Birthday Cake Protein Blondies
Craving a sweet, protein-packed treat? These gluten-free, egg-free blondies are low-sugar, fruit-sweetened, and oh-so-versatile! Chewy when chilled, cakey when warmed, and loaded with 10g protein per bar. Whip them up in one bowl, bake in 15 min, and top with dye-free sprinkles for fun.
Equipment
- 1 Loaf pan I used a 8.5x4.5 inch pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds see notes
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour
- 1 scoop unsweetened collagen peptides or vanilla flavored. see notes*
- 1/4 cup vanilla vegan protein powder plant-based, your choice. Cake batter flavor works too. If plain/unsweetened, adjust sweetness *see notes
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or your favorite granulated sweetener
- 1/8 tsp monk fruit sweetener or to taste (or add 2 Tbsp more coconut sugar/sweetener)
- 4 tbsp melted coconut oil or butter or plant-based butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A few drops almond extract for that birthday cake flavor, optional but highly recommended
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 small banana about 1/4 cup mashed (*make sure it's ripe for extra sweetness).
- 1 1/2 tbsp (dye-free) rainbow sprinkles or as many as your heart desires!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix flax seeds with water in a bowl; let sit for 5 minutes to form a “flax egg.”
- In a large bowl (or blender for wet ingredients), combine flax egg, mashed banana, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, coconut sugar, and monk fruit sweetener. Mix well.
- Add oat flour, brown rice flour, collagen peptides, vegan protein powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in sprinkles. Spread batter evenly in the loaf pan.
- Bake for 15–17 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cool completely before slicing into 6 bars.
Notes
Makes 6 bars; the nutrition info is for 6 but you can cut into 8 smaller portions if preferred.
No protein powder? Use 1/4 cup oat flour or almond flour and increase monk fruit sweetener by 1 tsp.
Vegan Option: I use Garden of Life and Vital Proteins for the collagen peptides. Use vegan collagen if you are plant-based or more oat or brown-rice flour if you do not have collagen but the texture may be affected. Please report back if you try this!
Egg option: Swap flax egg for 2 eggs for a fluffier texture (not plant-based). Let me know how it goes if you try this!
Prefer these iced/frosted? Mix a scoop if protein powder with a splash of almond milk or milk for a quick glaze.
Storage: Best kept in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated if preferred. Refrigerate for chewy bars, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Raw Dough: Can’t resist the dough? It’s technically safe to eat raw (no eggs!) but I recommend using almond flour or more oat flour instead of the brown rice flour Brown rice should be cooked prior to eat for safest food practices. I did have a couple spoonfuls prior to baking ;) I’m tweaking a no-bake version—stay tuned!