Chocolate Protein Bars

One of my major healthy habits is preparing in bulk the foods that are good for me and keeping them in the fridge until I need them. Quinoa is such a healthy food that I’m always looking for ways to incorporate it into my diet. I cook quinoa in big batches so that I can let it cool down and store it in the fridge until I need it. This recipe uses cooked quinoa along with loads of other nutritious and tasty ingredients.

Makes: 6 bars

Ingredients:
For the Bars:

• 180g cooked quinoa
• 100g ground almonds
• 50g medjool dates, chopped
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt

For the Topping:

• 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
• 50g desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Line a 33cm x 23cm (13 inch x 9 inch) metal baking tin with parchment paper so that the paper overlaps the sides. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Place all of the ingredients for the bars in a large bowl and mix well. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread out evenly, pressing down with the back of a spoon to make the surface as even as possible.
3. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown and feels firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes. To remove from the tin, take hold of the parchment paper and simply lift out the slab. Cut the slab into bars.
4. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Partially dip each protein bar into the melted chocolate and sprinkle over some desiccated coconut. Leave the bars to rest on a wire rack for a few minutes. Once the chocolate has set, store the bars in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week.