Vegan protein pistachio bars
I have finally folded and bought some chocolate flavor vegan protein powder. It is not likely to help me grow muscle since I am not very consistent, but I bet some of you will like the idea of these vegan protein pistachio bars.
This October I’ve spent some time on Aegina island (Greece), which is also known as pistachio island. It would’ve been very strange if I was to return from there without any pistachios. I’ve brought home some truffles, raw pistachios and a jar of pure pistachio paste. It’s been over a month since then, and it’s about time to use these in an actual recipe. And this was my first idea.
These bars are so delicious, I would eat them on a daily if I could. I highly recommend this recipe, especially if you eat/enjoy protein bars, or are trying to get a few more grams in (in a creative way). They are a bit ugly in these pictures, but I bet that you can make them better than I did.
Some health benefits
Pistachios are high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They also boast several other important nutrients, including vitamin B6 and potassium. They contain fewer calories and more protein than most other nuts. Also, their essential amino acid content is higher than any other nut.
Eating pistachio nuts may aid weight loss. Studies show that eating pistachios may help lower blood cholesterol. It may also lower blood pressure more than other nuts. They may play an important role in promoting blood vessel health. That’s because they are rich in L-arginine, which, when converted into nitric oxide, helps dilate your blood vessels.
Pistachios have a low glycemic index, which might promote lower blood sugar levels. I think these are some pretty good reasons to incorporate this ingredient into your meal plan. And if you need a good idea, I suggest you begin with these delicious vegan protein pistachio bars.
If you live in Bosnia, I am not entirely sure where you can get the pistachio paste, especially the unsweetened one. I do suggest you look for it (or something similar) in dm or Orasnica. I also think there are quite a few recipes for it online, so you can make it from scratch.
These measurements are enough for 2-3 big fat vegan protein pistachio bars. But this all depends on the way you use these ingredients and the way you shape them.
Vegan protein pistachio bars
Course: Sweet, SweetIngredients
100 g of dates
30 g of vegan protein
hot water
60 g of pistachio paste (unsweetened)
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)
a handful of raw pistachios
100 g of vegan dark chocolate
1 tsp of cocoa butter
Directions
- Chop the dates into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl. Pour hot water over them and let them sit for about 15 minutes.
- In a different small bowl mix together the pistachio paste, maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir until well combined. Taste it to check if it is sweet enough for your taste. Add a handful of raw pistachios and stir again. Leave the small bowl in the fridge.
- Discard the water from the dates. Transfer them into the blender cup. Add the vegan protein powder. If you want, you can add a little bit of peanut butter if you want. Blend everything until well combined.
- Transfer this mixture in a square dish. Push it down with your fingers and shape it into a kind of a crust. Place it in the freezer for a few hours. When it has hardened, take the dish out and cut this into several strips. The size of the strips will depend on your preference.
- Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. When melted, remove it from the heat and add the cocoa butter. Stir until melted.
- Take the pistachio mix out of the fridge. It should be extremely thick by now. Place the desired amount of the pistachio mix on top of each strip. Gently shape them into a bar with your fingers.
- Dip the bars into the melted chocolate and make sure they are completely covered. Work quick. Put them on a piece of parchment paper and leave in the fridge until the chocolate hardens.
If you liked this recipe, make sure you check out my other recipes like:
– chocolate pistachio pana cotta
Feel free to tell me what you think about this in the comments below, or send me the pictures of your own vegan protein pistachio bars. If you did something differently, I would also like to hear that, I’d love to see the things you come up with.
P.S. for more recipes like this and a bunch of other stuff, follow me on Instagram, @margo_drobi.
Also, I recently started a Patreon page, where you can subscribe and help me create more/better content. In return, you will get an exclusive piece of content (recipe) each month. My plan is to increase the amount of that content if I gain a few subscribers. If you are interested and you want to find out more, I will leave the link to my Patreon right – here.