These Apple Pie Collagen Protein Bars are Paleo and Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) compliant. These protein bars are creamy with chewy bites of dried apples, and are truly a healthy addition to your breakfast or snack routine. Grab the recipe below.
Don't you dare tell me the variations of these collagen protein bars are getting out of hand. So far I've made Berry, Pumpkin Spice, White Chocolate, and Apple Pie, and let me just say that each and every flavor is necessary. I'm not sure I'll ever stop coming up with new ones!
While I've said it before, I really do think this recipe might be my top favorite.
The applesauce makes the texture of these even creamier than the others, and the small chewy bites of dried apple are a welcome addition.
Let’s look at the ingredients in these Apple Pie Collagen Protein Bars.
In this recipe, the combination of collagen protein, coconut butter, coconut cream, and applesauce makes a creamy and delicious protein bar. Just like my other collagen protein bar recipes, these are so delicious, I swear they could pass as dessert.
The Protein Component: Collagen
Although I was once an avid plant-based protein kinda girl, the protein powder I swear by these days is a form of protein called collagen hydrolysate, aka collagen peptides.
Collagen is one of the most structural substances in your body, responsible for healthy tissue repair, joint flexibility, bone and skin renewal, and reducing inflammation. If one of your goals is to help put your autoimmune disease into remission, collagen is your golden ticket.
I used the Collagen Protein from Perfect Supplements for this White Chocolate Peppermint Protein Bar recipe, but I’ve also tested it with Great Lakes and Vital Proteins. All work wonderfully, but the Perfect Supplements option is at a really great price! I also love their mission statement.
The Creamy Component: Coconut
Confession: I’m not a fan of coconut butter. It’s dry, crumbly, and not easy to snack on since it solidifies at room temp. It is however key to the success of this recipe, and once all the ingredients come together, the coconut butter is a non-issue for me. These bars are anything but dry or crumbly, and they’re a perfect snack.
Coconut butter on it’s own has plenty of merit as well. It’s said that the fat from coconut butter can’t be stored as body fat since it’s so readily available for energy. This means that despite these bars being higher in fat, you don’t need to worry about your waist line when eating them. In fact, you can expect any of the following benefits from indulging in these coconut butter based bars:
- High in healthy medium chain triglycerides
- High in fiber
- Improved blood sugar control
- Reduced sugar cravings
Pretty insane, right? Let’s move on.
The Fruity Component: Apple
I’ve made these bars in so many combinations at this point: fresh berries, dried berries, pumpkin snickerdoodle, white chocolate peppermint, and with gingerbread spices. These might just be my favorite, but I’m trying to stay unbiased.
The apple pie variation has a crisp flavor, creamy texture, and with a subtle sweetness from the chocolate icings and the maple syrup sweetener.
The Dessert Component: White and Dark Chocolate Icing
NOTICE: no store bought white chocolate was used in the making of these bars! Most of the white chocolate found in grocery stores is full of icky ingredients; the kind of ingredients that make you feel the need to follow up the holiday season with a restrictive and equally icky diet.
The ‘white chocolate drizzle’ shown in these photographs was created using the recipe below. It’s so easy – don’t skip this step!
Full disclosure, I used 80% dark chocolate for dipping the bottoms of these protein bars, in place of the dark chocolate icing. If you tolerate chocolate without issue, I highly recommend using melted chocolate in place of the dark chocolate icing recipe listed below to make them really feel like a treat. Regardless of the chocolate option you choose (real dark chocolate or coconut oil ‘chocolate icing’), you won’t be disappointed.
Apple Pie Collagen Protein Bars
Ingredients
- Bars:1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour3/4 cup Perfect Supplements Collagen Protein1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (optional)1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut butter (melted)2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce2.5 Tbsp pure maple syrup1/4 cup coconut cream1/4 cup chewy dried apples (chopped, optional)1 tsp vanilla extract (swap with vanilla powder for AIP)1/2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp cinnamon for AIP, or Primal Palate Apple Pie Spice blend (note: spice blend is not AIP)Dark Chocolate Icing (optional):1/4 cup coconut oil2 Tbsp cacao powder, or carob powder for AIP1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrupWhite Chocolate Drizzle:1.5 Tbsp coconut butter (melted)1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)Sprinkle of cinnamon or Primal Palate Apple Pie Spice blend (note: spice blend is not AIP)
Instructions
For the Bars
- Mix all ingredients together by hand in a bowl. It may take a bit of stirring before the dough comes together.
- Form into 8 equal bars. I used this inexpensive silicon moldto make my bars all the same size, but you can also use a greased glass baking sheet, or you can shape the bars by hand.
- Place the formed bars in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Once they're set, remove the bars from the silicon mold or the baking dish. At this point, you can choose if you'd like to make the chocolate icing and drizzle, (recipes below ) or leave plain.
For the Dark Chocolate Icing
- Melt the coconut oil and stir in cacao powder (or carob powder for AIP) and maple syrup.
- Dip bottom half of each bar in the chocolate icing.
- Use a piping bag or a ziploc with a small hole cut in the tip to drizzle chocolate on top of the bars.
- Place bars on waxed paper in the refrigerator to set.
- NOTE: You can also melt half a bar of dark chocolate instead of making the Dark Chocolate Icing if you're not following AIP.
For the White Chocolate Drizzle
- Mix together the melted coconut butter and melted coconut oil.
- Place bars on wire cooling rack. Use a piping bag or a ziploc with a small hole cut in the corner to drizzle on top of the bars. Place in the fridge to set.
Notes
- The bars have the best texture at room temperature, but you can also store in the fridge for a longer shelf-life.
- Nutrition information is for the bars without the chocolate icing and drizzle. If you're including the icing, you'll add 85 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 2 grams of carbs.
These look divine. How do you think these would hold up for backpacking? Do you think they would be too messy coming to room temp in a backpack? Also, how long do they hold/last for? Thank you!
I will be traveling in a few days and I’m having a lot of trouble finding a recipe for a treat that would work for the long days of flying. I am AIP. What do you think about this recipe?
Holy cow, you weren’t kidding these are like dessert! I’m glad they freeze hard or they’d probably all be gone by now. Thanks for this great recipe!
Delicious collagen protein powders and we all know that collagen is one of the most structural substances in our body, responsible for healthy tissue repair, joint flexibility, bone and skin renewal, and reducing inflammation. So if you want to put your autoimmune disease into remission, collagen is is the best.
Anne Marie!! these look SO good!! I absolutely love all the collagen in them!
Do you melt the coconut butter before mixing in with the other bar ingredients?
Yes, if your coconut butter is solid at room temp, you’ll want to melt it first 🙂
These are perfect for the morning as a grab and go snack!
Yep, they’re my favorite for that reason 🙂
Yummy! Made these last night. Omitted the frosting and drizzle as flavor was great as is. Used a smaller silicon mold for bite size treats. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! Makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed them 🙂