you’ve OVER-baked it!
-Better to slightly underbake, than to overbake!
–Remember, these blondies will continue to bake in the hot pan, even when removed from the oven. After taking them out of the oven, letting it rest for about 5-10 minutes allows them to cool down, and will give you cleaner slices.
-Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and best if consumed within about 3-4 days. They taste great warmed up in the microwave!
If you like these, then you gotta check out my Maple Apple Cinnamon Protein Donuts!!
And my Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars!!
Alright then, let’s get to it!!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 9-12 minutes |
| Servings |
square bars
|
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp monk fruit
- 1 large banana
- 1 whole egg
- 1 1/2 tsp maple extract
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- dark chocolate bar (70% cacao or higher)
Ingredients
Batter:
Garnish:
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl. Mix well. In separate larger bowl, mash banana with fork. Add all other wet ingredients. Mix well. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl, mixing thoroughly. Fold in dark chocolate chips.
- Grease an 8x8 square baking dish with olive oil, or line with parchment paper. Pour batter onto pan. Add more dark chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake in oven for about 9-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted down around the center has no wet batter.
- Remove from oven. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt dark chocolate bar squares in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
- Slice into 16 equal-sized bars. Enjoy immediately! Store in an airtight container in the fridge, best if consumed within 3 days. I recommend warming them up in the microwave to serve again. Enjoy!
You can sub in 1/2 cup applesauce instead of a large banana.
-Feel free to use peanut butter instead of almond butter too.
-In a typical oven, this should be ready within that 9-12 minute time frame. When you shake the pan, there should be no jiggle, the surface should appear to be set, and when you insert a toothpick down near the center, it should come out with no wet batter, but crumbs would be ok.
-If the toothpick down around the middle comes out completely clean and dry---you've OVER-baked it!
-Better to slightly underbake, than to overbake!
-Remember, these blondies will continue to bake in the hot pan, even when removed from the oven. After taking them out of the oven, letting it rest for about 5-10 minutes allows them to cool down, and will give you cleaner slices.
-Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and best if consumed within about 3-4 days. They taste great warmed up in the microwave!
Did you try this recipe? How did it turn out for you? Any questions? I would love to hear from you! Sound off in the comments section below or use the social media links above or throughout the blog. Thanks guys!!
Some quick notes before you get started…