homemade protein bar... close, but...

springlering62

This is the entry I use

zebasschick

i tried another brand of protein powder, and it would appear that heating whey isolate protein powder in a liquid makes a gross, drying curd. i see several ways to go with this.

springlering62 wrote: »

It’s a byproduct of yogurt and cheesemaking.

I accumulate it two ways. I strain yogurt to make a cream cheese. The liquid that drains off is whey.

Or, you get it straining the heated and set milk when making homemade yogurt or skyr.

I get about two quarts of whey for every gallon of skim milk I use. (It’s ultimately more than a gallon because you mix rennet in water, plus you add a serving size of the last batch to ”seed” the next, so you ultimately end up straining a gallon and a pint.) Two quarts of whey and about ten servings skyr.

There is a listing here that’s fairly close. Someone calculated 60 calories per cup of homemade whey. I ran the numbers using 100 calories per cup of homemade skyr with that quantity of skim milk and and the numbers tallied.

I wonder if kefir would work? It’s readily available. I was making homemade kefir for a while and using it to make cupcakes. They were light and fluffy with no ingredients except a box of cake mix and kefir.

I gave up on kefir making because its so warm here my kefir grains were producing way more than we could ever drink and we certainly couldn’t eat that many cupcakes without blowing calories. We even got to the point we were blending the kefir grains themselves into smoothies. (Supposed probiotic effects. ) I felt bad making kefir regularly just to throw it out, to keep the grains from spoiling.

The kefir situation was so frenetic, we jokingly called the kefir jar Tribbles, it was that bad.

i love kefir! i tried making it once, and it worked out okay, maybe because i didn't try it in the summer. sourdough starter also grows madly in summer, but if you don't feed it more often, it gets unhealthy.

zebasschick

i've read that the problem might be the kind of protein powder i'm using - whey isolate isn't as good for bars and cooking as micellar casein powder. i'll be testing this in the next week. stay tuned...

loulee997

zebasschick wrote: »

i've been experimenting with making my own protein bars, brownies and cookies with very low fat and 200 calories or less per bar. today, i tried adding some corn fiber to help it hold together, used a little almond flour, protein powder, egg white, calorie free chocolate syrup, baking powder and yogurt and just a little oil.

and these would have been a rousing success - they hold together well, they rose in the oven, they have 21 grams of protein each, they taste pretty good. the catch? they're the driest thing i've ever eaten in my life, and i'm not kidding. i guess that fiber was the problem...next time, i'll either use more oil or add shredded zucchini.

so close, but... LOL

Applesauce, carbonated soda, banana, peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, sunbutter, dates will all add moisture. You can also use fat-free Greek yogurt.

The key will find the right application to add moisture but not make it gooey or crumbly.

It's why so many people use honey. Honey can help hold it together and add moisture.

You may want to try applesauce or banana. Yeah, it might raise the sugar/carbs slightly, but it does add moisture without adding too many calories.

loulee997

zebasschick wrote: »

springlering62 wrote: »

If you have access to liquid whey, it keeps things most and if used in conjunction with baking soda or baking powder and egg or egg whites, gives just about anything a nice rise, too.

(Add the whey last and bake immediately. The whey related rise only lasts 10-15 minutes so you want your oven preheated and ready to go.

I have quarts of it on hand from making homemade skyr or yogurt. You could also drain yogurt or Greek yogurt, use the whey in your bars and then have a nice low cal cream cheese to go on top!

i missed this post somehow. i'll have to try and find liquid whey.

my first attempt - the dry one - had egg white, yogurt and baking soda, and it rose well. today's attempt was too wet, came out more like a pudding. next time, hopefully, will come out somewhere in between.

Try banana. It's less wet but still adds moisture.

Upnadam821

Sounds yummy

zebasschick

loulee997 wrote: »

Applesauce, carbonated soda, banana, peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, sunbutter, dates will all add moisture. You can also use fat-free Greek yogurt.

The key will find the right application to add moisture but not make it gooey or crumbly.

It's why so many people use honey. Honey can help hold it together and add moisture.

You may want to try applesauce or banana. Yeah, it might raise the sugar/carbs slightly, but it does add moisture without adding too many calories.

i did use fat free greek yogurt - on its own, it wasn't enough.

any sugar-rich stuff, like honey, bananas, applesauce or dates, isn't good for me as a type 2 diabetic who has controlled my blood sugar for years by avoiding most sugar, and i've experimented a lot. nut butters add a lot of fat, but they also contribute thickness, and if refrigerated, the bars would be firmer. the carbonated soda is a very interesting idea. but then why not water or herb tea or sugar free maple syrup or non-fat milk? hmmm... xylitol is extremely hygroscopic - i tried making meringue with it as a sweetener, and it wouldn't dry out ever.

PAPYRUS3

Have you tried 'Boo's Ridiculous Brownies'?

The recipe yields 16 2" square brownies baked in an 8x8 inch pan.

PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
30 minutes
TOTAL TIME
35 minutes
Ingredients
63g Cocoa Powder
36g Select Protein in Frosted Chocolate Cupcake by PEScience
45g Oats, ground into flour
100g Erythritol
3g (1/2 tsp) Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
300g carbonated beverage of choice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F)
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (cocoa, protein powder, oat flour, erythritol, baking powder and salt.. everything but your carbonated liquid) until evenly distributed.
Into the dry mixture, lightly stir in your carbonated beverage until no lumps remain. The batter should be very liquid and begin spewing bubbles! Immediately pour into your greased/lined 8”x8” pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Let cool in the pan for 5 more minutes after baking, then an additional 30 minutes out of the pan before slicing and storing. As Boo notes, the brownies continue to cook in the pan after leaving the oven, and may not have set completely.

zebasschick

PAPYRUS3 wrote: »

Have you tried 'Boo's Ridiculous Brownies'?

The recipe yields 16 2" square brownies baked in an 8x8 inch pan.

PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
30 minutes
TOTAL TIME
35 minutes
Ingredients
63g Cocoa Powder
36g Select Protein in Frosted Chocolate Cupcake by PEScience
45g Oats, ground into flour
100g Erythritol
3g (1/2 tsp) Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
300g carbonated beverage of choice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F)
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (cocoa, protein powder, oat flour, erythritol, baking powder and salt.. everything but your carbonated liquid) until evenly distributed.
Into the dry mixture, lightly stir in your carbonated beverage until no lumps remain. The batter should be very liquid and begin spewing bubbles! Immediately pour into your greased/lined 8”x8” pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Let cool in the pan for 5 more minutes after baking, then an additional 30 minutes out of the pan before slicing and storing. As Boo notes, the brownies continue to cook in the pan after leaving the oven, and may not have set completely.

interesting recipe, but not enough protein - that's less than 3 grams per serving. it might make a yummy snack, but it's definitely not a protein bar.

zebasschick

btw, i mixed 4 grams of xylitol, 24 grams of muscle feast whey protein isolate (chocolate), added about an ounce and a half of water, and after sitting for a couple hours, it formed a thin gel. that never happened before!

PAPYRUS3

interesting recipe, but not enough protein - that's less than 3 grams per serving. it might make a yummy snack, but it's definitely not a protein bar.

I get that - you could add more protein powder/Greek yogurt and some cottage cheese?

Corina1143

Have you tried cottage cheese bread? Very blah plain, but I added pb fit and it's good with coffee.

1 cup cottage cheese in blender, I cup egg whites in mixer until very stiff peaks. Fold cottage cheese into egg whites. Bake at 350 30 minutes.
I added 10 oz pbfit to the cottage cheese and baked it a little longer. 2 loaves, 10 slices each.
I think it would be good with chocolate added. It's not very sweet. Kind of the consistency of angel food.
Mine came out for one slice calories = 53, carbs = 3, fat = 1.6, protein = 7.2

PAPYRUS3

This cottage 'dry' curd cheese is the one I like - twice the protein as regular varieties and low in sodium too.

I too have made the Cloud bread - I like it for a sub-in for regular bread

loulee997

zebasschick wrote: »

loulee997 wrote: »

Applesauce, carbonated soda, banana, peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, sunbutter, dates will all add moisture. You can also use fat-free Greek yogurt.

The key will find the right application to add moisture but not make it gooey or crumbly.

It's why so many people use honey. Honey can help hold it together and add moisture.

You may want to try applesauce or banana. Yeah, it might raise the sugar/carbs slightly, but it does add moisture without adding too many calories.

i did use fat free greek yogurt - on its own, it wasn't enough.

any sugar-rich stuff, like honey, bananas, applesauce or dates, isn't good for me as a type 2 diabetic who has controlled my blood sugar for years by avoiding most sugar, and i've experimented a lot. nut butters add a lot of fat, but they also contribute thickness, and if refrigerated, the bars would be firmer. the carbonated soda is a very interesting idea. but then why not water or herb tea or sugar free maple syrup or non-fat milk? hmmm... xylitol is extremely hygroscopic - i tried making meringue with it as a sweetener, and it wouldn't dry out ever.

Diet soda --because it has carbonation and faux sugar--the combo adds a lot of moisture and sweetness. It's an old Weight Watcher's trick to make low-calorie, moist brownies.

So if you can find something both carbonated and sweet---it may still work.
Perhaps Monk Fruit Syrup and carbonated water or tea? Monk fruit sugar doesn't always impact blood sugar.

Monk fruit sweetener is made from the extract derived from dried fruit. The extract is 150-250 times sweeter than table sugar, has zero calories and carbs, and does not raise blood glucose levels.

If you also add the carbonation, the two together will add moisture and lightness.

neanderthin

0 fat cottage cheese, yeah pass. Never understood the need to remove all the fat in diary but do like the dryer cottage cheese. cottage cheese has been a staple in my diet for over a decade, love the stuff.

zebasschick

Cottage cheese is pretty high in sodium for me, and I'm looking for 20 g of protein per serving. But half the serving of cottage cheese might make a very nice component. Thanks!

Oddly, I can't find my almond flour. I've ordered some more to continue my experiments! (Experiments... I feel like a mad scientist mwahaha!)

zebasschick

PAPYRUS3 wrote: »

interesting recipe, but not enough protein - that's less than 3 grams per serving. it might make a yummy snack, but it's definitely not a protein bar.

I get that - you could add more protein powder/Greek yogurt and some cottage cheese?

it would be so much more protein powder / cottage cheese that the recipe wouldn't work. while i'm not usually a food experimenter, these will take some tinkering.

PAPYRUS3 wrote: »

This cottage 'dry' curd cheese is the one I like - twice the protein as regular varieties and low in sodium too.

I too have made the Cloud bread - I like it for a sub-in for regular bread

looking for it or for friendship brand or hood. i live in los angeles, and i can only find the friendship at gelsons - maybe - and this one or hood brand not at all. with all the health food and grocery stores around here, you'd think we'd have a lower sodium or dry curd option...