Apple Pie Protein Bars

Ingredients:

Crust-

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener, brown
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup hemp hearts
• 1 cup Pro Elite Vanilla High Protein Shake
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt

Apple Pie Filling-

• 3 medium gala apples, peeled & sliced thin
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt
• 1 ½ tbsp arrowroot starch
• 2 tbsp water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a food processor, add all the ingredients required for crust, such as old-fashioned oats, monk fruit sweetener, coconut oil, hemp hearts, Pro Elite Vanilla High Protein Shake, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt.
3. Blend until the ingredients are coarsely ground, but still crumble. Reserve ¾ cup of the oat mixture for crumble topping.
4. Transfer the remaining oat mixture to the prepared baking pan, press firmly with spatula to pack tight, set aside.
5. Add the peeled and sliced apples to a skillet, at a medium heat. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut oil, ground cinnamon, salt and gently stir to combine. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until apples are cooked through.
6. Mix arrowroot starch with water and pour over apple mixture. Continue to cook for two more minutes until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency.
7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared crust and spread evenly to cover the crust.
8. Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture as crumble topping. Do not pack tight.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the mixture sets and golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes, slice into squares, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

1. Oats can be substituted with gluten free flour, in that case, use cold vegan butter in place of coconut oil.
2. Use apples that are good for baking, this results in crisp apples at the center. For example, Honey crisp, pink lady, gala, granny smith works well for this recipe.