Orange and Coconut Protein Brownies

In the afternoon I like to escape the madness and have a quiet moment to myself in the afternoon accompanied by huge comforting mug of green tea and an afternoon treat always seems to serve these moments well.

During a quiet moment last week and after raiding the cupboards looking for something to snack on with my green tea I found that my Nakd bar stash had dwindled to nothing. Well, this just wouldn’t do, so I decided to make my own snack bar that would feel naughty on the lips, but actually is super healthy and nutritious too.

And so, these protein brownies were born, the perfect afternoon pick me up!

Ingredients (makes 5 bars)

8 pitted dates

1/4 cup of almonds

2 tbsps. of coconut

5 tbsps. of chocolate protein powder

1/2 tsp. of orange extract

Place all of the ingredients in a food processer and pulse until all they start to break down. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times, but have faith the mixture comes together eventually. =) I left parts of my mixture chunky to give the bars some bite.

When the mixture comes together place on some grease proof paper and spread out into a rough square shape using the back of a spoon. Smooth the top of the mixture over with a spatula or knife. Lie another piece of grease proof paper over the top and then place in the freezer for at least and hour.

Once the mixture is hardened cut out the bars using a sharp knife.

These brownies are super dense and fudgy, just how I like them. I keep mine stored in the freezer as stand by snacks for when I am feeling peckish. They will store just as well in the fridge too. Not only are they really delicious but they are also packed full of protein which makes them fantastic post-workout snacks.

Do you like to make your own snack bars? What do you like to put in them?

28 Comments

Bec - Half Baked on March 5, 2013 at 9:19 AM

Love the look of these! They look fantastic! 🙂
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:53 PM
  
  Thanks! 🙂
nourishmovelive on March 5, 2013 at 10:14 AM

Jemma they look totally delicious! I used to make something similar with peanuts but I am out of protein powder at the moment, being on a tight budget is not fun :(! I have some orange extract in the cupboard that I sometimes add to cocoa 🙂 x
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:54 PM
  
  Thank you! Orange chocolate is such a great combo isn’t it.
Sara on March 5, 2013 at 10:42 AM

i can never find dates for recipes like these – where do you get these do i need to go to a specialty store?
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:56 PM
  
  Sure you can get them in all supermarkets and green grocers now.
Greta on March 5, 2013 at 10:59 AM

OMG, Jemma! Those look super yummy! And healthy! I must try making something like this! Thank you for sharing!!
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:55 PM
  
  You are welcome Greta! 🙂
Ffion on March 5, 2013 at 11:17 AM

These look great! I keep meaning to make my own bars, but preparing meals takes a priority, I think this might be something to do this weekend!
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:55 PM
  
  I love making my own bars but like you say meals are a priority. I hope you have a lovely weekend baking.
Tamzin Pettitt on March 5, 2013 at 1:13 PM

I have been making my own snack bars for a while now and throw all sorts in I love to have a mix of seeds, nuts and oats : )
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:53 PM
  
  Sounds delish, yum!
Victoria on March 5, 2013 at 4:04 PM

I’d definitely like to try making something like this in the future. I like the thought of eating homemade protein-y snacks as opposed to shop bought ones.
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:53 PM
  
  I think its great to make your own so then you can control the sugar content etc.
Peg on March 5, 2013 at 5:43 PM

Those look good enough to eat! I am having such a problem finding something tasty but nutritious to eat in the afternoons at the moment, so I will definitely try these! Peg X
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:52 PM
  
  Please let me know what you think.
Claire on March 5, 2013 at 6:50 PM

I LOVE the look of these bars Jemma and the simple ingredients! Thanks for sharing!
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:51 PM
  
  Thanks Claire and you’re welcome hun. 🙂
Fran on March 5, 2013 at 7:15 PM

These look great, I usually make something similar with dates and nuts but don’t usually add protein powder- that’s a great idea. I have also made my own version of nature valley granola bars before which worked well.
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:52 PM
  
  I bet your granola bars are great. I love Nature Valley, but put off by the sugar content.
Lauren on March 5, 2013 at 8:04 PM

These look amazing. I love making my own snack bars, so simple and much cheaper!
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:50 PM
  
  I totally agree, nothing beats home made!
Danielle on March 5, 2013 at 9:24 PM

These look great and sound really easy to make. I have wanted to make my own bars for a while so I’m going to give these a go. I’m not a huge fan of dates but I am hoping the flavour of those doesn’t come through too much. Am I right?
- Jemma Andrew on March 8, 2013 at 5:51 PM
  
  Thanks, no you can’t taste the dates at all. The dates just add to the fudgy texture.
Liz on March 5, 2013 at 11:17 PM

Yum! Those sound great! And served with tea, it would be the perfect way to relax 🙂
- Jemma Andrew on March 7, 2013 at 6:20 AM
  
  Oh definitely, tea and relaxation go hand in hand!
Eleanor@eatinglikeahorse on March 6, 2013 at 6:49 AM

I’ve only just this minute finished breakfast but this picture has made me hungry, they look so good! I love this sort of thing and this looks like the perfect fudgy texture 🙂
- Jemma Andrew on March 7, 2013 at 6:20 AM
  
  Thanks! They are certainly fudgy like the perfect brownie.

Orange and Coconut Protein Brownies

28 Comments

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