Oat, Apple & Walnut Protein Flapjacks – the perfect healthy snack, gluten free and refined sugar free, with a simple vegan option too!
An important aspect of consistently healthy eating is a little bit of preparation; it’s all too easy to succumb to a quick, unsatisfying fix when good food isn’t handy. I think this is especially true with snacking, because often when we’re looking for a snack in between meals we’re out of the house and quite busy and need something properly satisfying to keep us going and avoid those HANGRY feels. Enter these high protein flapjacks.
Some people are snack-lovers, others aren’t, I know. There’s no hard and fast rule here. If you like a snack, embrace it; having a nourishing snack in between meals keeps our energy levels on an even keel, makes sure we’re getting the right amount of calories to meet our lifestyle needs and hey, it’s a pretty delicious proposition, too.
These oat, apple and walnut protein flapjacks were something I came up with after spotting a Clif bar on the shelf one day; one of my husband’s preferred pre-workout snacks. Oats, protein, apple and peanut butter were some of the first few ingredients on the label. I figured I could make a simple, all natural version of my own! Flapjacks are such an easy treat to bake and the flavour combinations are endless (I also love my Chewy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Flapjacks which have a delectable chocolate element).
Combining gluten free rolled oats, apple puree, chia seeds, peanut butter and a little desiccated coconut (because it’s just SO tasty), these flapjacks are the perfect healthy snack. They also include a few scoops of vanilla protein for a gentle sweetness and serious protein boost, so they’ll really replenish you! For my bars, I’ve been using Whey Ahead’s Organic Madagascan Vanilla whey protein. It’s an amazingly clean and delicious powder, made only of whey concentrate, vanilla bean powder and lucuma.
Bake a tray of these oat, apple and walnut protein flapjacks, cut in to bars and wrap individually. These will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or alternatively store in the freezer where they’ll last a couple of months, perfect for easy healthy snack or quick breakfast emergencies. Super prepared!
Oat, Apple and Walnut Protein Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (225 grams)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (40 grams)
- 50 grams vanilla protein powder (I used Whey Ahead)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (85 grams)
- 1/4 cup pure peanut butter, smooth
- 1/4 cup rice malt syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup apple puree (270 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C and line a brownie pan or similar tray with baking paper (I used a 9 inch square pan).
- Optional step: You can toast your walnuts prior to using them in this recipe. If you'd like to toast them, simply spread them out over a tray and toast in the oven at 180 C for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before incorporating into the flapjacks.
- In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients (i.e. oats, desiccated coconut, protein powder, chia seeds, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt).
- Take a small saucepan and pop in the peanut butter, rice malt syrup and coconut oil. Over a low heat, melt the ingredients together just until they are runny. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple puree.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.
- Scoop out the mixture into the lined baking tin. Using the back of a large spoon or your fingertips, press the mixture into the tray so it is evenly spread out and there are no gaps. (Tip: wetting your fingertips just slightly will stop them sticking).
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges are starting to crisp and darken and the centre is a golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
This looks so good! What a great fall recipe – I’m starting to stock up on them and get excited for cooler weather but it’s gonna be a while until that happens. I would definitely prefer pecans in these!
Hi Ashley! Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind words 🙂 I really love these with pecans in them too, but end up making them more with walnuts because they’re more economical and I love all those omega-3s in there! I hope you end up making these when the weather cools down for you x
Oooh these look so good! Great fall recipe…I’m stocking up on those now. I would definitely prefer pecans over walnuts!