Cake pops are all the yummy rage right now and my kids love them...but my waist line does not! A couple weeks ago we had a wonderful birthday celebration for my 4 year old and I went overboard and made a cake and yes, cake pops too! ( You can see pictures of both creations here: (Mariah Allen Photography) When the party ended, I was left with a sugar high and I actually felt ill for a couple days from all the sugar I had ingested! I try to stay away from refined sugars as much as I can, so I don't keep any sweets in the house except for some decadent dark chocolate here and there. It's been about 2 years now since I adopted the "Eat Clean" lifestyle which I've talked about on this blog. Its been challenging at times and yes I've failed miserably some days, but I always keep trying to apply the principles I've learned! When life gets crazy and I haven't planned ahead is when I get off track, reaching for the quickest option that isn't always the healthiest.
When I won a signed copy of Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet book a few years ago, I started incorporating the eat clean principles into my daily routine. I loved the change I felt in my whole body, so I've challenged myself to stay the course since then. Along the way, I met Pam Sampson, a personal trainer and figure competitor that opened a training facility back home called Flex Fitness. Before I moved away, I was able to participate in her group fitness class and she really got me on fire about health, nutrition and fitness! Even though I don't live near her anymore, she still inspires me from afar (Facebook) and is really my closest (celebrity) inspiration and the epitome of physique and beauty from the inside out! I intro this cake pop recipe with that because everytime I step into the gym or the kitchen, I try really hard to adhere to the princples I've learned to see results....its a work in progress.
Today I was planning on making a plethora of protein options to eat during the week that were quick to grab, eat on the go, or take with me to the gym for a pre or post workout snack! Most of the recipes I have are for protein bars and I thought I should try to make them into cake pops instead! Plus, I was craving baked goods, so I thought I would give it a shot! These DO include protein powder, which I would leave out and replace with just a "clean" flour for my girls, but since they are for me I used the protein powder. I don't claim to know everything about eating clean, its a learning/researching process as I go, but I have found different views on where you should be getting your protein from. Really a whole other subject, but one that I am going to keep researching. In the meantime, I am using protein powder, but always try if I can to get it from more natural sources if I am home to cook!
So here they are, Chocolate Protein Cake Pops! Yummy & delicious!
Ingredients
-4 Egg Whites
-1 Whole Egg
-1 tsp Stevia-
-2 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
-1 tsp Baking Cocoa
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
-1/4 c water
-1 tbsp coconut milk
-2 tbsp applesauce or coconut oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Mix all dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients and blend. Use tablespoon to measure and pour batter into cake pop pan, fill to top and then add about 1/2 tsp more.
Bake 15-18 minutes. 17 mins seemed perfect! Cool in your cake pop pan for 3 mins before removing from pan.
*If you don't have barley flour, you can substitute it with oat flour. If you don't have oat flour, grind up some whole oats and you have oat flour!
*Remember to refrigerate these or they will go bad quickly!
Makes approximately 16 cake pops.
Approximate Nutrition
Calories: 96Fat: 1.4 grams
Carbs: 12 grams
Protein: 10 grams
This recipe was based off of :Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/video-jamie-eason-chocolate-protein-bars.htm
