Orange Vanilla Protein Squares

Snacking. One of America’s most underrated pastimes. Eating between meals? It’s an art form. If it were up to me, snacking would be a spectator sport. I can see it now: bright lights on a big field, the stands filled with eager enablers, a seasoned professional walks onto the fresh-cut grass, he downs a whole bag of potato chips, the crowd goes wild.  Okay enough of my food fantasies. Clearly I have an unhealthy obsession with snacking and have recently committed to making more health-conscious choices. That’s why I was excited to team up with Bob’s Red Mill to create a protein-packed, balanced treat for more responsible eating. How does an Orange Vanilla Protein Square sound?

Instead of empty snacking, I am on a quest for more fulfilling treats. Are you in with me? Luck for us, Bob’s Red Mill has a new line of Nutritional Boosters. The plant-based protein powder comes in three delicious flavors: Vanilla, Chai, and Chocolate. And not only do the Nutritional Boosters offer up 20g of protein per serving, it is naturally sweetened with Monk fruit and is packed with probiotics and pre-biotic fiber. To be completely honest, I was astonished by how delicious and non-protein-powdery they actually tasted. I used the Vanilla flavor as a base for today’s protein bar recipe, but these would also work great in smoothies, ice creams, pies, pudding, cocktails, and other sweet pairings. Okay, now on to the recipe…

Orange Vanilla Protein Squares

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Nutritional Booster

1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup of almond flour

2 eggs

1 cup of orange juice

8 dried orange slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a multi-slotted square baking sheet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. In a small mixing bowl, separately whisk together the orange juice and eggs.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently mix with a spatula until a thick dough is formed.
4. Evenly pour the dough into the square slots on the baking sheet and top with the dried orange slices.
5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!

Need visuals? Then here you go…

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.

In a small mixing bowl, separately whisk together the orange juice and eggs.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently mix with a spatula until a thick dough is formed.

Evenly pour the dough into the square slots on the baking sheet.

Top with the dried orange slices.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!

These decadent little sweeties are sure to add a bit of welcome complexity to your snacking.  Any other snacking upgrades you want to see? Shout them out in the comments section and make sure to grab a coupon for the Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.