Lemon Coconut Protein Bars

These mildly tangy and ever so tasty protein bars make for a great addition to breakfast, a snack, or a dessert. Enjoy these bars any time of day with a hot (or cold) drink. Meeting your protein needs doesn't have to be a slog, it can be a tantalizing treat instead!
Yield: 9 servings of 1 bar each, totaling 9 bars
Macros (per serving): 220 calories | 11g protein | 18g fat | 3g net carbs
Prep: 25 minutes | Cool: 2 to 3 hours
Equipment Required: 7-inch (18cm) square cake pan or 9x5-inch (23x13cm) loaf pan
Storage: refrigerated for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen.
Ingredients:
  • ​½ of a 13.5-ounce (400g) can (i.e. 200g) full-fat coconut milk
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90ml) lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
  • zest of one lemon (about 2g or 1 unpacked tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon (9g) agar agar powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (128g) unsweetened coconut butter/manna (no need to soften/melt)
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated allulose or granulated keto-friendly sweetener of choice ​✎
  • 1 cup (112g) vegan vanilla-flavored protein powder ✎
  • ½ cup (40g) unsweetened shredded coconut ✎
Directions:
  1. Zest one lemon. I use a microplane for this.
  2. ​In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, agar agar powder, and salt. Bring to a low boil on medium heat, cover with a well-fitted lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Monitor carefully to prevent boiling over and whisk occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile, put the coconut butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and the allulose or preferred sweetener in a small heat-safe bowl of choice.
  4. Line a 7-inch (18cm) square cake pan or 9x5-inch (23x13cm) loaf pan with parchment. Allow the parchment to hang over at least 2 sides of the pan for easy removal of the bars. I also prefer to use a loose-bottomed pan.
  5. Once ready, add roughly 3 tablespoons (45ml) of the lemon-coconut mixture to the allulose and combine with a small whisk or fork ​✎. Whisk the remaining lemon-coconut mixture into the coconut manna until no lumps remain.
  6. Add the protein powder and coconut to the mixing bowl and combine thoroughly to form a thick dough without any dry patches. I use a medium-sized silicone spatula for this. Optionally, set aside roughly a tablespoon of the coconut for decorating the tops of the bars.
  7. Transfer the dough to your lined pan and press it into an even layer. I use the spatula or my fingertips for this.
  8. Drizzle the top of your bars with the allulose mixture. Depending on how long the mixture has been sitting and which type of sweetened you've used, you may need to spread it on rather than drizzle it as it may have begun to gel. Sprinkle with the shredded coconut if you set some aside.
  9. Transfer the bars to the fridge to cool and set for 2 to 3 hours.
  10. Cut into 9 bars and enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
✎ Notes:
  • The allulose or granulated sweetener is optional. It is part of a topping, which doesn't have to be made. If not making the topping, the lemon-coconut mixture that would be combined with the sweetener can simply be included in the main bar component. Don't bother to set aside any coconut if the topping isn't being made. It will not stick to the bars on its own. Omitting the sweetener has little impact on the recipe's macros.
  • The bars are sweetened by the protein powder. If you don't find your protein powder to be very sweet, you may wish to add some additional sweetener.
  • I often like to toast my coconut, though I'm not sure the toasted flavor is particularly noticeable in these bars. It does make the tops look prettier though. I usually toast mine in a small rimmed baking sheet using my countertop oven on the toast setting for 2 to 3 minutes. Monitor diligently to prevent burning. It would also be toasted in a normal oven or in a dry frying pan on the stovetop.
  • Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the coconut milk (Aroy-D), agar agar powder (Now Foods), coconut butter (Artisana), allulose (Health Garden), and protein powder (Vega Sport Vanilla).
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.