HOMEMADE PROTEIN ICE CREAM BARS
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These Homemade Protein Ice Cream Hazelnut Caramel Bars will do the trick to treat your sweet tooth as well as giving you good quality protein. Are you on a weight/fat loss diet? Why not treat yourself to ice cream, right?
When the summer heat arrives, we want to treat ourselves with some refreshing snacks and what is better than ice cream? Well, there is but I am talking about non-alcoholic, you know what I’m saying!!
It is true that here in Ireland the summers are not as hot as in for example: in my home country Venezuela or UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany and United states of course. But we love the good old ice cream whether it is scorching hot or bloody freezing hahaha!!!
WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THIS HOMEMADE HIGH PROTEIN MAGNUM-STYLE ICE CREAM?
To achieve the creamy texture you will need bananas, yes, I think they are used in a lot of homemade ice creams for a reason. Then we have the protein powder, I used BiotechUsa Iso Whey Zero, which is lactose, sugar, gluten and palm oil-free. It comes in tones of flavors but for this recipe, I went for hazelnut one time. Although, I used vanilla on another occasion and both were delicious.
Now, we want to achieve a creamy consistency for this Homemade Protein Ice Cream. For this reason, we need to avoid that annoying crystallization. Therefore, we have to include some ingredients in smaller quantities. But they will do the trick to achieve the creamy final result.
Glycerine (food grade): is polyol alcohol that helps to keep the ice cream soft creamy consistency staying scoopable instead of icy crystals when frozen. Although it has a low GI and doesn’t rise blood sugar, it can for some people. Please, leave out if you are sensitive. However, keep in mind if you leave out the ice cream will be a lot harder and with ice crystals. I only use a small amount of vegetable glycerine and makes a great difference in the texture of this homemade protein ice cream. 1 tsp adds only 4 grams of carbs to the entire recipe or 1g of carb for every popsicle. I haven’t tried making these ice cream pops without vegetable glycerine, and I really recommend using the glycerine for the best texture.
Xanthan gum and Guar gum: are natural thickeners and must be used together to help keeping the ice crystals the smallest possible.
Sweeteners: I personally like to make my own blend by combining erythritol, allulose, stevia and inulin. To achieve the sugar-like sweetness without the extra calories. Feel free to use any sweetener of your choice.
DAIRY FREE HOMEMADE PROTEIN ICE CREAM POPS?
We need to add some fat to help the creamy consistency but because I have lactose/dairy intolerance. As a consequence, I decide to use coconut cream and homemade peanut butter, instead of heavy cream. However, they can be swapped one for the other for the full amount.
DATE CARAMEL FOR THE ICE CREAM BARS
Why dates? Dates are quite sweet and when blend with the other ingredients made the easiest caramel texture and flavour without the refined sugar and the hassle to cook the caramel. Although you can swap it for any caramel of your choice, just bear in mind the macros of this homemade high Homemade Protein Ice Cream bars will vary.
CHOCOLATE COVER
For this recipe, you will only need 70g of 74% dark chocolate or higher if you want. Because you need a runnier consistency, I highly suggest adding cacao butter or neutral oil. For this reason, I used cacao butter drops because they were handy from making my own dark chocolate. However, you can use organic raw cold-pressed Coconut oil as well, it won’t taste like coconut at all.
Here you can see 3 methods:
1st method, coat the ice cream pops mould and move the moulds around to spread the chocolate evenly. Freeze then add the fillings, freeze and use the remaining melted chocolate to cover the top layer of the ice cream pops, put back in the freezer to set.
2nd method, as in the first method cover the mould with the chocolate and freeze, add filling and freeze. Then pull all the pops out and with a spatula cover, the rest of the ice cream pops and put them back in the freezer to set.
3rd method, you will add your filling in the moulds but the melted chocolate. Place in the freezer and set. Now melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe glass where you are going to dip your ice pops when they are all set. In this method, you will need to double or triple the amount of chocolate to fill the glass. It will have the best look but you will be ending up using more chocolate and as well the macros will change.
DECORATIONS
For the decorations there is no right or wrong, use your imagination. Melt some sugar-free white chocolate and crush some nuts, seeds, granola, mini marshmallows, M & M, smarties, etc. Just you know you need to add those calories and macros to your count.
Ok that is all you need to know to make your Hazelnut Caramel Homemade Protein Ice Cream Bars.
Hope you enjoy my recipe and give it a go, snap a picture tag me on Instagram @ikarlina_l #ikarolina_l so I can see it. Also, I am on Pinterest iKarolinaL and Facebook ikarolinal . It will make my day.
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This is my Hazelnut Caramel Homemade High Protein Ice Cream Bars. If you like the recipe then consider sharing it with other Protein Ice Cream lovers on social media.
Have you checked my others Protein Recipes?
HOMEMADE PROTEIN ICE CREAM HAZELNUT CARAMEL BARS
Course: Dessert, Recipes, SnackDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes20
minutes194
kcal50
minutesThese easy Hazelnut Caramel Homemade Protein Ice Cream Bars are the perfect treat for those warmer days of summer. Vegan, dairy and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Protein Banana Ice Cream
85g Banana, sliced and frozen
20g Coconut cream or 15g if using 5g peanut butter
25g Iso Whey Zero Protein Powder (hazelnut or vanilla)
80g Almond Milk, unsweetened
½ tsp Glycerine *
1/8 tsp Xanthan gum **
1/8 tsp Guar gum **
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- Dates Caramel
24g Dates, pitted
50g Water, boiling
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Glycerine *
1/8 Xanthan gum **
1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan salt
- Chocolate Cover
70g Dark chocolate, 74% or higher
6g Cacao Butter drops or coconut oil
Directions
- Date Caramel
- Place the dates in a small bowl with hot water for 1 hour, to soften.
- Now place the rest of the ingredients for the caramel in a hand blender or small food processor, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Chocolate Cover
- Place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and melt with bursts of 30sec, for 2 rounds in total 1min.
- Place a tsp in each ice cream pop mould and wiggle around until fully covered with the melted chocolate.
- Place in the freezer until needed.
- Banana Filling
- Cut the banana in slices and place than on a baking tray lined up with parchment paper and bring it to the freezer for 3 hours.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, place the frozen banana and the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Place the mixture in a rectangle loaf pan, cover with tin foil and place in the freezer for 2 hours. Stirring every 30min, this will break all ice crystals ensuring a smooth and creamy ice cream. ***
- Assembling the Ice Cream Pop
- Take the mould pops with the chocolate cover and the loaf pan with the ice cream mixture from the freezer.
- With the help of and spatula or spoon, transfer half of the mixture to the mould pops, leaven a small dent/space/whole in the middle for the dates caramel and fill with the rest of the banana cream evenly. Insert the ice cream pops sticks and bring them to the freezer again for 4 hours to set.
- Melt the leftovers of the chocolate cover and cover the top of the pops the chocolate will solidify almost immediately. Other option is taking the ice cream pops from the mould and with a paddle knife spatula cover the pop with the melted chocolate cover. ****
- Now are ready to eat or place in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- * I highly recommend using the vegetable glycerine (food grade) for the best texture. Although I haven’t tried making this ice cream pops without it.
- ** Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum work together in this recipe but if you don’t have one of the two, use the full amount of the other. Do not skip it will help with the final creamy texture.
- *** You can skip this step if you desire but it might affect the creaminess of the mixture.
- **** Please read the post above for more chocolate cover methods.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
Serving Size1g
- Amount Per ServingCalories194
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
10g
16%
- Saturated Fat 6g 30%
- Trans Fat 2g
- Sodium 55mg 3%
- Potassium 76mg 3%
- Total Carbohydrate
17g
6%
- Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
- Sugars 12g
- Protein 8g 16%
- Vitamin A 1%
- Vitamin C 2%
- Calcium 3%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.