VEGAN PROTEIN BARS RECIPE

Cam bought me a Ninja for my birthday this year (a blender, not a human) and it has already seen so much action in just over two months. I used to buy crappy blenders (because they were all I could afford) and I just can't get over how much nicer it is to have a proper machine to take care of my food processing needs. {*I've got the Kitchen System, without the spiralizer*)

This "recipe" is the result of throwing a bunch of stuff into the Ninja and blending it until it appeared to be my desired consistency. As long as you have a decent blender/food processor, you can get as creative as you'd like with your ingredients, keeping nut milk* and protein ratios relatively similar to achieve an ideal consistency for squishing the batter into bars or balls.  

{*On the topic of vegan milk options: my preference is almond over soy or cashew, and I definitely have no love for rice or coconut milk! But this it totally up to personal preference.*} 

If you're not into vegan protein powder or you'd like to use what you've got available, feel free to substitute the Vega for whatever you prefer. 

You can also play with cereal or granola type and amount to make the bars more or less crunchy, and in the past, I've made these with prunes and dried cranberries rather than tart cherries - just follow your heart!

INGREDIENTS
*use organic and local as much as possible!*

* 3 scoops Vegan Protein Powder (I used 1 Vega Sport; 2 Vega One)
* 2/3 cup of Nut Butter of your choice (I usually use peanut and/or cashew)
* 3/4 cup of Almond Milk (add up to 1/4 more, as needed)
* 1 cup Organic Quick Oats
* 1/2 cup Dried Tart Cherries 
* 1/3 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (plus a little more for topping!)
* 1/4 cup Goji Berries
* 1 cup Mixed Nuts and Seeds (I used cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)
* 3/4 cup Vegan Cornflakes (or any other cereal you prefer -mine is Nature's Path brand)

THE STEPS

1. Start with all ingredients in the top row of the photo (protein, nut butter, milk product) and blend them together, using the lowest setting on your food processor ("dough" on the Ninja);
2. Add the other ingredients, (doing so one-by-one if your blending device is struggling), and kick it up a level/speed (to "blend" on the Ninja), especially once you've added the nuts (you'll want them reasonably fine). On that note, I add the cereal at the very end and only for about 10 seconds so it doesn't get powdery;
3. The mixture should start to sort of stick to itself and begin to form a giant ball when it's properly combined; you don't need to blend it any longer than this;
4. Find a tray or container that will fit in your freezer and is at least an inch deep. Line your chosen pan with wax paper (or parchment) and press the mixture down firmly. Top with whatever you like! (I prefer to keep it simple and usually top them only with chocolate chips);
5. Cover with more wax/parchment paper or plastic wrap and put in the freezer for a few hours, or more.
   
6. Take it out of the freezer when it seems solid. You'll need to let it sit for about 20 minutes before cutting into it, whenever you're ready, but I recommend putting it right back into the freezer once cut into bars for the most frozen-brownie-like experience; you can also keep them in the fridge, if you prefer them a little softer. ​

The above bars are topped with goji berries, pumpkin seeds and chocolate

I want to provide some nutritional information for these bars, because not only are they super easy to make and totally delicious, but they're actually quite good for you: a truly satisfying but healthy dessert and snack option with lots of "super foods", and no added sugar or dairy. 

Keep in mind, however, that these values are approximations, based on the ingredients I used, in the above proportions. If you get funky with your ingredients and ratios, your macros are going to vary from what I'm showing here.

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NUTRITIONAL VALUES PER 50G-BAR

*as shown in TOP photo ~ 1 serving, snack size*

CALORIES:   164
FAT:               12G
CARBS:         13G
PROTEIN:      8G
FIBRE:         3.5G
SUGAR:         4G

*I should note here that these are not meant to be a super lean protein snack, and I'm not personally worried about the fat, sugar or carbohydrate content in these bars; however, as I've mentioned, the recipe came about through freestyle inspiration and is totally adjustable to suit your own preferences!*

*If you're concerned about the sugar content, take out the chocolate chips and tart cherries;
*If you're worried about the fat, use less nuts and nut butter

Let me know how you like these, and also what sort of fancy combinations you come up with!