PROTEINS
Seitan Protein + Energy Bars
vegan fuel for protein synthesis & beyond
Dry Ingredients
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 heaping tbsp spirulina
1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup mix of hemp hearts, ground flax seed and chia seeds
Wet Ingredients
1 cup coconut water (add more as needed for the seitan dough)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melted honey to taste (many tbsp worth is nice :)
Makes 8 servings.
Variations: try a mix of sesame seeds and whole flax seeds, or blend fruit into the coconut water — the possibilities are endless!
While not so much low carb, this recipe provides excellent fuel for exercise as well as a great dose of low fat protein (in other words, no high calorie nuts required).
Note about the honey: there are soooo many kinds of honey, which typically does not need to be melted. I use Wendell Estate’s White Creamed Raw Prairie Honey which is very thick and gloopy and mos def needs to be melted. For thick honey such as this, melt it on the stovetop in a small pan but stop short of heating it to the point of exploding into honey-froth.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together separately, then combine them. Knead the seitan for ~3 minutes. Lay the raw seitan onto the baking sheet and press flat — a cutting board is very nifty for flattening the seitan, or just use your hands.
Bake for ~30 minutes. When cooled, slice into energy bar shapes of your choosing.
