Strawberry Protein Bars

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These strawberry protein bars are soft, tender, and taste like a cross between a strawberry snack cake and a brownie bar. They’re made with oat flour, vanilla protein powder, and fresh strawberries for an easy treat that's healthy enough for breakfast or a post-workout snack.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

cool time10

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Keyword: high protein, Oat flour, strawberry

Servings:

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Crystal Yentzen

Ingredients

6 ounces Strawberries* Makes ⅔ cup puree
1 small banana
1 and ¼ cups oat flour*
¾ cups vanilla whey protein powder*
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
⅓ cup maple syrup*
3 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 and ¾ teaspoons strawberry extract
¼ teaspoon pink gel food coloring optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set it aside. Here is a quick tutorial on how to line your pan with parchment paper.
Whisk the oat flour, protein powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Wash and hull the strawberries, then pat them dry. Add them to a food processor or blender with the banana and blend until completely smooth, with no chunks remaining. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the strawberry-banana mixture, egg, maple syrup, butter, olive oil, strawberry extract, and pink gel color.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until everything is well incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
Allow the bars to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer the bars to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and cut into 12 squares. Enjoy!

Notes

Strawberries- Fresh strawberries work best in this recipe, but frozen strawberries can work if needed. Thaw them completely and pat them very dry before blending to avoid adding too much extra moisture to the batter.
Oat Flour- You can buy oat flour at most supermarkets, or you can make your own by blending old-fashioned oats in a blender until the oats become a fine powder (about 30 seconds to a minute). Store it in an air-tight container for up to six months. If you’re new to oat flour, check out my Ultimate Guide to Baking with Oat Flour for tips and substitutions.
Vanilla Whey Protein Powder- Vanilla whey protein powder works best in this recipe. You can use a plant-based protein powder, but expect a slightly denser texture, and keep an eye on the bars while baking since they may bake a bit faster depending on the brand.
Maple Syrup- I use a touch of maple syrup to sweeten. You can swap it with another liquid sweetener like honey. A sugar-free liquid sweetener works too.
Store the strawberry protein bars covered at room temperature for one day or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition